Most would agree that boredom is not a good thing, and people usually try their best to avoid it. Also, when individuals experience boredom, they want to get themselves out of it as quickly as they can . This is __1__ since boredom is a sign that a person doesn’t have enough stimulation . No matter how one looks at it, a bored person is also an unsatisfied individual—someone who is looking for excitement but can’t find it. Yet, researchers say that being bored can actually be beneficial .
stimulation [ ˌstɪmjəˈleʃən ] n. 刺激 unsatisfied [ ʌnˈsætɪsˌfaɪd ] a. 未滿足的，未得到想要的 excitement [ ɪkˈsaɪtmənt ] n. 刺激，興奮 beneficial [ ˌbɛnəˈfɪʃəl ] a. 有益的，有幫助的
你家的貓也是這樣厭世臉嗎?
Experts believe that boredom helps to develop a person’s creativity . When __2__ with the uncomfortable feeling of boredom, the mind is forced to try to find something interesting to do on its own . Thus, being bored __3__ people to develop their natural creative ability. Researchers say this is especially true and important for children. As a matter of fact, boredom is essential for their emotional and mental development.
creativity [ ˌkrieˈtɪvətɪ ] n. 創造力 creative [ krɪˈetɪv ] a. 有創意的 essential [ ɪˈsɛnʃəl ] a. 必要的，不可或缺的
Dr. Teresa Belton, a senior researcher at the University of East Anglia’s School of Education and Lifelong Learning, believes parents shouldn’t always keep their children busy. Kids need time to be bored; __4__, their imaginations may not fully develop. She says that children and adults these days feel the need to constantly be stimulated , and technology makes finding stimulation much easier. Yet, __5__ boredom in this way does not allow the brain the time necessary to be creative. Belton advises parents to respect the benefits of boredom and allow their kids’ creativity to bloom .
5. (A) running out of (B) living up to (C) getting along with (D) cutting down on
延伸學習｜介紹 boredom 的衍生字與用法：
boredom [ ˈbɔrdəm ] n. 無聊，厭倦（不可數）
I change my way of doing things from time to time to prevent boredom.
我偶爾會變化一下做事的方式以避免無聊。
bore [ bɔr ] vt. 使厭煩／討厭 & n. 令人厭煩的人；使人厭煩的事或情況（可數）
bore sb with sth 用某事使某人覺得厭煩
Please don’t bore me with the details! Just give me a summary.
請別拿枝微末節來煩我！給我摘要即可。
bored [ bɔrd ] a. 感到無聊的（修飾人）
be bored with... 對⋯⋯感到無聊／厭倦
Emma is bored with her job, so she is considering finding a new one.
艾瑪對她的工作感到厭倦，所以她在考慮找個新工作。
boring [ ˈbɔrɪŋ ] a. 令人感到無聊的，乏味的（可修飾人或事物）
This book was so boring that I didn’t finish reading it.
這本書太無聊了，所以我沒有看完。
