21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册text A课文原文Word格式文档下载.docx

21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册text A课文原文Word格式文档下载.docx

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Someonewhohasmadealastingcontributiontohumancivilizationisgreat,"

saidDeanKeithSimonton,aprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofCaliforniaatDavisandauthorofthe1994bookGreatness:

WhoMakesHistoryandWhy.Butheaddedawordofcaution:

"

Sometimesgreatpeopledon'

tmakeitintothehistorybooks.Alotofwomenachievedgreatthingsorwereinfluentialbutwentunrecognized."

Inwritinghisbook,Simontoncombinedhistoricalknowledgeaboutgreatfigureswithrecentfindingsingenetics,psychiatryandthesocialsciences.ThegreatfigureshefocusedonincludemenandwomenwhohavewonNobelPrizes,ledgreatnationsorwonwars,composedsymphoniesthathaveenduredforcenturies,orrevolutionizedscience,philosophy,politicsorthearts.Thoughhedoesn'

thaveaformulatodefinehoworwhycertainpeopleriseabove（toomanyfactorsareinvolved）,hehascomeupwithafewcommoncharacteristics.

A"

neversurrender"

attitude.Ifgreatachieversshareanything,saidSimonton,itisanunrelentingdrivetosucceed."

There'

satendencytothinkthattheyareendowedwithsomethingsuper-normal,"

heexplained."

Butwhatcomesoutoftheresearchisthattherearegreatpeoplewhohavenoamazingintellectualprocesses.It'

sadifferenceindegree.Greatnessisbuiltupontremendousamountsofstudy,practiceanddevotion."

HecitedWinstonChurchill,Britain'

sprimeministerduringWorldWarII,asanexampleofarisk-takerwhowouldnevergiveup.Thrustintoofficewhenhiscountry'

smoralewasatitslowest,ChurchillrosebrilliantlytoleadtheBritishpeople.InaspeechfollowingtheAlliedevacuationatDunkirkin1940,heinspiredthenationwhenhesaid,"

Weshallnotflagorfail.Weshallgoontotheend...Weshallneversurrender."

Canyoubeborngreat?

InlookingatChurchill'

sroleinhistory—aswellastherolesofotherpoliticalandmilitaryleaders—Simontondiscoveredastrikingpattern:

Firstbornsandonlychildrentendtomakegoodleadersintimeofcrisis:

They'

reusedtotakingcharge.Butmiddle-bornsarebetteraspeacetimeleaders:

Theylistentodifferentinterestgroupsbetterandmakethenecessarycompromises.Churchill,anonlychild,wastypical.Hewasgreatinacrisis,butinpeacetimehewasnoteffective—notevenpopular."

Timingisanotherfactor."

IfyoutookGeorgeWashingtonandputhiminthe20thcenturyhewouldgonowhereasapolitician,"

Simontondeclared."

Hewasnotaneffectivepublicspeaker,andhedidn'

tlikeshakinghandswiththepublic.Ontheotherhand,I'

mnotsureFranklinRooseveltwouldhavedonewellinWashington'

stime.Hewouldn'

thavehadtheradiotodohisfiresidechats."

Canyoubetoosmart?

OnesurpriseamongSimonton'

sfindingsisthatmanypoliticalandmilitaryleadershavebeenbrightbutnotoverlyso.Beyondacertainpoint,heexplained,otherfactors,liketheabilitytocommunicateeffectively,becomemoreimportantthaninnateintelligenceasmeasuredbyanIQtest.ThemostintelligentU.S.Presidents,forexample—ThomasJefferson,WoodrowWilsonandJohnF.Kennedy—hadahardtimegettingelected,Simontonsaid,whileotherswithIQsclosertotheaverage（suchasWarrenG.Harding）wonbylandslides.Whilepoliticalandeconomicfactorsalsoareinvolved,havingageniusIQisnotnecessarytobeagreatleader.

Inthesciences,thosewith"

geniuslevel"

IQsdohaveabetterchanceatachievingrecognition,addedSimonton.Yetevidencealsoindicatesthatovercomingtraditionalwaysofthinkingmaybejustasimportant.

Hepointedtoonerecentstudywherecollegestudentsweregivenasetofdataandwereaskedtoseeiftheycouldcomeupwithamathematicalrelation.Almostathirddid.Whattheydidnotknowwasthattheyhadjustsolvedoneofthemostfamousscientificequationsinhistory:

theThirdLawofPlanetaryMotion,anequationthatJohannesKeplercameupwithin1618.

Kepler'

sgenius,Simontonsaid,wasnotsomuchinsolvingamathematicalchallenge.Itwasinthinkingaboutthenumbersinauniqueway—applyinghismathematicalknowledgetohisobservationsofplanetarymotion.Itwashisboldnessthatsethimapart.

Loveyourwork.Asachild,Einsteinbecamefascinatedwiththewaymagnetsaredrawntometal."

Hecouldn'

tstopthinkingaboutthisstuff,"

Simontonpointedout."

Hebecameobsessedwithproblemsinphysicsbythetimehewas16,andheneverstoppedworkingonthem.It'

snotsurprisingthathemademajorcontributionsbythetimehewas26."

"

Formostofus,it'

snotthatwedon'

thavetheability,"

Simontonadded,"

it'

sthatwedon'

tdevotethetime.Youhavetoputintheeffortandputupwithallthefrustrationsandobstacles."

Likeothercreativegeniuses,Einsteinwasnotmotivatedbyadesireforfame,saidSimonton.Instead,hisobsessionwithhisworkwaswhatsethimapart.

Wheresuchdrivecomesfromremainsamystery.Butitisfoundinnearlyallcreativegeniuses—whetherornottheirgeniusisacknowledgedbycontemporaries.

EmilyDickinsonwasnotrecognizedforherpoetryuntilafterherdeath,"

saidSimonton."

Butshewasnotwritingforfame.ThesamecanbesaidofJamesJoyce,whodidn'

tspendalotoftimeworryingabouthowmanypeoplewouldreadFinnegansWake."

Today,researchershaveevidencethatanintrinsicpassionforone'

sworkisakeytorisingabove.Ina1985studyatBrandeisUniversityconductedbyTeresaAmabile,nowaprofessorofbusinessadministrationatHarvardUniversity,agroupofprofessionalwriters—nonefamous—wereaskedtowriteashortpoem.Eachwriterwasthenrandomlyplacedinoneofthreegroups:

Onegroupwasaskedtokeepinmindtheideaofwritingformoney;

anotherwastoldtothinkaboutwritingjustforpleasure;

andathirdgroupwasgivennoinstructionatall.

Thepoemsthenweresubmittedanonymouslytoapanelofprofessionalwritersforevaluation.Thepoetrywrittenbypeoplewhothoughtaboutwritingformoneyrankedlowest.Thosewhothoughtaboutwritingjustforpleasuredidthebest."

Motivationthatcomesfromenjoyingtheworkmakesasignificantdifference,"

Amabilesaid.

（1214words）

TheGratitudeWeNeed

A.J.Cronin

OnafineafternooninNewYork,Igotintoataxi.Fromthedriver'

sexpressionandthewayheslammedinhisgears,Icouldtellthathewasupset.Iaskedhimwhatwasthetrouble."

I'

vegotgoodreasontobesore,"

hegrowled."

Oneofmyfaresleftawalletinmycabthismorning.Nearlythreehundredbucksinit.Ispentmorethananhourtryingtotracetheguy.FinallyIfoundhimathishotel.HetookthewalletwithoutawordandglaredatmeasthoughI'

dmeanttostealit."

Hedidn'

tgiveyouareward?

Iexclaimed.

Notacent.Butitwasn'

tthedoughIwanted..."

hefumbled,thenexploded,"

Iftheguyhadonlysaidsomething..."

Becausehishelpful,honestacthadnotbeenappreciated,thatcabdriver'

sdaywaspoisoned,andIknewhewouldthinktwicebeforerenderingasimilarservice.Theneedforgratitudeissomethingweallfeel,anddenialofitcandomuchtoharmthespiritofkindnessandcooperation.

DuringWorldWarIIamotherinCincinnatireceivedaletterfromhersoninthearmyinwhichhespokeofawomaninavillageinNormandywhohadtakenhimintoherhomewhenhewaswoundedandhungry,andhiddenhimfromtheGermans.Lateron,unhappily,theboywaskilledintheArdennesoffensive.Yetthemotherwasmovedbyanirresistibleintention.Shesavedupfortwoyears,crossedtheAtlanticandlocatedthevillagereferredtobyherson.Aftermanyinquiries,shefoundthewomanwhohadshelteredherson—thewifeofanimpoverishedfarmer—andpressedapackageintoherhand.Itwasthegoldwristwatchhersonhadreceivedonhisgraduation,theonlyobjectofrealvaluetheboyhadeverpossessed.Themother'

sactofgratitudesotouchedpeople'

sheartsthatithasbecomesomethingofalegendinandaroundthevillage.IthasdonemorethanfinespeechestofostergoodfeelingtowardAmericans.

Gratitudeistheartofreceivinggracefully,ofshowingappreciationforeverykindness,greatandsmall.Mostofusdonotfailtoshowourpleasurewhenwereceivehospitality,giftsandobviousbenefits,butevenherewecanperfectourmannerofshowinggratitudebymakingitaspersonalandsincereaspossible.Recently,whentouringinsouthernItalywithmywife,IsenttoafriendinConnecticutseveralbottlesofalocalwinewhichhadtakenourfancy.Itwasatriflinggift,yettooursurprise,insteadoftheconventionalletterofthanks,wereceiveaphonographrecord.Whenweplayedit,weheardourfriend'

svoicespeakingafterdinner,describinghowheandhisguestshadenjoyedthewineandthankingusforourthoughtfulness.Itwaspleasanttohavethisunusualproofthatourgifth