Unit 5Supplementary Reading.docx

Unit 5Supplementary Reading.docx

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Unit5SupplementaryReading

SupplementaryReading

TheStoryofHelenKeller

In1882ababygirlcaughtafeverthatwassofierceshenearlydied.Shesurvivedbutthefeverleftitsmark—shecouldnolongerseeorhear.Becauseshecouldnothear,shealsofounditverydifficulttospeak.

Sohowdidthischild,blindedanddeafenedat19monthsold,growuptobecomeaworld-famousauthorandpublicspeaker?

Thefevercutherofffromtheoutsideworld,deprivingherofsightandsound.Itwasasifshehadbeenthrownintoadarkprisoncellfromwhichtherecouldbenorelease.

LuckilyHelenwasnotsomeonewhogaveupeasily.Soonshebegantoexploretheworldbyusingherothersenses.Shefollowedhermotherwherevershewent,hangingontoherskirts;shetouchedandsmelledeverythingshecameacross.Shecopiedtheiractionsandwassoonabletodocertainjobsherself,likemilkingthecowsorkneadingdough,sheevenlearnttorecognizepeoplebyfeelingtheirfacesortheirclothes.Shecouldalsotellwhereshewasinthegardenbythesmellofthedifferentplantsandthefeelofthegroundunderherfeet.

Bytheageofsevenshehadinventedover60differentsignsbywhichshecouldtalktoherfamily.Ifshewantedbreadforexample,shewouldpretendtocutaloafandbuttertheslices.Ifshewantedicecreamshewrappedherarmsaroundherselfandpretendedtoshiver.

 Helenwasunusualinthatshewasextremelyintelligentandalsoremarkablysensitive.Byherowneffortsshehadmanagedtomakesomesenseofanalienandconfusingworld.Butevensoshehadlimitations.

AttheageoffiveHelenbegantorealizeshewasdifferentfromotherpeople.Shenoticedthatherfamilydidnotusesignslikeshedidbuttalkedwiththeirmouths.Sometimesshestoodbetweentwopeopleandtouchedtheirlips.Shecouldnotunderstandwhattheysaidandshecouldnotmakeanymeaningfulsoundsherself.Shewantedtotalkbutnomatterhowshetriedshecouldnotmakeherselfunderstood.Thismakehersoangrythatsheusedtohurlherselfaroundtheroom, kickingandscreaminginfrustration.

Asshegotolderherfrustrationgrewandherragesbecameworseandworse.Shebecamewildandunruly.Ifshedidn’tgetwhatshewantedshewouldthrowtantrumsuntilherfamilygavein.Herfavoritetricksincludedgrabbingotherpeople’sfoodfromtheirplatesandhurlingfragileobjectstothefloor.Oncesheevenmanagedtolockhermotherintothepantry.Eventuallyitbecameclearthatsomethinghadtobedone.So,justbeforeherseventhbirthday,thefamilyhiredaprivatetutor—AnneSullivan.

AnnewascarefultoteachHelenespeciallythosesubjectsinwhichshewasinterested.AsaresultHelenbecamegentlerandshesoonlearnttoreadandwriteinBraille.Shealsolearnttoreadpeople’slipsbypressingherfinger-tipsagainstthemandfeelingthemovementandvibrations.ThismethodiscalledTadomaanditisaskillthatvery,veryfewpeoplemanagetoacquire.Shealsolearnttospeak,amajorachievementforsomeonewhocouldnothearatall.

Helenprovedtobearemarkablescholar,graduatingwithhonorsfromRadcliffeCollegein1904.Shehadphenomenalpowersofconcentrationandmemory,aswellasadoggeddeterminationtosucceed.Whileshewasstillatcollegeshewrote‘TheStoryofMyLife’.Thiswasanimmediatesuccessandearnedherenoughmoneytobuyherownhouse.

Shetouredthecountry,givinglectureafterlecture.Manybookswerewrittenaboutherandseveralplaysandfilmsweremadeaboutherlife.Eventuallyshebecamesofamousthatshewasinvitedabroadandreceivedmanyhonorsfromforeignuniversitiesandmonarchs.In1932shebecameavice-presidentoftheRoyalNationalInstitutefortheBlindintheUnitedKingdom. 

Afterherdeathin1968anorganizationwassetupinhernametocombatblindnessinthedevelopingworld.Todaythatagency,HelenKellerInternational,isoneofthebiggestorganizationsworkingwithblindpeopleoverseas.

DaydreamaLittle

EugeneRaudsepp

Daydreaminghasalwayshadabadreputation,butnowscientificresearchhasrevealedthatdaydreamingmayactuallyimproveyourmentalhealthandcreativity.Itcanevenhelpyouachieveyourdesiredgoals.

"Daydreamingagain,Barb?

You'llneveramounttoanythingifyouspendyourtimethatway!

Can'tyoufindsomethingusefultodo?

"Manyyoungstershaveheardwordslikethosefromtheirparents.Anduntilrecentlythishostileattitudetowardsdaydreamingwasthemostcommonone.Daydreamingwasviewedasawasteoftime.Oritwasconsideredanunhealthyescapefromreallifeanditsduties.Butnowsomepeoplearetakingafreshlookatdaydreaming.Somethinkitmaybeaveryhealthythingtodo.

   Attitudestowardsdaydreamingarechanginginmuchthesamewaythatattitudestowardsnightdreaminghavechanged.Onceitwasthoughtthatnighttimedreamsinterferedwithourneededrest.Butthenresearcherstriedinterruptingthedreamsofsleepers.Theylearnedthatsleeperswhoaren'tallowedtodreamlostthebenefitsofrest.Theybecometenseandanxious.Theybecomeirritable.Theyhavetroubleconcentrating.Theirmentalhealthistemporarilydamaged.Tofeelwellagain,theymustbeallowedtodream.

   Nowresearchersarefindingthatdaydreamingmayalsobeimportanttomentalhealth.Daydreaming,theytellus,isagoodmeansofrelaxation.Butitsbenefitsgobeyondthis.Anumberofpsychologistshaveconductedexperimentsandhavereachedsomesurprisingconclusions.

   Dr.JoanT.Freyberghasconcludedthatdaydreamingcontributestointellectualgrowth.Italsoimprovesconcentration,attentionspan,andtheabilitytogetalongwithothers,shesays.Inanexperimentwithschoolchildren,thissameresearcherfoundthatdaydreamingledthechildrentopaymoreattentiontodetail.Theyhadmorehappyfeelings.Theyworkedtogetherbetter.Anotherresearcherreportedthatdaydreamingseemedtoproduceimprovedself-controlandcreativeabilities.

   Butthat'sonlypartofthestory.Themostremarkablethingaboutdaydreamingmaybeitsusefulnessinshapingourfuturelivesaswewantthemtobe.IndustrialistHenryJ.Kaiserbelievedthatmuchofhissuccesswasduetothepositiveuseofdaydreaming.Hemaintainedthat"youcanimagineyourfuture."FlorenceNightingaledreamedofbecominganurse.TheyoungThomasEdisonpicturedhimselfasaninventor.Forthesenotableachievers,itappearsthattheirdaydreamscametrue.

   Dr.HarryEmersonFosdickbelievedthatthewaywepictureourselvesisoftenthewayweturnout.Heofferedthisadvice:

"Holdapictureofyourself…inyourmind'seye,andyouwillbedrawntowardit.Pictureyourselfvividlyasdefeated,andthatwillmakevictoryimpossible.Pictureyourselfaswinning,andthatwillcontributeimmeasurablytosuccess.Donotpictureyourselfasanything,andyouwilldrift……"

   Theexperiencesofsomeathletesseemtoconfirmthisbelief.Forinstance,JohnUelses,aformerpole-vaultingchampion,useddaydreamingtechniquesbeforeeachmeet.Hewouldimaginehimselfwinning.Hewouldvividlypicturehimselfclearingthebaratacertainheight.Hewouldgooverallthedetailsinhismind.Hewouldpicturethestadiumandthecrowds.He'devenimaginethesmellofthegrassandtheearth.Hesaidthatthisexerciseoftheimaginationleftmemorytracesinhismindthatwouldlaterhelphisactualperformance.

   Whywouldamentalvisionofsuccesshelpproducerealsuccess?

Dr.MaxwelMaltz,asurgeonandauthor,saythis:

"Yournervoussystemcannottellthedifferencebetweenanimaginedexperienceandrealexperience.Ineithercaseitreactsautomaticallytoinformationthatyougiveit…… Itreactsappropriatelytowhatyouthinkorimaginetobetrue."

  Hebelievesthatpurposefuldaydreamingbuildsnew"memories"inthebrain.Thesepositivememoriesimproveaperson'sself-image.Andself-imagehasanimportanteffectonaperson'sactionandaccomplishments.

  Canyouusepurposefuldaydreamingtoshapeyourownfuture?

Whynottry?

Hereishowthosewhobelieveincreativedaydreamingrecommendgoingaboutit.Chooseatimewhenyoucanbealoneandundisturbed.Closeyoureyes,topermityourimaginationtosoarmorefreely.Manypeoplefindthattheygetbestresultsbypretendingthattheyaresittingbeforealargescreen.Theyprojectthedesiredimageofthemselvesontothatscreen.

   Nowpictureyourself——asvividlyaspossible——thewayyouwanttobe.Remembertopictureyourdesiredgoalsasifyouhadalreadyattainedthem.Gooverallthedetailsofthispicture.Seethemclearlyandsharply.Impressthemstronglyonyourmemory.Theresultingmemorytraceswillsupposedlystartaffectingyoureverydaylife.Theywillhelpleadyoutotheattainmenttoyourgoals.

  Ofcoursedaydreamingisnosubstituteforhardwork.Ifit'sathleticachievementyouwant,youalsohavetogetlotsofpracticeinyoursport.Youhavetoworkhardtodevelopskills.Ifit'sschoolsuccessyou'reafter,youcan'tneglectstudyingDaydreamingalonecan'tturnyouintoyourheart'sdesire.Butincombinationwiththemoreusualmethodsofself-development,itmightmakeacriticaldifference.Itcouldbethedifferencebetweenbecomingmerelygoodatsomethingandbecomingachampion.

   Ifwhatresearchersaresayingistrue,alifelivedwithoutfantasiesanddaydreamsisn'tasrichandrewardingaslifecanbe.Sotheysuggestsettingasideafewminuteseachdayfordaydreaming.Bysodoing,youmayimproveyourphysicalandmentalwell-being.Bytakingaten-orfifteen-minute"vacation"intotherealmofimaginationeachday,youmayaddmuchtotheexcitementandenjoymentofyourlife.Andwhoknows:

Youmightseeyourown