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

1、For decades, scientists have been asking such questions. And, in the past few years, they have found evidence to help explain why some people rise above, while otherssimilarly talented, perhapsare left behind. Their findings could have implications for us all.Who is great? Defining who is great depe

2、nds on how one measures success. But there are some criteria. Someone who has made a lasting contribution to human civilization is great, said Dean Keith Simonton, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis and author of the 1994 book Greatness: Who Makes History and Why. But

3、 he added a word of caution: Sometimes great people dont make it into the history books. A lot of women achieved great things or were influential but went unrecognized.In writing his book, Simonton combined historical knowledge about great figures with recent findings in genetics, psychiatry and the

4、 social sciences. The great figures he focused on include men and women who have won Nobel Prizes, led great nations or won wars, composed symphonies that have endured for centuries, or revolutionized science, philosophy, politics or the arts. Though he doesnt have a formula to define how or why cer

5、tain people rise above （too many factors are involved）, he has come up with a few common characteristics.A never surrender attitude. If great achievers share anything, said Simonton, it is an unrelenting drive to succeed. Theres a tendency to think that they are endowed with something super- normal,

6、 he explained. But what comes out of the research is that there are great people who have no amazing intellectual processes. Its a difference in degree. Greatness is built upon tremendous amounts of study, practice and devotion.He cited Winston Churchill, Britains prime minister during World War II,

7、 as an example of a risk-taker who would never give up. Thrust into office when his countrys morale was at its lowest, Churchill rose brilliantly to lead the British people. In a speech following the Allied evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940, he inspired the nation when he said, We shall not flag or fail

8、. We shall go on to the end.We shall never surrender.Can you be born great? In looking at Churchills role in historyas well as the roles of other political and military leadersSimonton discovered a striking pattern:Firstborns and only children tend to make good leaders in time of crisis: Theyre used

9、 to taking charge. But middle- borns are better as peacetime leaders: They listen to different interest groups better and make the necessary compromises. Churchill, an only child, was typical. He was great in a crisis, but in peacetime he was not effectivenot even popular.Timing is another factor. I

10、f you took George Washington and put him in the 20th century he would go nowhere as a politician, Simonton declared. He was not an effective public speaker, and he didnt like shaking hands with the public. On the other hand, Im not sure Franklin Roosevelt would have done well in Washingtons time. He

11、 wouldnt have had the radio to do hisfireside chats.Can you be too smart? One surprise among Simontons findings is that many political and military leaders have been bright but not overly so. Beyond a certain point, he explained, other factors, like the ability to communicate effectively, become mor

12、e important than innate intelligence as measured by an IQ test. The most intelligent U.S. Presidents, for exampleThomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedyhad a hard time getting elected, Simonton said, while others with IQs closer to the average （such as Warren G. Harding） won by landslid

13、es. While political and economic factors also are involved, having a genius IQ is not necessary to be a great leader.In the sciences, those with genius level IQs do have a better chance at achieving recognition, added Simonton. Yet evidence also indicates that overcoming traditional ways of thinking

14、 may be just as important.He pointed to one recent study where college students were given a set of data and were asked to see if they could come up with a mathematical relation. Almost a third did. What they did not know was that they had just solved one of the most famous scientific equations in history: the Third Law of Planetary Motion, an equation that Johannes Kepler came up with in 1618.Keplers genius