Vocabulary Focus
kick in (phr v) to start to have an effect; to happen
in a flash (adv phr) ---quickly or suddenly; without delay
run in (one's ) family (idiom) ---for a skill or quality to be present in many relatives
hem in(phr v) --- to surround someone and prevent them from moving or doing what they want to do
Specialized Terms
muse(n) ---灵感来源a being or force that gives someone ideas an helps them to write, paint or make music
Vincent Van Gogh(n) ---有对等地位的人或物a person or thing that has the same purpose as another one in a different place or organization
peacekeeper(n) ---文森特*梵高a Dutch painter (1853-1890); his work was best known for bold brush strokes and vivid use of color
| ow does the human brain create a beautiful painting, a sculpture or even a delicious new dinner? Neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen (1) that question in her book, The Creating Brain: The Neuroscience of Genius. And who better to take on that topic than Andreasen, a psychiatrist who started her career with a Ph. D., not in neuroscience, but in Renaissance literature? Here, Andreasen talks about the muse, the link between genius and madness and the part of the brain that kicks in during the creative process. A conversation about creativity Question: What is creativity? Answer: The process starts with a person—an artist, musician, inventor or even someone who’s trying to figure out a better way of doing a task at work or at home. That person must think about the problem or the project in a (2) way and then come up with a solution. The creative process can go by (3) or it can take years. But the end result, Andreasen says, is the production of something new and useful, such as the automobile, or beautiful, such as a painting by Vincent van Gogh.
Q: Do genes set a creative genius apart?
A: No one knows yet if the ability to produce a symphony is a (4) gift, the result of the environment or a genetic makeup. Creativity does seem to run in certain families: For example, Johann Sebastian Bach was the most famous member of the Bach family, which produced 20 other (5) musicians.
Q: Is there a creative personality?
A: Gifted people in the arts or science tend to enjoy adventure, and they often like to explore new places or ideas, Andreasen says. They don’t like being hemmed in by rules or convention and often look at problems from a different angle |