When you are asked to draw a picture, in spite of your best effort, you can’t make it look like the model shown. Then you may have thought, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”
According to some scientists, who for the past 20 years have studied the complex subject of creativity through a series of research strictly, you are underrating yourself. Da Vinci you may never be, but when it comes to creativity, we are all somewhat blessed. It’s learning to develop this unique tool of extraordinary productivity, and then applying it in everything you do, that counts to tell you from figures like Da Vinci.
“Even if we don’t have the good fortune to discover a new chemical element or write a great story, the love of the creative process for its own sake is available to all,” says Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Creativity: Flow and Psychology of Discovery and Invention.
Most people believe the ability of creativity has been awarded to those considered to have special talent. We look upon these “creative geniuses”, as we often call them, with respect and a bit of envy. Their abilities, most people assume, are due to good genes, or, as if in Greek mythology, from some kind of god’s inspiration.
There is no argument that the world is never short of highly talented and creative people. They are masters of their trades and stand heads-and-shoulders above common people, making new pathways for others to follow, and providing greater context and understanding of our world. It could be said that without creativity humanity would not evolve so rapidly.
But like a publicly recognized creative baseball player who possesses his skill through years of continuous training, foregoing other pursuits for the only passion, people who show the slightest unwillingness for challenging labor are bound to witness their boasted (吹嘘的) ability disappear.
After closely studying 91 creative and influential people, including novelists, playwrights, composers, musicians and scientists, Csikszentmihalyi concludes that no one would ignore the sweat they shed and their almost crazy willingness to follow their creative effort to the very end, wherever that may be. These are the very things we all can master, so long as we’d like to.
8. It’s widely believed that creativity comes from_________.
A.the inborn genes or relevant gifts |
B.the tool we learn from masters like Da Vinci |
C.some kind of god from Greek |
D.good training people receive from artistic classes |
9. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Creativity lies in devotion and effort. |
B.The field of baseball requires more gifts than hard work. |
C.People’s admiration of geniuses makes humanity develop quickly. |
D.People don’t think that the world is never short of highly talented people. |
10. The underlined word “foregoing” is closest in meaning to _________.
A.referring to | B.combining | C.giving up | D.extending |
11. What is the passage mainly about?
A.Ordinary people’s unwillingness to follow the examples of creative ones. |
B.The reasons for the success of those possessing creativity. |
C.Creative people view things differently from ordinary people. |
D.People’s misunderstanding of creativity and its true nature. |