Traditional western ways of thinking can often lead to an 1)_ impasse _ when we are confronting a truly difficult problem. This happened to Dr. Edward Jenner when he was trying to 2)_ come _ up with a vaccine for the deadly disease known as smallpox. Jenner was 3)_ able _ to solve the problem he faced by changing the 4)_ framework within which he looked at it. Rather than focusing on people who had smallpox, he 5) looked carefully at those who seemed never to get the disease. This change in 6)_ tactics _ is an example of what is known as “lateral thinking.” The term means choosing not to approach a problem head-on, but instead looking at it 7)__ sideways _. In lateral thinking, being able to take in and 8)_ consider _ all kinds of ideas, no matter how unlikely they might seem, is of the 9)_ utmost _ significance. Lateral thinking can help all kinds of people, from smokers who want to give 10)__ up _ their habit, to archers who need to relax in order to perform 11)_ at _ their best. This idea does not 12)_ imply that solutions which come from vertical thinking are always deeply 13) flawed _ . The truth is that different ways of thinking have different 14)_ advantages when you get stuck struggling with a problem head-on, thinking laterally can help you to shift your point of view and perhaps see a 15)_ solution you wouldn’t other wise notice.
Unit 4
A recent educational experiment showed that the difference between “gifted” children and regular ones may have as much as to do with 1)__expectations__ as with intelligence. An elementary school teacher was 2)_deceived__ into thinking that her students were above average in intelligence. She then 3)__managed__ to get them to do outstanding work, even though their true IQs were well within the normal range. It seems that her belief in her students’ intelligence was enough to turn them 4)_into_ better learners.It’s difficult to 5)__pinpoint __exactly how such beliefs are expressed. It 6)__may __have to do with how a teacher talks to the class: many positive, supportive expressions and few expressions of impatience, annoyance, or 7)__irritation__.Non-verbal communication, including 8)_facial __expressions, probably plays a role too. But one thing is clear: labels and expectations 9)__strongly _ influence results. Outside of the classroom, labeling can, as 10) often__ as not, have a negative effect. The labels we put on different social groups are usually not 11)__inclusive__. In fact, they are often sexist or racist. Of 12)__course__ , there is good and bad in all kinds of people. But we 13)__tend__to accept some ideas about certain groups more readily than about others. The school experiment shows that such labels have a 14)__great__ deal of power. But when labels are unfair and negative they can be very 15)__damaging__.