40. Reading Skills Comprehension: Natural Ability

Natural Ability

Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow them:

Actually, besides the God-given natural ability to think, two more things are necessary in order to think effectively. These are knowledge and organisation. The reason you can’t think clearly about certain problems is that you do not have enough relevant knowledge or experience pertaining to them. If you have no knowledge of a subject, you have no starting point for your thoughts; or you will think from the wrong premise and, of course, think incorrectly. Since thought is the “go” sign for action, it seems likely that you will act incorrectly and do the wrong thing.

Obviously, the next thing to worry about is how to go about obtaining this relevant knowledge. Again, you must take the time to go out and search for it, if it pertains to some particular problem you must solve. Apart from definite and particular problems, your relevant knowledge can only be acquired through experience, from society in general, from listening to others and from reading.

Don’t think because you converse with other people almost constantly, and read quite a bit, that you are necessarily acquiring all the knowledge you are exposed to. One important ingredient may be missing – that is, interest. You must have a spontaneous and genuine interest and/or curiosity about a subject in order to gain much knowledge about it. One good way, incidentally, of being interested in others is to stop thinking of yourself so much. Listen a little more than you talk and you may learn something. Another way of acquiring knowledge is to read with your mind instead of only with your eyes.

The salesman who wants to have a ready answer for any argument must know his product inside out. He makes it his business to learn all he can about it. The executive who has a reputation for always coining up with good practical ideas at the conference table may appear to be pulling these ideas out of the air, but nothing could be further from the truth. He has probably spent a good deal of time studying all the problems that may come up. He is not the type who shuts off his thinking ability the moment he leaves his office. He does research into his business; he is genuinely interested in it.

There you have some work cut out for you. If you want to think clearly and effectively about your own line of endeavour (or anything else), learn all you can about it!

Questions

I. Answer briefly:

1. What are the two more things necessary for thinking effectively beside the God-given ability to think?

2. How can we acquire the relevant knowledge?

3. Do you think ‘interest’ is essential for acquiring knowledge? How?

4. How do proper study and research lead to success?

II.Vocabulary:

1.The word ‘argument’ means:

(a) desire (b) apathy (c) strong discussion

(d) a discussion where there is disagreement

2. Choose the opposite of ‘genuinely’ from the options:

(a) sincerely (b) skillfully (c) insincerely (d) partly

3. Give the verb form of ‘executive’:

(a) executing (b) execute (c) execution (d) none of these

4. ‘…you are necessarily acquiring all the knowledge… .’ Here the word ‘necessarily’ is a/an:

(a) noun (b) verb (c) adverb (d) adjective

Answers

I. 1. ‘Knowledge’ and ‘organisation’ are two more necessary things for thinking effectively beside the God-given ability.

2. Relevant knowledge can be acquired through experience, from society in general, listening to others and from reading.

3. A spontaneous and genuine interest or curiosity is essential to gain knowledge. Being interested in others and listening more than talking is also essential for acquiring knowledge.

4. A salesman who wants to succeed must know his product inside out. A good executive does a lot of research into his business to get the best results.

II. 1. (d) a discussion where there is disagreement

2. (c) insincerely

3. (b) execute

4. (c) adverb

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