Reading Passage

Q1. Read the following passage.                                                                        (12marks)

The secret of Leonardo Da Vinci’s talent and Pablo Picasso’s success may have been their dyslexia. The two men both suffered from ‘word blindness’ that affects as many as one in 12 children—but it seems it can also bring the keen spatial awareness that makes the difference between a jobbing painter and a master of art.

The finding, by Middlesex University psychologists, could help explain the brilliance of some of the greatest artists of all time and the timelessness of works such as the Mona Lisa.

The researchers put 41 men and women through tests to assess their visuo-spatial ability. Although we tend to think of the skill in terms of map-reading and parking, the ability to process 3D information accurately is also key to art and design.

Around half of those taking part were dyslexic, and so had trouble learning to spell, read and write. The dyslexic men did better than the other men on many of the tests, including recalling the direction of the Queen’s head on a postage stamps and reproducing designs using coloured blocks.

They were also faster and more accurate at navigating their way around a ‘virtual town’ on a computer screen, the journal Learning and Individual Differences reports.

The researchers said there could be several explanations for the findings, including dyslexics developing an enhanced sense of space to compensate for problems with language.

Condition helps process 3D information better, Dr Nicola Brunswick said Also, many dyslexic people prefer to work out problems by thinking and doing rather than by speaking. This could help dyslexic men develop the kind of skills they need to succeed in the artistic and creative worlds.” However, the dyslexic women had no better spatial awareness than the other women, perhaps reflecting that the ability to manipulate 3D images tends to be more of a ‘male’ trait.

Although the idea that dyslexia brings with it a special understanding of space has been floated before, this study is the first to find firm evidence for it.

Dr Brunswick said: “A lot of tests in this area in the past have been “paper and pencil” tests but these aren’t good tests of real-world ability.

“Now we have real evidence to indicate that dyslexic men are better in this area. Artists known or believed to have suffered from dyslexia include Da Vinci, Picasso, Rodin and Andy Warhol. Da Vinci, who is also thought to have suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, wrote his notes backwards, from right to left. Picasso had trouble reading and struggled at school.                                                 ------ Daily Mail

2.1 On the basis of your reading the above passage answer the following questions briefly.       (2X4=8marks)

a.    What did Da Vinci and Picasso suffer from? How is their problem a boon for some  

children?

b. In which areas was the performance of dyslexic men better than others?

c. Why do dyslexics succeed in artistic and creative fields?

d. What were the findings about dyslexic women?

2.2 Answer the following by choosing the correct options.                       (1X4=4marks)

      a)  From the following options choose the word from the passage which means the  

           same as ‘finding’.

           i) manipulate  ii) reflecting   iii) navigating   iv) struggling

      b) From the given options choose the word which is the synonym of   

          ‘brilliance’.

          i) glittering    ii) intense    iii) ability    iv) genius

     c) Choose the word which is the antonym of ‘Compensate’

         i) diminish     ii) deprive   iii) damage  iv) lose

    d) Choose the word   from  the passage which is the opposite of ‘ diminished’

        i) enhanced   ii) strengthened   iii) weakened   iv) intensified