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6 All in the mind?

In the eye of the beholder

Standing in front of Jackson Pollock’s Summertime: average person will often choose a definitively
Number 9A last June, I was struck by an unfamiliar wrong answer if they see others doing the same.
feeling. What I once considered an ugly collection 50 It is easy to imagine that this phenomenon would
of random paint splatters now spoke to me as a have an even greater impact on a fuzzy concept like
5 joyous celebration of movement and energy. It was art appreciation, where there is no right or wrong
the first time a piece of abstract art had stirred my answer, only subjective ones.
emotions. Like many people, I used to dismiss these
works as a waste of time and energy. Since then,
I have come to appreciate the work of many more Angelina Hawley-Dolan of Boston College,
10 modern artists, who express varying degrees of 55 Massachusetts, responded to this debate by
abstraction in their work. Even so, when I tried to designing an experiment that played with her
explain my taste, I found myself lost for words. Why volunteer’s expectations of the pieces they were
are we attracted to paintings that seem to bear no seeing.They viewed pairs of paintings - either the
relation to the physical world? creations of famous abstract artists or the doodles of
60 amateurs, infants, chimps and elephants - and then
judged what they preferred. A third of the paintings
15 Little did I know that researchers have already were given no captions, while the rest were labelled.
started to address this question. By studying the The twist was that sometimes labels were mixed
brain’s responses to different paintings, they have up, so that the volunteers might think they were
been examining the way the mind perceives 65 viewing a chimp’s messy brushstrokes when they
art. Although their work cannot yet explain the were actually seeing an expressionist piece by
20 nuances of our tastes, it has highlighted some of the Mark Rothko. Some sceptics might argue that it is
unique ways in which these masterpieces hijack impossible to tell the difference, but in each set of
the brain’s visual system. The studies are part of an trials, the volunteers generally preferred the work
emerging discipline called neuroaesthetics, which 70 of the well-accepted human artists, even when they
aims to bring scientific objectivity to the study believed it was by an animal or child. Somehow,
25 of art, in an attempt to find neurological bases for it is evident that the viewer can sense the artist's
the techniques that artists have perfected over the vision in these paintings, even when they can’t
years. It has already offered insights into many explain why.
masterpieces. The blurred imagery of Impressionist
paintings seems to cause activity in the brain’s
30 amygdala, for instance, and since this plays a crucial 75 But why do such paintings hold our attention?
role in our emotions, that finding might explain Alex Forsythe, a psychologist at the University
why many people find these pieces moving. Could of Liverpool, has found that many abstract pieces
the same approach tell us anything about the show signs of fractal patterns - repeating motifs that
abstract pieces characteristic of modern art? re-occur at different scales. Fractals are common
80 throughout nature — you can see them in the
jagged peaks of a mountain or the unfurling fronds
35 Although abstract artworks often sell for immense of the fern. It is possible that our visual system,
sums of money, (Pollock’s No. 5 fetched $140 which evolved in the natural environment, finds
million in 2006) they have attracted many sceptics, it easier to process these kinds of scenes. The case
who claim that modern artists lack the competence 85 for this hypothesis is not watertight, though, since
of the masters before them. Instead, they believe the fractal content in the paintings she analysed
40 that people might claim to like them simply was considerably higher than you would normally
because they are in vogue. In the scathing words of find in natural scenes - to the point that, in other
the American satirist Al Capp, they are the ‘product circumstances, it would be considered too busy to
of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the 90 be pleasant. Forsythe thinks that artists may choose
utterly bewildered’. their colours to ‘soothe a negative experience we
would normally have when encountering too high
a fractal content’. It’s still early days for the field of
45 When an experiment requires people to make neuroaesthetics and this kind of study is probably
simple perceptual decisions such as matching up 95 only a taste of what is to come.
a shape with its rotated image, for instance, the

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 Vocabulary 2: Sleep
1 Look at the underlined words in the first half of the listening script for Listening 2
below and find
a a verb which means 'to sleep for a short time, especially during the day’.
b three verbs which mean ‘to go to sleep, usually without intending to’.

It’s not just a case of dozing off and snoozing in a lecture - narcoleptics actually can’t stop themselves from
falling asleep during inappropriate occasions. For many narcoleptics, the symptoms aren’t just limited to
nodding off when they shouldn't.

2 Complete the spaces with one of the adjectives or adverbs from the box.

A good deep fast soundly

_ __
1 The kids are staying over at their_cousins’ so we should get a night’s sleep.
2 The passengers slept in their cabins, unaware of the coming storm.
3 The doctor gave him a sedative and he fell into a __ sleep.
4 Don’t worry, you won’t wake her up - she’s asleep.

B wide light sleepless rough

1 Over 2000 homeless people are forced to sleep in this city.

2 It's midnight and I feel awake. I shouldn't have had that coffee.
3 My baby daughter's teething, so we’ve had a few _ nights recently.
4 I’ve always been a _ _ _ sleeper; I wake up at the slightest sound.

1 They’ve postponed the meeting until January to give the management team longer
to decide.
OFF
The meeting ...................................................... until January to give the
management team longer to decide.
2 The police now think he invented the story to protect his girlfriend.
HAVE
He is now ................................................. ..... up the story to protect his girlfriend.
3 My parents are planning to pay someone to repair and redecorate their house
next month.
UP
My parents are planning to have their .................................... .. ................ next month.
4 He thinks his friends do not appreciate him.
GRANTED
He dislikes ................ ....................... ......... ...... by his friends.
5 To help us run the exhibition next month, we need at least six people.
REQUIRED
No .................. .......................... .......... to help us run the exhibition next month.
6 A common belief is that British people cannot speak foreign languages very well.
WEAK
78 British people are commonly ........... ..................... ...................... foreign languages.

⸮⹟,
㈠
__
.......
... _...........................
..................
............
................
.....................
...........
. ..........
.................................
..........................
. .........................
........................
...............
..................
..
.. . .
1 When the writer viewed the Jackson Pollock 4 In the fourth paragraph, the writer is casting
painting in June, she was doubt upon
A not in the right mood to appreciate it. A the belief that people can learn to recognize
good art.
B taken aback by her own response.
B the ability of people to have independent
C reluctant to admit her opinion to others.
thought.
D puzzled by the reaction of other people.
C the assumption that art can be fairly evaluated.
2 We are told that researchers in the field D the validity of a particular kind of experiment.
of neuroaesthetics
5 When referring to Hawley-Dolan’s experiment, the
A intended to locate the areas of the brain
writer puts forward the view that
associated with artistic ability.
A people instinctively recognize the work of a
B have shown which artistic styles are likely to
good artist.
enjoy popular appeal.
B there were flaws in the way the research
C wanted to see how brain processes influence
was conducted.
people s response to art.
C the preference for human art was largely
D have identified the kind of person who would
predictable.
respond to abstract art.
D the art of non-human species can be
3 In the third paragraph, the writer is unexpectedly skilful.
A outlining criticisms levelled against modern
6 What does the writer suggest about Alex Forsythe?
art.
A She has inspired others to take up the
B contrasting the views of opponents and
discipline of neuroaesthetics.
supporters of modern art.
B She needs to take a less emotive approach to
C expressing a degree of cynicism towards the
her research.
sums paid for artworks.
C The scope of her research has been
D implying that paintings are viewed as
impressively wide.
commodities rather than art.
D Her theory is not entirely convincing.

i) Have you ever suffered from any sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleepwalking?
ii) What causes people to have difficulty sleeping?
iii) Do you think it would be worse to suffer from insomnia or narcolepsy - a sleep
disorder which means that you can fall asleep suddenly at any time?

4 You will hear part of a medical lecture on the topic of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder which
causes people to suddenly fall asleep. For questions 1-8, complete the sentences with a
word or short phrase.

Narcolepsy - an incurable sleep disorder

For many people suffering narcolepsy, an accurate (1) ............................... ......... takes a long time.

It is possible that the lack of a specific (2) .. .. .............. ..... ....... ..... .. . is the cause of narcolepsy.

Strong ( 3 ) ....... ... ......... .. ............... .... can also bring on a loss of muscle control.

Other common symptoms are sleep paralysis at night and (4) ............ .. ...... .... .............. .. in the day.

The (5) ................ ... ..... ... ............. of narcoleptics is often greatly reduced.

The prejudice of others means that some narcoleptics cannot get a first (6) ..................... ................... .

Narcoleptics are unlikely to be allowed to use (7) ........... ..... ...................... .. at work.

The need to keep calm can mean narcoleptics have to alter their (8) ... ................ ........... ...... .... .

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