INSTRUCTION: Answer question about text.
TEXT
One stereotype of wisdom is a wizened Zen-master
smiling benevolently at the antics of his pupils, while
referring to them as little grasshoppers, safe ∈ the
knowledge that one day they, too, will have been set
[5] on the path that leads to wizened masterhood. ______
A study two years ago ∈North America, by Igor
Grossmann of the University of Waterloo, ∈Canada,
suggested that it is. In as much as it is possible to
quantify wisdom, Dr. Grossmann found that elderly
[10] Americans had more of it than youngsters. Now he
has extended his investigation to Asia – the land of
the wizened Zen-master – and, ∈ particular, to Japan.
There, he found, ∈ contrast to the West, that the
grasshoppers are their masters’ equals almost from
[15] the beginning.
Dr. Grossmann’s study, just published ∈
Psychological Science, recruited 186 Japanese from
various walks of life and compared them with 225
Americans. Participants were asked to read a series of
[20] pretend newspaper articles and then asked “What do
you think will happen after that?” The responses were
scored on a scale of one to three, to capture the degree
to which they discussed what psychologists consider
five crucial aspects of wise reasoning: willingness to
[25] seek opportunities to resolve conflict; willingness to
search for compromise; recognition of the limits of
personal knowledge; awareness that more than one
perspective on a problem can exist; and appreciation
of the fact that things may get worse before they get
[30] better.
Taken at face value, these results suggest
Japanese learn wisdom faster than Americans.
Generally, America is seen as an individualistic society,
whereas Japan is quite collectivist. Yet Japanese
[35] have higher scores than Americans for the sort of
interpersonal wisdom you might think would be useful
∈ an individualistic society. Americans, by contrast – at
least ∈ the maturity of old age – have more intergroup
wisdom than the purportedly collectivist Japanese.
[40] Perhaps, then, you need individual skills when society
is collective, and social ones when it is individualistic.
(Source: The Economist. Internet site April 11, 2012)
Glossary:
wizened (adj) old and with a lot of wrinkles on the skin. E.g. a wizened old man.
antics (noun) behavior that is funny or silly ∈ an enjoyable way.
pretend (adj) imaginary. E.g. The kids are passing around pretend cookies.
The expression “Taken at face value” (line 31) is used to indicate that something
