You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on the reading passage

below.
A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently
In the last decade, a revolution has occurred in the way that scientists think about the brain. We
now know that the decisions humans make can be traced to the firing patterns of neurons in
specific parts of the brain. These discoveries have led to the field known as neuroeconomics,
which studies the brain's secrets to success in an economic environment that demands innovation
and being able to do things differently from competitors. A brain that can do this is an
iconoclastic one. Briefly, an iconoclast is a person who does something that others say can't be
done.
This definition implies that iconoclasts are different from other people, but more precisely, it is
their brains that are different in three distinct ways: perception, fear response, and social
intelligence. Each of these three functions utilizes a different circuit in the brain. Naysayers
might suggest that the brain is irrelevant, that thinking in an original, even revolutionary way is
more a matter of personality than brain function. But the field of neuroeconomics was born out
of the realization that the physical workings of the brain place limitations on the way we make
decisions. By understanding these constraints, we begin to understand why some people march
to a different drumbeat.
The first thing to realize is that the brain suffers from limited resources. It has a fixed energy
budget, about the same as a 40-watt light bulb, so it has evolved to work as efficiently as
possible. This is where most people are impeded from being an iconoclast. For example, when
confronted with information streaming from the eyes, the brain will interpret this information in
the quickest way possible. Thus, it will draw on both past experience and any other source of
information, such as what other people say, to make sense of what it is seeing. This happens all
the time. The brain takes shortcuts that work so well we are hardly ever aware of them. We think
our perceptions of the world are real, but they are only biological and electrical rumblings.
Perception is not simply a product of what your eyes or ears transmit to your brain. More than
the physical reality of photons or sound waves, perception is a product of the brain.
Perception is central to iconoclasm. Iconoclasts see things differently to other people. Their
brains do not fall into efficiency pitfalls as much as the average person’s brain. iconoclasts,
either because they were born that way or through learning, have found ways to work around the
perceptual shortcuts that plague most people. Perception is not something that is hardwired into
the brain. It is a learned process, which is both a curse and an opportunity for change. The brain
faces the fundamental problem of interpreting physical stimuli from the senses. Everything the
brain sees, hears, or touches has multiple interpretations. The one that is ultimately chosen is
simply the brain's best theory. ln technical terms, these conjectures have their basis in the
statistical likelihood of one interpretation over another and are heavily influenced by past
experience and, importantly for potential iconoclasts what other people say.
The best way to see things differently to other people is to bombard the brain with things it has
never encountered before. Novelty releases the perceptual process from the chains of past
experience and forces the brain to make new judgments. Successful iconoclasts have an
extraordinary willingness to be exposed to what is fresh and different. Observation of iconoclasts
shows that they embrace novelty while most people avoid things that are different.
The problem with novelty, however, is that lt tends to trigger the brain's fear system. Fear is a
major impediment to thinking like an iconoclast and stops the average person in his tracks. There
are many types of fear, but the two that inhibit iconoclastic thinking and people generally find
difficult to deal with are fear of uncertainty and fear of public ridicule. These may seem like
trivial phobias. But fear of public speaking, which everyone must do from time to time, afflicts
one-third of the population. This makes it too common to be considered a mental disorder. It is
simply a common variant of human nature, one which iconoclasts do not let inhibit their
reactions.
Finally, to be successful iconoclasts, individuals must sell their ideas to other people. This is
where social intelligence comes in. Social intelligence is the ability to understand and manage
people in a business setting. ln the last decade, there has been an explosion of knowledge about
the social brain and how the brain works when groups coordinate decision making. Neuroscience
has revealed which brain circuits are responsible for functions like understanding what other
people think, empathy, fairness, and social identity. These brain regions play key roles in
whether people convince others of their ideas. Perception is important in social cognition too.
The perception of someone's enthusiasm, or reputation, can make or break a deal. Understanding
how perception becomes intertwined with social decision-making shows why successful
iconoclasts are so rare.

Iconoclasts create new opportunities in every area from artistic expression to technology to
business They supply creativity and innovation not easily accomplished by committees. Rules
aren't important to them. Iconoclasts face alienation and failure, but can also be a major asset to
any organization. It is crucial for success in any field to understand how the iconoclastic mind
works.
Questions 27-31
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

27. Neuroeconomics is a field of study which seeks to

A. cause a change in how scientists understand brain chemistry.
B. understand how good decisions are made in the brain.
C. understand how the brain is linked to achievement in competitive fields.
D. trace the specific firing patterns of neurons in different areas of the brain.

28. According to the writer, iconoclasts are distinctive because

 A. they create unusual brain circuits.
B. their brains function differently.
C. their personalities are distinctive.
D. they make decisions easily.

29. According to the writer, the brain works efficiently because

A. it uses the eyes quickly.
B. it interprets data logically.
C. it generates its own energy.
D. it relies on previous events.

30. The writer says that perception is

A. a combination of photons and sound waves.
B. a reliable product of what your senses transmit.
C. a result of brain processes.
D. a process we are usually conscious of.

31. According to the writer an iconoclastic thinker

A. centralizes perceptual thinking in one part of the brain.
B. avoids cognitive traps.
C. has a brain that is hardwired for learning.
D. has more opportunities than the average person.

Questions 32-37
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 32-37 on your answer sheet, write:
YES it the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO it the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

32. Exposure to different events forces the brain to think differently.

33. iconoclasts are unusually receptive to new experiences.
34. Most people are too shy to try different things.
35. If you think in an iconoclastic way, you can easily overcome fear.
36. When concern about embarrassment matters less, other fears become irrelevant.
37. Fear of public speaking is a psychological illness.

Questions 38-40
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.
Write the correct letter A-E, in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.
38. Thinking like a successful iconoclast is demanding because it.
39. The concept of the social brain is useful to iconoclasts because it.
40. Iconoclasts are generally an asset because their way of thinking.
A. requires both perceptual and social intelligence skills.
B. focuses on how groups decide on an action.
C. works in many fields, both artistic and scientific.
D. leaves one open to criticism and rejection.
E. involves understanding how organizations manage people.