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to test a theory he'd read about in the Malcolm Gladwell bestseller Outliers. Based on research

suggesting that practice is the essence of genius, Gladwell popularized the idea that, regardless

of a person's natural aptitude, 10,000 hours of deliberate and appropriately guided practice was

"the magic number of greatness". He claimed that with this amount of practice anyone could

achieve a level of proficiency that would rival that of a professional. The idea appealed to Dan,

who set himself the goal of developing his skills well enough to make his appearance in

the Professional Golfers' Association Tour.

First, Dan spoke to Dr Ericsson, the original researcher behind the "10,000 hours" rule. Dan

intended to practise for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, and get to the 10,000 mark in three and

a half years, but after discussing concentration levels and learning absorption with Dr Ericsson,

they agreed it had to be a much longer project. A typical day would be between 4 and 6 hours

of practice literally standing over a ball, followed by a handful of extra-curricular activities such

as working out, watching training videos and meditation. The days would be long but only

the time spent literally working with the ball would count towards the 10,000 hours.

With over 60 million golfers in the world, qualifying for the PGA Tour might seem like

climbing Mount Everest in flip flops. Many professionals share this view and argue that

the do-it-yourself routine will never let you reach the level required to compete with Tiger

Woods, certainly not at Dan's age. Undeterred by such opinions, Dan is pursuing his path

single-mindedly. He sticks to deliberate practice, which means isolating specific aspects

of a larger task and focusing on them until they are improved. This way he aims to prove what

some instructors suggest, namely that such practice could be more effective than repeating

the whole task over and over, in order to improve overall performance.

Dan has already clocked up over 6,000 hours and he is meticulously tracking his progress

on his website, which has attracted a steadily swelling crowd of intrigued followers. Dan is

enjoying the challenge he took on. "What guy wouldn't want to go out and practise golf for

nine years?" he says jokingly.

Text 2

Woman: Do you think it's possible to capture the world in a drop of water? Our guest, Markus,

who specializes in water-drop photographs, has proved that it is. Markus, why did

you opt for water-based high-speed photography?

Markus: When I bought my first camera a few years ago, I just wanted to take good family

pictures, but then I started to read about camera settings and lighting and one day,

while browsing different websites, I came across amazing high-speed pictures

of water drops. These images gave rise to my own experiments in this genre and after

a couple of "trial and error" attempts, I got so immersed that I didn't feel like doing

anything else.

Woman: Your most famous image is that of the planet Earth visible in a drop of water.

But you also create unforgettable images of water droplets by themselves. How do

you produce them?

Markus: Most of them were taken using the so-called "drop on drop" technique. It works with

two drops. When the first drop falls into the water, initially it forms a crater, then

a crown and finally a pillar. The second drop must be timed in such a way that

it lands on the pillar. At the moment of collision different shapes are formed,

for example mushrooms, hats or flying discs. When I increase the distance between

the first and the second drop, the shape turns into a flying disc. When I make

the distance smaller, the shape resembles something like a hat.

Woman: You must be very quick to take a shot at the right moment.

Markus: It's impossible to be that quick. Normally I thicken my water with some transparent

substance like Guar gum to make the shapes hold longer before they collapse.

The liquid should have the consistency of milk or cream.

Woman: And the last question. Some people say that quality water-drop pictures are only

possible when you use an automatic timing device. Do you agree?

Markus: I wouldn't say so. I know many people using highly specialized gear who still

produce photos below standard. Gadgets won't do the trick. The genre I have chosen

requires mainly one thing: a lot of patience. The shapes cannot be calculated.

The only way to get the desired result is to adjust the settings and keep releasing

the droplets until you get the perfect image. That usually means taking about

a hundred shots. But for me, that's the fun of it.

Text 1

2.1. The phrase "the magic number of greatness" refers to

A. the amount of time needed to achieve an expert level at a skill.

B. the years of experience necessary to refine genuine talent.

C. the statistics describing a person's natural aptitude.

D. the hours required to research guided practice.

2.2. Which is TRUE about Dan's challenge?

A. Dan convinced Dr Ericsson he had to spend over six hours a day on the golf course.

B. Dr Ericsson opted for shortening the project to three and a half years.

C. Time spent with the ball counts twice as much as other forms of practice.

D. Extra-curricular activities do not contribute to the hours clocked by Dan.

2.3. Which of the following is stated in the text as a fact, and not an opinion?

A. Qualifying for the PGA Tour is a challenge equal to climbing Mount Everest.

B. Working on specific aspects of a skill optimizes the overall result.

C. Dan's challenge has drawn the attention of a growing number of observers.

D. Extended golfing practice is what most men dream about.

Text 2

2.4. Markus got involved in water-drop photography because

A. he had come across an inspiring article written by a high-speed photography expert.

B. he had been challenged by another photographer to try new settings.

C. he had become disheartened by unsuccessful trial-and-error attempts in other genres.

D. he had been impressed with photographs he had seen online.

2.5. When taking pictures using the "drop on drop" technique, Markus

A. uses water thickened with milk or cream.

B. adjusts the moment of releasing the second drop.

C. releases drops at regular, precisely timed intervals.

D. makes sure that the second drop lands on the crown the first drop created.

2.6. In his final response, Markus

A. explains what calculations are necessary to produce perfect water-drop photos.

B. describes specialized tools indispensable for taking water-drop photos.

C. draws attention to a quality a water-drop photographer should possess.

D. sums up the topics he covers in water-drop photography.