【余老师朗读】雅思剑8阅读《The Nature of Genius》

剑桥第8版阅读 Test 3, Reading Passage 2 The Nature of Genius There has always been an interest in geniuses and prodigies. The word ‘genius', from the Latin gens (= family) and the term ‘genius', meaning 'begetter', comes from the early Roman cult of a divinity as the head of the family. In its earliest form, genius was concerned with the ability of the head of the family, the paterfamilias, to perpetuate himself. Gradually, genius came to represent a person's characteristics and thence an individual's highest attributes derived from his‘genius' or guiding spirit. Today, people still look to stars or genes, astrology or genetics, in the hope of finding the source of exceptional abilities or personal characteristics.