This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person "encodes" the information. And the best way to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson determined, was a process known as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a task. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.

　　Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a wide range of pursuits, including soccer. They gather all the data they can, not just performance statistics and biographical details but also the results of their own laboratory experiments with high achievers. Their work makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers -- whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming -- are nearly always made, not born.

　　22. The word "mania" (Line 4, Paragraph 2) most probably means

　　[A] fun.

　　[B] craze.

　　[C] hysteria.

　　[D] excitement.

　　[答案] B

　　[解题思路]

　　“mania”这个词出现在文章第二段，原句为“soccer-mad parents are more likely to conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania”( 热爱足球的父母更可能在春季(每年足球狂热的鼎盛时期)怀孕)。仔细观察原文可以发现mania对应于句子开头的mad，因此包含有“疯狂”的意思，正确答案为B选项。A和D选项的两个词都没有达到“狂热”这个程度，而C选项的hysteria在程度上又大大超过了mania，也不符合原文。

　　[题目译文]

　　“mania”(第二段第四行)最有可能的意思是

　　[A] 嬉笑

　　[B] 狂热

　　[C] 歇斯底里

　　[D] 兴奋