Name:_____________________________

Transcendentalism

English II AC

Directions: Watch Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED Talk: “My Stroke of Insight.” (http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight)

Next, answer the following questions. Open-ended responses must be answered in complete sentences.

(25 Quiz Points)

What motivated Taylor to study neuroanatomy?

A. Her undergraduate advisor’s stroke

B. Her brother’s schizophrenia

C. A hefty scholarship from a benefactor in her hometown

D. The death her favorite NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt Sr., from a basilar skull fracture

According to Taylor, what are the differences between right- and left-brain functions?

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What’s one of the primary functions of the corpus callosum?

A. It facilitates communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain

B. It enables us to process idiomatic linguistic expressions, like “What’s shakin’, bacon?”

C. It produces cerebrospinal fluid

D. It functions as a kind of ‘compass’ inside the hippocampus

In the hours immediately following Taylor’s stroke, she had a number of different reactions to her situation. Did any of them surprise you? Why or why not?

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On the morning of her stroke, what did Taylor notice about her arm?

A. It was tingling

B. It was paralyzed

C. She couldn’t distinguish its boundaries from the surrounding environment

D. B and C

E. A and B

What motivated Taylor to recover? What thing(s) would motivate you in a similar situation?

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What happened when Taylor tried to use the telephone to call for help?

A. She couldn’t form intelligible words

B. She couldn’t recognize letters or numbers

C. It took several attempts to complete the number because she had to use her chin to dial

D. A and B

E. A and C

How long was her recovery?

A. Eight months

B. Eight years

C. Six weeks in the hospital, then two years of outpatient therapy

D. She still hasn’t fully recovered

How does Jill Bolte Taylor’s insights about the differences between the Left and Right Hemispheres of the brain relate to Transcendentalism? Think about Emerson’s Nature. Which hemisphere’s point of view is he trying to write from? Use examples from the text.

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