A、How to be successful inventors. B、The secrets of some great men. C、Odd techniques of success. D、How to stimulate our brains. C

One goes deep underwater and starves his brain of oxygen. Another works with a blindfold on, unable to see what he is doing. Another forced himself to sleep only three hours a night. These are the bizarre techniques, which some geniuses use to get ideas and be productive.
    The Japanese inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu, holder of 3 300 patents, father of the karaoke machine and the digital watch, forces himself to dive without oxygen, allowing the pressure from the water to starve his brain of blood. Then, he says, " zero-point-five seconds before death, I visualize an invention. "
    If this technique seems too insanely dangerous, a much safer option is to shut out all sensory stimuli from the surrounding environment. The author Jonathan Franzen, winner of the US National Book Award, puts on earplugs, earmuffs and a blindfold to improve concentration.
    How does Franzen know what he is writing? He uses the little bumps on his keyboard’s home keys to guide his fingers.
    Beethoven, the famous composer, had a somewhat more agreeable method for getting his creative juices flowing. He would pour large pitchers of water over his hands while humming and singing to himself.
    Using this strategy, Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies, 16 string quartets and 32 piano sonatas, so there must have been something to it. Apparently, however, his neighbours complained about all the noise.
    Charles Dickens, the 19th-century author, swore by the benefits of walking. He is said to have routinely walked up to 30 kilometers per day to get inspiration for his novels.
    Another odd technique, which is said to be common among highly successful individuals, is talking to themselves. The current world number one tennis player, Andy Murray, directs shouted obscenities at himself between points as a motivational aid.
    Therefore, there are many things one can do, some of them very weird, others less so, in a drive to achieve greatness. The question is, how far would you go to be successful?
    Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
    23. What is the talk mainly about?
    24. How does the Japanese inventor get an idea?
    25. Which is said to be a common technique used by highly successful individuals?