文章大意:这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述遗传因素对人的智力的影响,通过科学家们针对“弗林效应”所做的科学实验,解释了智力部分来自父母而部分来自环境和经验,得出从某种特定的角度来说你比父母更聪明的结论。
Do you think you’re smarter than your parents and grandparents? According to James Flynn, a professorta New Zealand university, you are! Over the course of the last century, people who have taken IQ have gotten increasingly better scores-on verage, three points better for every decade that has passed. This improvement is known as the “Flynn effeet”, and cientists want to know what is behind it.
IQ tests and other similar tests are designed to measure general intelligence rather than knowledge. Flynn knew that intelligence partly comes from our parents and partly is the result of our environment and experience, but the improvement in test scores has been happening too quickly to be explained by heredity or our surroundings. So What was happening in the 20th century that was helping people achieve higher scores on intelligence tests?
Scientists have proposed (提出) several explanations for the Flynn effect. Some suggest that the improved test scores simply reflect an increased exposure (暴露) to tests in general. Because we take so many tests,we learn test-taking techniques that help us perform better on any test. Others have pointed to better nutrition (营养) Since it results in babies being born larger, healthier, and with more brain development than in the past.
Another possible explanation is a change in educational styles,with teachers encouraging children to learn by discovering things for themselves rather than just memorizing information. This could prepare people to do the kinds of problem-solving that intelligence tests require.
Flynn has limited the possible explanations when he looked carefully at the test data and discovered that the improvement in scores was only on certain parts of the IQ test.
Test-takers didn’t do better on the maths or vocabulary sections of the test. They did better on the sections requiring reasoning and problem solving.For example, one part of the test shows a set of abstract (抽象的) shapes and test-takers must find the patterns (模式) and connections between them and decide which shape should be added to the test.
According to Flynn, this visual intelligence improves as the amount of technology in our lives increases. Every time you play a computer game or figure out how to program a new cell phone, you are exercising exactly the kind of thinking and problem solving that helps you do well on one kind of intelligence test. So are you really smarter than your parents? In one very specific way, you may be.
42. The“Flynn effect’”is
.
A.used to measure intelligence |
B.an increase in IQ test scores over time |
C.the influence of technology on intelligence |
D.not connected to our experience |
43. The underlined word “heredity”means__________.
A.the technological improvement |
B.the advanced educational methods |
C.the help of our peer or schoolmates |
D.intelligence passing down from our parents |
44. According to the passage,which of the following statements is TURE?
A.Taking fewer tests can help us get higher scores. |
B.Experience have more effects on our intelligence than surroundings. |
C.Newer education encourages children to find things out by themselves. |
D.People’s vocabulary ability and visual intelligence have improved. |
45. What could be the best title for the passage?
A.What is Flynn effect? |
B.How can we do better on IQ tests? |
C.Are parents helping in our intelligence? |
D.Are human beings getting smarter? |