Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club — women, or people of a different color or belief — they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender (性别) are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors (因素) like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance (毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.”
1. What does the author think of victors' standards for joining the genius club?| A．They're unfair. | B．They're conservative. |
| C．They're objective. | D．They're strict. |
| A．They think themselves smart. |
| B．They look up to great thinkers. |
| C．They see gender differences earlier than boys. |
| D．They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs. |
| A．Geniuses Think Alike | B．Genius Takes Many Forms |
| C．Genius and Intelligence | D．Genius and Luck |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】I need a new phone. Like many of us with older model iPhones, my battery life is just a few hours and I’ve stopped updating the operating system to extend the phone’s life. But I’m having a tough time making the final decision. It’s not the cost. It’s not the inconvenience either. It’s the environment.
Making smartphones, laptops, and other tech products takes a lot of resources. This is partly due to the carbon emissions from the producing process. Still, the most negative impact comes from the mining of the rare earth metals that make your phone work. If you’re reading this on your phone right now, you’re holding about 0.034 grams of gold, 0.34 grams of silver, and smaller amounts of other rare elements. These are tiny amounts, but consider the demand for smartphones around the world.
All of these rare elements have to be mined from inside the Earth, in places like China and some African countries. Mining is hugely environmentally destructive: forests are destroyed, the ground is disturbed, and water quality in the area takes a dive.
Now take these environmental risks, and combine them with the fact that the average lifespan (使用寿命) of a smartphone is just two years, the length of your contract with your cell phone company. After that, if you’re lucky, you get a “free” upgrade. Awesome, right? Sure, if you ignore the fact that the environmental impact of a new phone is about the same as using your old one for a decade.
It’s nearly impossible to live in the 21st century without contributing to the destruction of the environment and climate change. I am guilty as well — eat meat and occasionally fly. But that doesn’t mean that we should stop trying to do better, or ignore the consequences of our actions. I urge you to think carefully about your next smartphone purchase no matter what those Black Friday ads may be trying to tell you.
1. What does the author’s final decision refer to?| A．Going ahead with getting a new phone. |
| B．Taking action to help reduce pollution. |
| C．Updating your phone’s operating system. |
| D．Raising money for anew smartphone. |
| A．To reveal the consequences of making smartphones. |
| B．To analyze the causes of making new smartphones. |
| C．To emphasize the huge demand for smartphones. |
| D．To provide solutions to cutting smartphone use. |
| A．It is economical to upgrade your device. |
| B．The lifespan of smartphones is narrowed. |
| C．The upgrade comes at the expense of the environment. |
| D．Signing a contract spares users from economic pressure. |
| A．To push for environmentally friendly smartphones. |
| B．To discourage businesses from making smartphones. |
| C．To advise readers not to change smartphones often. |
| D．To demonstrate the negative effects of smartphones. |
【推荐2】“You’re not listening!” “Let me finish!” “That’s not what I said!” After “I love you,” these are among the most common words in close relationships. During my two years researching a book on listening, I learned something unbelievable about interpersonal communication: The closer we feel toward someone, the less likely we are to listen carefully to them. It’s called the closeness-communication bias (偏见) and, over time, it can hurt, and even end relationships.
The more you know someone, the more likely you are to ignore him or her because you think you already know what he or she is going to say. It’s kind of like when you’ve traveled a certain route several times and no longer notice signposts and scenery.
Social science researchers have repeatedly proved the closeness-communication bias in the experiments where they paired subjects first with friends or spouses (配偶) and then with strangers. The researchers asked subjects to interpret what their partners were saying. While the subjects predicted they would more exactly understand those who they had close relationships with, they often understood them no better than strangers, and often worse.
The closeness-communication bias not only keeps us from listening to those we love, it can also keep us from allowing our loved ones to listen to us. It may explain why people in close relationships sometimes keep secrets from one another.
Another study shows that people often share their concerns with strangers rather than their spouses, family members or dear friends because they fear judgment.
So what can we do to avoid the closeness-communication bias? The British psychologist Robin Dunbar says the key is to talk with those closest to us every day. That means asking, “How are you?” and actually listening to the answer.
1. Which of the following is an example of closeness-communication bias?| A．Can I talk to you about this? |
| B．How interesting! Tell me more. |
| C．I know exactly what you want to say. |
| D．I feel bad about what you’re suffering. |
| A．They hope to learn more about others. |
| B．They need to build close relationships. |
| C．They fear losing their loved family members. |
| D．They worry about family and friends’ opinions. |
| A．A blog written by a physicist. |
| B．A website recommending books. |
| C．An article about human behavior. |
| D．A report on international relations. |
【推荐3】Some educators told us that more years of school could help students get higher scores on intelligence tests.That was a finding of a study of teenage males in some countries.Now，another research shows that physical activity may help students do better in their classes.
The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education.They are using the time instead for academic(学术的) subjects like math and reading.The studies appeared between 2008 and 2014.They included more than 55,000 children，aged 6 to 18.
Amika Singh：“According to the results of our study，we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance.There are，first，Physiological explanations，like more blood flow，and so more oxygen to the brain.Being physically active means there are more hormones(荷尔蒙) produced like endorphins(内啡肽)．And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved，which means you also perform better.”
Also，students taking part in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them.This could improve their classroom behavior and help them keep their mind on their work.
The study leaves some questions unanswered，however.Ms Stash says it is not possible to say whether the amount or kind of activity affected the level of academic improvement.This is because of differences among the studies.
The researchers said they found only two highquality studies.They needed more highquality studies to confirm(证实) their findings.They also pointed out that “results for other parts of the world may be quite different”．
Still，the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school.Ms Singh says schools should consider that finding before they cut physical education programs.Her paper on “Physical Activity and Performance at School” is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
1. The passage mainly tells us that .| A．a research on physical education has been done by the researchers |
| B．there is a possibility that physical activity leads to higher grades |
| C．the amount or kind of activity directly affects academic level |
| D．the research shows that the children aged 6 to 18 don’t do sports |
| A．Being mentally active is good for academic subjects. |
| B．The more hormones you have，the more stressed you will get. |
| C．The researchers have found many highquality studies to prove the research. |
| D．The educators in some countries think studies,not exercise,mean much to students. |
| A．good marks result from highquality study |
| B．findings are probably different in different areas |
| C．physical activity will spread all over the world |
| D．academic performance depends on the surroundings |
| A．To call our attention to the sports at school. |
| B．To introduce all types of physical activities. |
| C．To represent the academic performance. |
| D．To improve students’ health. |
【推荐1】Cathy and Wayne N. who have been married five years are in their late 20’s and childless. The last time a member of Cathy’s family asked, “When are you going to start a family?” Her answer was “We are a family!”
Cathy and Wayne belong to a growing number of young married couples who are deciding not to have children. A recent survey showed that in the last five years the percentage of wives aged 25 to 29 who did not want children had almost doubled and among those 18 to 24 it had almost tripled. What lies behind this decision which seems to fly in the face of biology and society?
Perhaps the most public outspoken childless couple are Ellen Peck, author of The Baby Trap, and her husband, William, an advertising executive who is president of the National Organization for Non-parents. The Pecks insist neither they nor the organization is against parenthood, just against the social pressures that push people into parenthood whether it is what they really want and need or not.
“It’s a life-style choice,” Ellen says. “We chose freedom and spontaneity (自发性), privacy and leisure. It’s also a question of where you want to give your efforts — within your own family or in the larger community. This generation faces serious questions about the continuity of life and as well as its quality. Our grandchildren may have to buy tickets to see the last redwoods or line up to get their oxygen ration. There are men who complain about being caught in a traffic jam for hours on their home to their five kids but can’t make the association between the children and the traffic jam. In a world seriously threatened by the consequences of overpopulation we’re concerned with making life without children acceptable and respectable. Too many children are born as a result of cultural pressure. And the results show up in the statistics on divorce and child-abuse.”
Her husband adds, “Every friend, relative and business associate is pressuring you to have kids ‘and find what you’re missing.’ Too many people discover too late that what they were missing was something they were totally unsuited for.”
And Ellen again, “From the first doll to soap operas to cocktail parties, the pressure is always there to be parents. But let’s take a 1ook at the rate of parental failure. Perhaps parenthood should be regarded as a specialized occupation like being a doctor. Some people are good at it and they should have children; others aren’t, and they should feel they have other alternatives.”
1. By asking “When are you going to start a family”, the member of Cathy’s family meant “_______”.| A．when are you going to move into a new house |
| B．when are you going to buy a house |
| C．when are you going to get married |
| D．when are you going to have a child |
| A．to popularize |
| B．to follow |
| C．to go against |
| D．to strengthen |
| A．all young couples should not give in before the social pressures |
| B．no pressure should be imposed on couples about parenthood |
| C．strong measures should be taken to help childless couples |
| D．childless couples face no problems of divorce or child-abuse |
| A．Overpopulation. |
| B．Environmental pollution. |
| C．Cultural progress. |
| D．Life-style choice. |
【推荐2】July 20th, 2009 was the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic flight to the moon, where astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to walk on the moon. 40 years ago, space flight inspired such awe(敬畏) that astronauts were honoured as heroes and celebrities. 40 years later none of us, besides space fanatic(狂热者), would likely to be able to name one astronaut in service today.
I got to thinking about the importance of continuing space exploration. I hear many people criticize the importance of NASA and space flight, most saying that it is a waste of time, and more importantly money. I disagree with such assessments. Space exploration is important not only to humanity’s curiosity of the great beyond, but it is also important for the future of the earth and all of us living on it.
The Apollo missions inspired a whole generation of kids who wanted to grow up to be astronauts, rocket scientists, and engineers. We all know that science education has been slightly lacking in the United States as of late. Don’t you think that NASA’q return, to the moon, or more importantly the much anticipated manned mission to Mars will again inspire a whole new generation to reach for the stars so to speak? I do.
You would think that the guys who burn a million pounds of rocket fuel wouldn’t be the most environmentally minded people in the world. However, most people don't know that NASA does a lot of good environmental research while they are up there looking down at all of us. NASA has done a lot of work in studying air quality, climate change alternative(可供替代的) energy, and near earth objects, which as we all know from the movies can destroy the earth any day now without warning, unless we have a group of oil drillers, a nuke, and Bruce Willis.
We cannot ignore the importance of space exploration, nor be complacent(自满的) in its meaning to all of us. I hope space exploration can continue to inspire, educate, and provide for us in the next 40 years as it has the last 40 years.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．Armstrong was the first man to fly in space in the world. |
| B．Science education for American students is highly developed. |
| C．The author considers space flight as a waste of money and time. |
| D．People today won’t admire astronauts as much as they did 40 years ago. |
| A．Space exploration. | B．NASA. | C．Money. | D．Humanity. |
| A．By burning less rocket fuel. | B．By finding greener energy. |
| C．By changing climate. | D．By making space movies. |
| A．How to Be an Astronaut. | B．Where to Study Flight |
| C．Why to Explore Space. | D．How to Do Space Research. |
【推荐3】In school, we learned the periodic table and were told to recite the alphabet, but nobody forced us to take a class on what emotions are and how they work before we entered the big world. And for many of us, that means understanding how we feel and why can be incredibly difficult.
Yet, research shows that being aware of your emotions is hugely beneficial and people with high emotional awareness have better social and emotional functioning. In layman’s terms, that can translate as being able to predict your emotions and develop coping mechanisms in advance, becoming wise to unhealthy behavior patterns, and even being more in tune with the needs of others.
“Emotional awareness is being able to identify and make sense of not only our own emotions but those of others. It’s absolutely essential in maintaining good mental health,” explains Rachel Vora, psychotherapist and founder of CYP Wellbeing. “When we are able to identify and reflect on our emotional responses, we can understand how this influences our behaviors and in turn, change the way we respond to challenging situations.”
Of course, pinpointing how we feel can often prove difficult. It’s the very reason we turn to general phrases like “I feel blue” or “I’m not myself today”. Vora says this is often because on some level we don’t want to know how we really feel. “We can often try to numb (使麻木), suppress or avoid emotions because they feel overwhelming or distressing and this can often lead to a lack of emotional awareness as we feel disconnected from ourselves,” she explains.
Without emotional awareness, we can also develop emotional blind spots: unhealthy thoughts, behaviors and coping mechanisms that are hidden from our view. Perhaps you may feel self-doubt when you receive negative feedback. Unless you take time for introspection (反省), you’ll remain unaware of these habits. Vora says tuning into your emotions and honestly reflecting on how you feel is key. “By identifying our emotional blind spots, we can feel more in control of our emotions, how to improve our mood and also how we respond in challenging situations.”
1. What can we know about people with high emotional awareness?| A．They can foresee their emotions. |
| B．They solve problems ahead of time. |
| C．They always keep positive attitude. |
| D．They can avoid unhealthy behaviors. |
| A．It can be gained without difficulty. |
| B．It is vital for us to keep mental health. |
| C．It can enable us to respond to challenges easily. |
| D．It is helpful to understand most people’s emotions. |
| A．We don’t know how we feel. |
| B．We lack emotional awareness. |
| C．We can’t control our emotions. |
| D．We describe our emotions with difficulty. |
| A．How to control our mood. |
| B．What to do with our habits. |
| C．When to practise self-reflection. |
| D．How to develop emotional awareness. |
