Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.

　　It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random(随机地) from the population,it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical (完全相同的) twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.

　　Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth playsa part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.

 

1.Which of these sentences best describes the writer’s point in Para. 1?

　　A. To some extent, intelligence is given at birth.

　　B. Intelligence is developed by the environment.

　　C. Some people are born clever and others born stupid.

　　D. Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment.

 

2. It is suggested in this passage that_______.

　　A. unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence

　　B. close relations usually have similar intelligence

　　C. the closer the blood relationship between people, the more different they are likely

　 　　to be in intelligence

　　D. people who live in close contact with each other are not likely to have similar degrees

　 　　of intelligence

 

3. In Para. 1, the word "surroundings" means_______.

　　A. intelligence 　　　　　B. life

　　C. environments 　　　　　D. housing

4.The best title for this article would be_______.

　　A. On Intelligence

　　B. What Intelligence Means

　　C. We are Born with Intelligence

　　D. Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence

 

 

完形填空

　　Many years ago, when I was a man in my twenties, I worked as a salesman for a piano company.

　　We 1 our pianos all over the state by advertising in small town 2 .Every time we advertised, we would receive a reply on a postcard which said,“Please 3 me a new piano for my little granddaughter. It 4 be red mahogany（红木）. I can pay $10 a month with my egg money.”Of course, we could not sell a(n) 5 piano for $10 a month. 6 her cards kept on coming.

　　A couple of years later, I 7 my own piano company, and when I 8 in that area, the postcards started coming to me. For months, I ignored（不理睬） 9 --what else could I do?

　　But then, one day I 10 to be in the area. I had a red mahogany piano on my little truck. Despite knowing that I was about to 11 a terrible business decision, I managed to find the old woman and took the new piano in her house and placed it 12 I thought the roof would be least likely to rain on it. I told her and a little barefoot girl to try to 13 the chickens off it, and I left sure I had just 14 a new piano.

　　But the 15 came in, all 52 of them as agreed, sometimes with coins. It was unbelievable!

　　Then one day I was in Memphis on 16 business. As I was sitting at the bar having a drink, I heard the most beautiful piano music behind me. I looked 17 ,and there was a lovely young woman 18 a very nice ground piano.

　　She smiled at me, asked for requests, and when she took a 19 she sat down at my table.

　　“Aren't you the man who sold my grandma a piano a long time ago?”

　　I suddenly remembered. My Lord, it was her! It was the little barefoot girl!

　　I did have to go to my room because men don't like to be 20 crying public.

In the reading room, we found her 　　　 at a desk, with her attention _____ 　　　 on a book. 

A.sitting; fixing  B.seated; fixed

C.sit; fixing             D.sitting; to be fixed

 

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods from door to door found that he only had one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to __1__ for a meal at the next house.

However, he lost his nerve __2__ a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked __3__ so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it __4__， and then asked, “How much do I owe you？”

“You don't owe me anything，” she __5__. “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a __6__.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger __7__， but it also increased his faith in God and human race. He was about to give up and quit before this point.

Years later the young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called __8__ to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now __9__， was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light __10__ his eyes. Immediately, he __11__ and went down through the hospital hall into her room.

 __12__ in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He __13__ her at once. He went back to the consultation room and __14__ to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave __15__attention to her case.

After a long __16__ the battle was won. Dr. Kelly __17__ the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was __18__ that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her __19__. She read these_words...

“Paid in full with a glass of milk.”

(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she __20__ silently. “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”

1．A.call　　　　B．make　　　　C．beg　　　D．prepare

2．A.while      B．when        C．though   D．unless

3．A.thirsty      B．lazy        C．tired     D．hungry

4．A.slowly      B．unexpectedly  C．steadily  D．hurried

5．A.announced  B．shook       C．replied   D．doubtful

6．A.reward    B．kindness      C．hand    D．value

7．A.physically     B．mentally     C．normally    D．properly

8．A.up                       B．for                 C．on                 D．in

9．A.rich              B．famous          C．observant    D．vivid

10．A.fixed           B．consulted        C．filled            D．concentrated

11．A.rose            B．raised           C．got                       D．left

12．A.Worn          B．Having  C．putting           D．Dressed

13．A.recognized  B．knew            C．spared            D．regained

14．A.desired      B．declared     C．determined    D．declined

15．A.special    B．ordinary      C．normal       D．no

16．A.decision   B．preparation   C．struggle      D．debate

17．A.ordered   B．requested     C．confused      D．compressed

18．A.negative   B．uncertain     C．positive     D．obvious

19．A.presentation  B．preference  C．attention     D．arrangement

20．A.praised     B．pretended   C．pressed      D．prayed

　For almost forty years the Empire State Building in New York City was the world's tallest skyscraper（摩天大楼）. The building reaches a height of 1, 250 feet. It has 102 floors. The use of steel frames made its height possible. Steel walls can rise height without needing to be thick. Steel frame construction is strong. All plates are fixed firmly together by metal bolts（螺栓）called rivets （铆钉）. When set in place, rivets are usuall red- hot. One end is already rounded. A riveter uses a special hammer to shape the other end. Then the rivet cools. It holds the plates firmly. High winds can move this strong building. A wind of a hundred miles an hour has caused it to move almost one and a half inches.

　The writer says that the Empire State Building ________.

　　A. hasn’t been finished

　　B. is in New York City

　　C. is the tallest skyscraper in the world now

　　D. had fewer floors than the New World Trade Center

　　　In steel -frame building, the bottom walls________ .

　　A. must be very thick

　　B. must be rounded

　　C. are usually red - hot

　　D. do not need to be thick

　　　Rivets are described as being ________.

　　A. picked up by tools when red -hot

　　B. hit by tools when red - hot

　　C. usually caught in a hole

　　D. usually put in place when red - hot