当前位置:高中试题 > 英语试题 > 题材分类 > Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanfor...
题目
题型:不详难度:来源:
Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are.
You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. “If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us,” Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going – you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts(促使) you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence – if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations(变异) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn’t necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn’t exist,” Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights(洞察力) that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”
小题1:What is Crabtree’s recent finding according to the article? 
A.The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history.
B.Our ancient ancestors had no better surviving abilities than we do nowadays.
C.Humans have been getting steadily more intelligent since the invention of farming.
D.Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence.
小题2:According to Crabtree, ancient humans _______.
A.had much more genes that determine human intelligence
B.were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures
C.relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence
D.developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the hard realities
小题3:Some argue that Crabtree’s theory is false because they think _______.
A.people today are under much more pressure than early humans
B.it’s ridiculous to compare a hunter’s and a poet’s intelligence
C.modern education is far more advanced than ancient education
D.human intelligence nowadays is different from that of the distant past
小题4:What is Thomas Hills’ attitude toward Crabtree’s theory?
A.SupportiveB.UnfavorableC.WorriedD.Confused

答案

小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:D
小题4:B  
解析

试题分析:文章介绍了Crabtree最近的研究发现,现在的人类没有以前聪明了,因为决定人们基因的变异影响了智力的发展。但是这个观点引起了争论。
小题1:推理题:从第五段的句子:These mutations(变异) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.可知 Crabtree最近的研究发现,决定人们基因的变异影响了智力的发展。选D
小题2:细节题:从第三段的句子:In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death.可知Crabtree古代的人是因为自然选择的压力被迫聪明,选 B
小题3:细节题:从倒数第二段的句子:However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence.可知现在人们的智力和遥远的过去是不一样的,选D
小题4:推理题:从最后一段的句子:Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights(洞察力) that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”可知 Thomas Hills 对Crabtree 的理论的态度是不支持的,选B
核心考点
试题【Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanfor】;主要考察你对题材分类等知识点的理解。[详细]
举一反三
Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are trained to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows. You can get at least 5 cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short. I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of pain just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm(标准). Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
小题1:We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.
A.a professorB.a modelC.a teacherD.a reporter
小题2:Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to ________.
A.marry a better man/woman
B.become a model
C.get an advantage over others in job-hunting
D.attract more admirers
小题3:What was the author’s reaction towards the girl’s decision?
A.Excited.B.Surprised.C.Happy.D.Angry.
小题4:According to the passage, the author believes that ________.
A.everyone should pursue perfection, whatever the cost
B.it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs
C.media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery
D.it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career
小题5:What does the author think of his height?
A.He hates to be called a short man.
B.He tries to increase his height through surgery.
C.He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.
D.He just accepts it as it is.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
People are being lured(引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service, and don’t realize that they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data(资料) to advertisers that want to send targeted (目标的)messages.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook, because people don’t really know what their personal details are worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you could keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook—you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things—your city, your photo, your friends’ names—were set, by default(默认), to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience.”
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senators rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade(侵犯)our privacy, it’s only the beginning,which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销) my account(账号). Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t trust. That is too high a price to pay.
小题1:What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A.It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.
B.It makes money by putting on advertisements.
C.It earns money by selling its user’s personal data
D.It provides a lot of information to its users
小题2:What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A.They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook
B.They are unwilling to give up their personal information
C.They don’t identify themselves when using website
D.They care very little about their personal information
小题3:Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A.To help its users make more friends
B.To obey the Federal guidelines
C.To make money by attracting more users
D.To offer better service to its users
小题4:What does Senator Charles Schumer argue for?
A.Setting guidelines for advertising on websites
B.Setting rules for social-networking sites
C.Stopping sharing user’s personal information
D.Removing ads from all social-networking sites
小题5:Why does the author plan to stop using his Facebook account?
A.He is dissatisfied with its service.
B.He finds many of its users untrustworthy.
C.He doesn’t want his personal data badly used.
D.He is upset by its frequent rule changes.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从1~15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Some passengers won’t turn off their mobile phones or iPads during takeoff or landing. It happens on almost every         now. It’s time to turn off personal electronic devices when the plane’s door        . However, there’s always at least one person who keeps talking, texting, playing, watching or emailing — and         strict orders to power down during flights.
“People have become so         to those devices, and a lot of people         whether they really need to turn them off,” says an airhostess from Southwest Airlines.
Is turning off the devices really         in the first place? Lots of passengers have doubted about the         of leaving devices on. They think one cell or message or game isn’t going to         down the plane.
Indeed, there’s no         scientific evidence that having devices powered on during takeoff and landing would cause a        , only that there is the potential of a problem.
In the US, pilots are allowed to use certain electronic devices during takeoff and landing, but if passengers’       devices are tested at the same time, it may lead to wrong warnings and         readings on the aircraft instruments. In some studies researchers found mobile phones could         global-positioning satellite systems or other aircraft systems. Though the effects are         slight, they could result in disaster.
If even the         possibility of disaster exists, it’s better to turn them off during takeoff and landing.
小题1:
A.seatB.flight C.passengerD.device
小题2:
A.opensB.closesC.turnsD.moves
小题3:
A.givingB.obeyingC.ignoringD.receiving
小题4:
A.addictedB.connectedC.opposedD.exposed
小题5:
A.decideB.chooseC.understandD.question
小题6:
A.reliableB.necessaryC.dangerousD.excellent
小题7:
A.factB.valueC.dangerD.price
小题8:
A.knockB.bringC.shutD.fall
小题9:
A.largeB.greatC.firmD.heavy
小题10:
A.problemB.difficultyC.questionD.mistake
小题11:
A.smallB.expensiveC.variousD.colorful
小题12:
A.clearB.rightC.badD.false
小题13:
A.affectB.operateC.controlD.change
小题14:
A.unusuallyB.strangelyC.exactlyD.seemingly
小题15:
A.remotestB.biggestC.bestD.worst

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
In China, people usually set off firecrackers to celebrate Spring Festival. But this year seemed very quiet. It was really different. A man called Zhang Wei was asked by a reporter in an interview. He said that his friends and he hadn’t set off a single firecracker.
“We all suffered from last month’s smog(雾霾). If we don’t call an end to the firecracker, the environment will get worse and worse during the holiday.” Said Zhang Wei. He put up a notice in his community in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. In the notice, he called on more people to set off fewer firecrackers during this year’s Spring Festival holiday.
Lots of parents agreed with Zhang Wei’s idea. They said that they hated the noise of firecrackers. The noise used to wake up their babies too early. The babies really needed quiet mornings,
More Chinese looked forward to celebrating the holiday in a greener way. They decided not to set off firecrackers. They also decided not to waste food. They said that the new celebrations sounded fashionable.
“My family didn’t buy any fireworks this year. Instead, we donated the money to charity. It’s good for the environment and charity as well.” Internet user “Fighter” wrote on Sina Weibo.
小题1:How do people usually celebrate Spring Festival in China?
A.By setting off firecrackers.
B.By donating the money to charity.
C.By not wasting food.
D.By putting up a notice.
小题2:Lots of parents hated the noise of firecrackers because____.
A.they couldn’t afford to buy them.
B.firecrackers were too expensive.
C.the noise might wake up their babies.
D.firecrackers might cause fire
小题3:More people decided _____.
A.not to get together
B.not to set off firecrackers
C.not to throw away more food
D.to call an end to all the celebrations
小题4:What’s the best title for the passage?
A.Don’t Waste FoodB.Spring Festival Celebrations
C.Spring Festival Goes GreenD.Firecrackers and Noise

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays-a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.
小题1:Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.
A.are more flexible mentally
B.are slow in the development of talking
C.have a poorer working memory
D.are smarter in understanding abstract concept
小题2:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans
B.British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age
C.21% of US children study a foreign language in the school
D.not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages
小题3:What does the underlined phrase “give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.attach importance to
B.have talent for
C.invest money in
D.have demand for
小题4:Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?
A.Mandarin and Greek.
B.English, German and French.
C.Chinese, French and Spanish.
D.Chinese, German and Greek.
小题5:What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.
B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.
C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.
D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA.
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
版权所有 CopyRight © 2012-2019 超级试练试题库 All Rights Reserved.