For the past several years, the Sunday newspaper supplement Parade has featured a column called “Ask Marilyn.” People are invited to query Marilyn Vos Savant, who at age 10 had tested at a mental level of someone about 23 years old; that gave her an IQ of 228 – the highest score ever recorded. IQ tests ask you to complete verbal and visual analogies, to envision paper after it has been folded and cut, and to deduce numerical sequences, among other similar tasks. So it is a bit confusing when Vos Savant fields such queries from the average Joe(whose IQ is 100) as, What’s the difference between love and fondness? Or what is the nature of luck and coincidence? It’s not obvious how the capacity to visualize objects and to figure out numerical patterns suits one to answer questions that have eluded some of the best poets and philosophers.
Clearly, intelligence encompasses more than a score on a test. Just what does it mean to be smart? How much of intelligence can be specified, and how much can we learn about it from neurology, genetics, computer science and other fields?
The defining term of intelligence in humans still seems to be the IQ score, even though IQ tests are not given as often as they used to be. The test comes primarily in two forms: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scales(both come in adult and children’s version). Generally costing several hundred dollars, they are usually given only by psychologists, although variations of them populate bookstores and the World Wide Web. Super high scores like Vos Savant’s are no longer possible, because scoring is now based on a statistical population distribution among age peers, rather than simply dividing the mental age by the chronological age and multiplying by 100. Other standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test(SAT) and the Graduate Record Exam(GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ tests.
Such standardized tests may not assess all the important elements necessary to succeed in school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg. In his article “How Intelligent Is Intelligence Testing?”, Sternberg notes that traditional tests best assess analytical and verbal skills but fail to measure creativity and practical knowledge, components also critical to problem solving and life success. Moreover, IQ test do not necessarily predict so well once populations or situations change. Research has found that IQ predicted leadership skills when the tests were given under low-stress conditions, but under high-stress conditions, IQ was negatively correlated with leadership – that is, it predicted the opposite. Anyone who has toiled through SAT will testify that test-taking skill also matters, whether it’s knowing when to guess or what questions to skip.
1. Which of the following may be required in an intelligent test?
2. What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph 3?
3. People nowadays can no longer achieve IQ scores as high as Vos Savant’s because ______
4. We can conclude from the last paragraph that______
5. What is the author’s attitude towards IQ test?
问题1选项
A.Answering philosophical questions.
B.Folding or cutting paper into different shapes.
C.Telling the difference between certain concepts.
D.Choosing words or graphs similar to the given ones.
问题2选项
A.People no longer use IQ scores as an indicator of intelligence.
B.More versions of IQ tests are now available on the Internet.
C.The test contents and formats for adults and children may be different.
D.Scientists have defined the important elements of human intelligence.
问题3选项
A.the scores are obtained through different computational procedures.
B.creativity rather than analytical skills is emphasized now.
C.Vos Savant’s case is an extreme one that will not repeat.
D.the defining characteristic of IQ tests has changed.
问题4选项
A.test scores may not be reliable indicators of one’s ability.
B.IQ scores and SAT results are highly correlated.
C.testing involves a lot of guesswork.
D.traditional test are out of date.
问题5选项
A.Supportive.
B.Skeptical.
C.Impartial.
D.Biased.
第1题:D
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:A
第5题:B
1.【试题解析】细节推理题。题干意思是“下列哪一项在智力测试中可能需要?”。A项“回答哲学问题”,B项“把纸折成或剪成不同的形状”,C项“说明某些概念之间的区别”,D项“选择与所给相似的词或图”。第一段第三句提到IQ test ask you to complete verbal and visual analogies, to envision paper after it has been folded and cut, and to deduce numerical sequences, among other similar tasks.(智商测试要求你完成口头和视觉分析,要求你在纸张被折叠、剪切后想象它的形状,要求你推论数字的顺序,以及其他类似的项目)以及最后一段第二句Sternberg提到traditional tests best assess analytical and verbal skills but fail to measure creativity and practical knowledge, components also critical to problem solving and life success.(传统的测试最恰当地评估了分析能力和语言表达能力,但没有测量创造性和实际知识,这些也是解决问题、在生活中取得成功的关键因素),由此可知智力测试中可能需要创造性和实际知识。A项和C项文中没有提及,属于无中生有;B项与题意不符,文中只是提到在纸张被折叠、剪切后想象它的形状,不是折叠或剪纸张。因此该题只有D项正确。
2.【试题解析】判断推理题。题干意思是“从第三段关于智力测试的描述我们可以推断出……?”。第三段的内容主要是描述智力测试的两种形式,斯坦福—比奈智力量表和威斯勒智力量表,这两种都有成人和儿童测试类型;由于测试价格昂贵,通常只有心理学家才进行这些测试,现在一些测试的变种在网上流行。由此可知,儿童和成人的智力测试类型不同。A项“人们不再使用IQ分数作为智力的指标”,第三段最后一句提到Other standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test(SAT) and the Graduate Record Exam(GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ tests.(其他标准测试,比如学术能力检测以及研究生入学考试,包含了智商测试的主要方面),因此A项错误。B项“现在网上有更多的IQ测试版本”,第三段第四行提到although variations of them populate bookstores and the World Wide Web.(尽管这些测试的变种在书店和环球网上流行),可知网上流行的是上文提到的斯坦福—比奈智力量表和威斯勒智力量表这两种测试的变种,而非更多的测试版本,B项与题意不符。D项“科学家们已经确定了人类智力的重要组成部分”文中无提及。因此该题C项“成人和儿童的测试内容和形式有所不同”正确。
3.【试题解析】细节推理题。题干意思是“现在的人们不能再达到像Vos Savant那样高的智商分数是因为……?”。第三段第四行有提到Super high scores like Vos Savant’s are no longer possible, because scoring is now based on a statistical population distribution among age pecks, rather than simply dividing the mental age by the chronological age and multiplying by 100.(得到像Vos Savant这样的超高分数再也不可能了,因为现在的分数依据的是相同年龄者的统计学群体分布状况,而不是简单地通过实足年龄乘以100来划分智能年龄),由此得知,人们不能再达到像Vos Savant那样高的智商分数是因为计算方法与以前不同。A项“分数是通过不同的计算程序得到的”与题意符合;B项“现在强调的是创造力而不是分析能力”是第四段的信息,内容与题意不符;C项“Vos Savant的案例是一个极端的案例,不会重演”和 D项“智商测试的定义特征已经改变”文中没有提到,属于无中生有。因此该题A项正确。
4.【试题解析】判断归纳题。题干意思是“从最后一段我们可以推断出……?”。文章最后一段指出,有专家认为,标准测试不可能评估在学校和生活中取得成功所需的所有重要因素,随后解释了这种观点,指出传统的测试最恰当地评估了分析能力和语言表达能力,而且一旦人口或环境发生变化,智商测试就不一定预测得那么准确,并且应试能力也很重要。这说明智商测试不可能真实反映一个人的能力。A项“考试成绩可能不是一个人能力的可靠指标”符合题意;B项“智商分数和SAT成绩高度相关”与文意相反;C项“测试涉及大量的猜测”属于夸大其词;D项“传统测试过时了”属于无中生有。因此该题A项正确。
5.【试题解析】主观态度题。题干意思是“作者对智力测试的态度是怎样的?”。A项“支持的”,B项“怀疑的”,C项“公平的”,D项“有偏见的”。文章最后一段,作者引用了Sternberg的话,IQ test do not necessarily predict so well once populations or situations change(一旦人口或环境发生变化,智商测试就不一定预测得那么准确),以及后面提到IQ predicted leadership skills when the tests were given under low-stress conditions, but under high-stress conditions, IQ was negatively correlated with leadership – that is, it predicted the opposite(如果在低压力状况下进行智商测试,那么这种测试就可以预测领导才能,但是,在高压力状况下,智商测试所得的结果与领导才能的关系是否定的,也就是说,它预测的结果是相反的),由此可以看出作者对IQ测试是持有怀疑态度的。A项与作者态度相反,因此错误;D项和C项不符合作者态度,因此只有B选项正确。