Women’s minds work differently from men’s. At least, that is what most men are convinced of. Psychologists view the subject either as a matter of frustration or a joke. Now the biologists have moved into this minefield, and some of them have found that there are real differences between the brains of men and women. But being different, they point out hurriedly, is not the same as being better or worse.
There is, however, a definite structural variation between the male and female brain. The difference is in a part of the brain that is used in the most complex intellectual processes—the link between the two halves of the brain.
The two halves are linked by a trunk line of between 200 and 300 million nerves, the corpus callosum. Scientists have found quite recently that the corpus callosum in women is always large and probably richer in nerve fibers than it is in men. This is the first time that structural difference has been found between the brains of men and women and it must have some significance. The question is “What” and if this difference exists, are there others? Research shows that present-day women think differently and behave differently from men. Are some of these differences biological and inborn and a result of evolution? We tend to think that it is the influence of society that produces these differences. But could we be wrong?
Research showed that these two halves of the brain had different functions, and that the corpus callosum enabled them to work together. For most people, the left half is used for word-handling, analytical and logical activities; the right half works on pictures, patterns and forms. We need both halves working together. And the better the connections, the more harmoniously the two halves work. And, according to research findings, women have the better connection.
But it isn’t all that easy to explain the actual differences between skills of men and women on this basis. In schools throughout the world girls tend to be better than boys at “language subjects” and boys better at math’s and physics. If these differences correspond with the differences in the hemispheric trunk line, there is an unalterable distinction between the sexes.
We shan’t know for a while, partly because we don’t know of any precise relationship between abilities in school subjects and the functioning of the two halves of the brain, and we cannot understand how the two halves interact via corpus callosum. But this striking difference must have some effect and, because the difference is in the parts of the brain involving intellect, we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing.
1. According to the passage, brain differences are caused by ______ factors.
2. Which of the following best describes the psychologists’ attitude towards the issue that women’s minds are different from men’s?
3. “These differences” in Paragraph 5 refers to those in ______.
4. In the last paragraph, the author suggests more work on ______.
5. What is the main purpose of the passage?
问题1选项
A.biological
B.psychological
C.mental
D.social
问题2选项
A.They used to consider the issue uninteresting and not worth researching.
B.They find that the difference is attributed to the influence of the society.
C.They have already given up finding out the real cause of the difference.
D.They study the issue from a perspective different from that of the biologists.
问题3选项
A.activities carried out by the brain
B.the brain structure of men and women
C.the performance on school subjects
D.the skills of men and women
问题4选项
A.the brain structure as a whole
B.the differences between men and women
C.the functioning of parts of the brain
D.the effects of the trunk line10. What is the main purpose of the passage?
问题5选项
A.To propose new fields in brain research.
B.To outline the research findings on the brain structure.
C.To discuss the various causes of structural differences in brain.
D.To explain the relationship between gender and brain structure.
第1题:D
第2题:C
第3题:C
第4题:C
第5题:A
1.【试题答案】D
【试题解析】细节事实题。题干意思是“根据文章,大脑的差异是由……因素造成的”。第三段提到We tend to think that it is the influence of society that produces these differences. But could we be wrong?(我们倾向于认为是社会的影响造成了这些差异。但我们可能错了吗?),联系后文并没有否定这个认为,因此D项“社会”符合题意;A项“生理”、B项“心理”和C项“精神”在文中都没有明确提到是其因素。因此,该题选择D项正确。
2.【试题答案】C
【试题解析】观点态度题。题干意思是“以下哪一个最好地描述了心理学家对女性的思想不同于男性这一问题的态度?”。根据第一段中的Women’s minds work differently from men’s. At least, that is what most men are convinced of. Psychologists view the subject either as a matter of frustration or a joke.(女性的思维方式与男性不同。至少,大多数人是这么认为的。心理学家认为,这个主题要么是一件令人沮丧的事情,要么就是一个笑话)可推断,心理学家对于男女思维方式不同这个话题的态度是他们已经不在乎造成这个差异的真正原因了,C项“他们已经放弃了找出差异的真正原因”正确;A项“他们过去认为这个问题无趣,不值得研究”文章未提及;B项“他们发现这种差异是由于社会的影响”不是心理学家的观点;D项“他们从不同于生物学家的角度研究这个问题”与原文意思相反。因此,该题选择C项正确。
3.【试题答案】C
【试题解析】语义推测题。题干意思是“第五段中的‘这些差异’指的是这些在……上的差异”。根据题干定位到文章第五段,倒数第二句提到In schools throughout the world girls tend to be better than boys at “language subjects” and boys better at math’s and physics.(在世界各地的学校里,女孩往往比男孩在“语言科目”上表现更好,而男孩在数学和物理方面表现更好),接着就提到了If these differences correspond with the differences in the hemispheric trunk line, there is an unalterable distinction between the sexes.(如果这些差异与半球主干道上的差异相一致,那么两性之间就存在着不可改变的区别),可知,these difference指的就是女性和男性在学业表现上的差异,C项“学业课程的表现”正确;A项“由大脑进行的活动”、B项“男人和女人的大脑结构”和D项“男人和女人的技能”在该段都未提及。因此,该题选择C项正确。
4.【试题答案】C
【试题解析】推理判断题。题干意思是“在最后一段中,作者建议在……上做更多的工作”。根据最后一段We shan’t know for a while, partly because we don’t know of any precise relationship between abilities in school subjects and the functioning of the two halves of the brain, and we cannot understand how the two halves interact via corpus callosum. But this striking difference must have some effect and, because the difference is in the parts of the brain involving intellect, we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing.(我们一时半会儿还不知道,部分原因是我们不知道学校科目的能力与大脑两个半球的运作之间的任何精确关系,我们也不知道这两个半球是如何通过胼胝体相互作用的。但这种显著的差异一定有影响,因为这种差异存在于涉及智力的大脑部位,我们应该寻找智力处理方面的差异。)可以推知,在最后一段,作者建议研究大脑的运作,C项“大脑各部分的运作”符合题意;A项“大脑的整体结构”和B项“男人和女人之间的差异”表述不正确;D项“大脑干线的作用”只是其中一部分。因此,该题选择C项正确。
5.【试题答案】A
【试题解析】推理判断题。题干意思是“这篇文章的主要目的是什么?”。文章开头提出男女大脑结构存在差异,接着进一步指明差异在于大脑半球的连接,且差异是由于社会的影响造成的;但目前对于男女技能差异和大脑结构的差异之间的关系没有任何确切的认知,也不知道大脑两半球是如何相互作用的;最后文章指出But this striking difference must have some effect and, because the difference is in the parts of the brain involving intellect, we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing.(但这种显著的差异一定有影响,因为这种差异存在于涉及智力的大脑部位,我们应该寻找智力处理方面的差异),因此我们可以推断,文章的目的是提出大脑研究的方向,A项“提出大脑研究的新领域”符合题意;B项“概述关于大脑结构的研究成果”、C项“讨论造成大脑结构差异的各种原因”和D项“解释性别和大脑结构的关系”都只是文章的一部分内容,而不是目的。因此,该题选择A项正确。