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 trunkline of between 200 and 300 million nerves, the corpus callosum. Scientists have found quite recently that the corpus callosum in women is always larger and probably richer in nerve fibres than it is in men. This is the first time that a structural difference has been found between the brains of women and men 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, a result of evolution? We tend to think that 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 connections.
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 subject” and boys better at maths and physics. If these differences correspond with the differences in the hemispheric trunkline, there is an unalterable distinction between the sexes.
We shall not 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 the corpus callosum. But this striking difference must have some effect and, because the difference is in the parts of the brain involved in intellect, we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing.
1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
2. According to the passage it is commonly believed that brain differences are caused by ______ factors.
3.“these differences” in paragraph 5 refer to those in ______.
4. At the end of the passage the author proposes more work on ______.
5. What is the main purpose of the passage?
问题1选项
A.Biologists are conducting research where psychologists have given up.
B.Brain differences point to superiority of one sex over the other.
C.Results of scientific research fail to support popular belief.
D.The structural difference in the brain between the sexes has long been known.
问题2选项
A.biological
B.psychological
C.physical
D.social
问题3选项
A.skills of men and women
B.school subjects
C.the brain structure of men and women
D.activities carried out by the brain
问题4选项
A.the brain structure as a whole
B.the functioning of part of the brain
C.the distinction between the sexes
D.the effects of the corpus callosum
问题5选项
A.To outline the research findings on the brain structure.
B.To explain the link between sex and brain structure.
C.To discuss the various factors that cause brain differences.
D.To suggest new areas in brain research.
第1题:A
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:B
第5题:A
1.【选项释义】
1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? 1. 下列哪个陈述是正确的?
A. Biologists are conducting research where psychologists have given up. A. 生物学家正在进行心理学家已经放弃的研究。
B. Brain differences point to superiority of one sex over the other. B. 大脑的差异表明了一种性别比另一种性别更优越。
C. Results of scientific research fail to support popular belief. C. 科学研究的结果无法支持大众的观点。
D. The structural difference in the brain between the sexes has long been known. D. 两性之间大脑结构的差异早已为人所知。
【答案】A
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据原文第一段一二三四句“女人的思维方式与男人不同。至少,大多数人是这么认为的。心理学家认为,这要么是一件令人沮丧的事,要么是一个笑话。现在生物学家们已经进入了这个雷区(Now the biologists have moved into this minefield),他们中的一些人已经发现,男性和女性的大脑确实存在差异。”对于男女思维方式的不同的研究,心理学家认为这件事要么令人沮丧,要么是一个笑话,说明心理学家放弃了这个研究,而后提到生物学家进入了这个雷区,意味着生物学家开始进行心理学家放弃的研究,A项“生物学家正在进行心理学家已经放弃的研究”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
B项“大脑的差异表明了一种性别比另一种性别更优越”,由原文第一段最后一句“但他们匆忙指出,不同并不等同于更好或更差”可知,虽然生物学家认为男性和女性的大脑存在差异,但并不说明哪种更好或者更坏,该项属于曲解原文;
C项“科学研究的结果无法支持大众的观点”,由解题思路可知,生物学家研究结果和大多数人的想法是一样的,男女性之间确实存在思维差异,该项不正确,属于反向干扰;
D项“两性之间大脑结构的差异早已为人所知”,根据第三段第三句“这是首次发现女性和男性大脑结构上的差异,这一定有一定的意义”可知,最初人们只知道男女思维方式不同,但是在生物学家进行实验后才得知是结构方面的差异,该项不正确,属于曲解原文。
2.【选项释义】
2. According to the passage it is commonly believed that brain differences are caused by ______ factors. 2. 根据这篇文章,人们普遍认为大脑差异是由______因素造成的。
A. biological A. 生物的
B. psychological B. 心理的
C. physical C. 身体的
D. social D. 社会的
【答案】D
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据第三段倒数第二句“我们倾向于认为是社会的影响造成了这些差异”可知,人们普遍认为大脑差异是由于社会因素造成的,因此D项“社会的”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】A项“生物的”、B项“心理的”和C项“身体的”由解题思路可知,这三项曲解原文。
3.【选项释义】
3. “these differences” in paragraph 5 refer to those in ______. 3. 第5段中的“these differences”指的是______的差异。
A. skills of men and women A. 男人和女人的技能
B. school subjects B. 学校课程
C. the brain structure of men and women C. 男女之间的大脑结构差异
D. activities carried out by the brain D. 大脑进行的活动
【答案】A
【考查点】词义推测题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至文章第五段最后一句“如果这些差异(these differences)与半脑干线的差异相一致,那么两性之间就存在着不可改变的差别”,结合前两句“但在这个基础上解释男女技能的实际差异并不那么容易。在世界各地的学校里,女孩在语言科目上往往比男孩好,而男孩在数学和物理上更擅长。”,综合理解可知,these difference指的是两性之间的技能差异,女性和男性在学科上的区别只是为第一句提供例证。因此,该题选择A项“男人和女人的技能”。
【干扰项排除】
B项“学校课程”由解题思路可知,该项只是举例,与题干不符,属于曲解原文;
C项“男女之间的大脑结构差异”是第二段的内容,与题干无关,属于出处错位;
D项“大脑进行的活动”没有提到,无中生有。
4.【选项释义】
4. At the end of the passage the author proposes more work on ______. 4. 在文章的最后,作者建议对______进行更多的研究。
A. the brain structure as a whole A. 整个大脑结构
B. the functioning of part of the brain B. 部分大脑的功能
C. the distinction between the sexes C. 两性之间的差异
D. the effects of the corpus callosum D. 胼胝体的作用
【答案】B
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据文章最后一段的内容“我们还不知道学校科目和左右脑功能之间的联系,我们也不知道左右脑是如何通过胼胝体相互作用的。但可以明确的是这种大脑之间的差异与智力有关的部分,我们接着应该努力寻找智力处理过程的差异(we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing)。”可知,在文段末尾作者提议要努力寻找智力处理过程的差异,也就是说要针对大脑的运转做更多的研究。因此,该题选择B项“部分大脑的功能”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“整个大脑结构”和C项“两性之间的差异”虽然在原文有提及,但根据解题思路可知,这两项在文章末尾并未提及,属于出处错位;
D项“胼胝体的作用”,由解题思路可知,该项属于曲解原文。
5.【选项释义】
5. What is the main purpose of the passage? 5. 这篇文章的主要目的是什么?
A. To outline the research findings on the brain structure. A. 概述关于大脑结构的研究成果。
B. To explain the link between sex and brain structure. B. 解释性别和大脑结构之间的联系。
C. To discuss the various factors that cause brain differences. C. 讨论导致大脑差异的各种因素。
D. To suggest new areas in brain research. D. 提出大脑研究的新领域。
【答案】A
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】首先,定位首尾两段中心句,根据第一段倒数第二句“现在生物学家们已经进入了这个雷区,他们中的一些人已经发现,男性和女性的大脑确实存在差异”和最后一段最后一句“但可以明确的是这种大脑之间的差异与智力有关的部分,我们接着应该努力寻找智力处理过程的差异”,可知,本文主要讲述的是生物学家发现男女之间大脑结构存在着差异,但有关智力处理过程中的差异还有待研究;然后看到全文内容,中间四段都是阐述了关于男女差异中大脑结构的研究,所以这篇文章的目的是概述关于大脑结构的研究成果。因此,该题选择A项“概述关于大脑结构的研究成果”。
【干扰项排除】B项“解释性别和大脑结构之间的联系”、C项“讨论导致大脑差异的各种因素”和D项“提出大脑研究的新领域”只是部分提及,属于以偏概全。