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Forthepastseveralyears,theSundaynewspapersupplementParadehasfeaturedacolumncalled“AskMarilyn.”PeopleareinvitedtoqueryMarilynvosSavant,whoatage10hadtestedatamentallevelofsomeoneabout23yearsold;thatgaveheranIQof228–thehighestscoreeverrecorded.IQtestsaskyoutocompleteverbalandvisualanalogies,toenvisionpaperafterithasbeenfoldedandcut,andtodeducenumericalsequences,amongothersimilartasks.SoitisabitconfusingwhenvosSavantfieldssuchqueriesfromtheaverageJoe(whoseIQis100)as,What’sthedifferencebetweenloveandfondness?Orwhatisthenatureofluckandcoincidence?It’snotobvioushowthecapacitytovisualizeobjectsandtofigureoutnumericalpatternssuitsonetoanswerquestionsthathaveeludedsomeofthebestpoetsandphilosophers.
Clearly,intelligenceencompassesmorethanascoreonatest.Justwhatdoesitmeantobesmart?Howmuchofintelligencecanbespecified,andhowmuchcanwelearnaboutitfromneurology,genetics,computerscienceandotherfields?
ThedefiningtermofintelligenceinhumansstillseemstobetheIQscore,eventhoughIQtestsarenotgivenasoftenastheyusedtobe.Thetestcomesprimarilyintwoforms:theStanford-BinetIntelligenceScaleandtheWechslerIntelligenceScales(bothcomeinadultandchildren’sversion).Generallycostingseveralhundreddollars,theyareusuallygivenonlybypsychologists,althoughvariationsofthempopulatebookstoresandtheWorldWideWeb.SuperhighscoreslikevosSavant’sarenolongerpossible,becausescoringisnowbasedonastatisticalpopulationdistributionamongagepeers,ratherthansimplydividingthementalagebythechronologicalageandmultiplyingby100.Otherstandardizedtests,suchastheScholasticAssessmentTest(SAT)andtheGraduateRecordExam(GRE),capturethemainaspectsofIQtests.
Suchstandardizedtestsmaynotassessalltheimportantelementsnecessarytosucceedinschoolandinlife,arguesRobertJ.Sternberg.Inhisarticle“HowIntelligentIsIntelligenceTesting?”,Sternbergnotesthattraditionaltestsbestassessanalyticalandverbalskillsbutfailtomeasurecreativityandpracticalknowledge,componentsalsocriticaltoproblemsolvingandlifesuccess.Moreover,IQtestsdonotnecessarilypredictsowelloncepopulationsorsituationschange.ResearchhasfoundthatIQpredictedleadershipskillswhenthetestsweregivenunderlow-stressconditions,butunderhigh-stressconditions,IQwasnegativelycorrelatedwithleadership–thatis,itpredictedtheopposite.AnyonewhohastoiledthroughSATwilltestifythattest-takingskillalsomatters,whetherit'sknowingwhentoguessorwhatquestionstoskip.
英语试题.5.(共14页) 26.Whichofthefollowingmayberequiredinanintelligencetest?[A]Answeringphilosophicalquestions.
[B]Foldingorcuttingpaperintodifferentshapes.[C]Tellingthedifferencesbetweencertainconcepts.[D]Choosingwordsorgraphssimilartothegivenones.27.WhatcanbeinferredaboutintelligencetestingfromParagraph3?[A]PeoplenolongeruseIQscoresasanindicatorofintelligence.[B]MoreversionsofIQtestsarenowavailableontheInternet.
[C]Thetestcontentsandformatsforadultsandchildrenmaybedifferent.[D]Scientistshavedefinedtheimportantelementsofhumanintelligence.28.PeoplenowadayscannolongerachieveIQscoresashighasvosSavant’sbecause[A]thescoresareobtainedthroughdifferentcomputationalprocedures.[B]creativityratherthananalyticalskillsisemphasizednow.[C]vosSavant’scaseisanextremeonethatwillnotrepeat.[D]thedefiningcharacteristicofIQtestshaschanged.29.Wecanconcludefromthelastparagraphthat
[A]testscoresmaynotbereliableindicatorsofone’sability.[B]IQscoresandSATresultsarehighlycorrelated.[C]testinginvolvesalotofguesswork.[D]traditionaltestsareoutofdate.
30.Whatistheauthor’sattitudetowardsIQtests?[A]Supportive.[B]Skeptical.[C]Impartial.[D]Biased.
英语试题.6.(共14页)Text3
Duringthepastgeneration,theAmericanmiddle-classfamilythatoncecouldcountonhardworkandfairplaytokeepitselffinanciallysecurehasbeentransformedbyeconomicriskandnewrealities.Nowapinkslip,abaddiagnosis,oradisappearingspousecanreduceafamilyfromsolidlymiddleclasstonewlypoorinafewmonths.
Injustonegeneration,millionsofmothershavegonetowork,transformingbasicfamilyeconomics.Scholars,policymakers,andcriticsofallstripeshavedebatedthesocialimplicationsofthesechanges,butfewhavelookedatthesideeffect:familyriskhasrisenaswell.Today’sfamilieshavebudgetedtothelimitsoftheirnewtwo-paycheckstatus.Asaresult,theyhavelosttheparachutetheyoncehadintimesoffinancialsetback–aback-upearner(usuallyMom)whocouldgointotheworkforceiftheprimaryearnergotlaidofforfellsick.This“added-workereffect”couldsupportthesafetynetofferedbyunemploymentinsuranceordisabilityinsurancetohelpfamiliesweatherbadtimes.Buttoday,adisruptiontofamilyfortunescannolongerbemadeupwithextraincomefromanotherwise-stay-at-homepartner.
Duringthesameperiod,familieshavebeenaskedtoabsorbmuchmoreriskintheirretirementincome.Steelworkers,airlineemployees,andnowthoseintheautoindustryarejoiningmillionsoffamilieswhomustworryaboutinterestrates,stockmarketfluctuation,andtheharshrealitythattheymayoutlivetheirretirementmoney.Formuchofthepastyear,PresidentBushcampaignedtomoveSocialSecuritytoasavings-accountmodel,withretireestradingmuchoralloftheirguaranteedpaymentsforpaymentsdependingoninvestmentreturns.Foryoungerfamilies,thepictureisnotanybetter.Boththeabsolutecostofhealthcareandtheshareofitbornebyfamilieshaverisen–andnewlyfashionablehealth-savingsplansarespreadingfromlegislativehallstoWal-Martworkers,withmuchhigherdeductiblesandalargenewdoseofinvestmentriskforfamilies’futurehealthcare.Evendemographicsareworkingagainstthemiddleclassfamily,astheoddsofhavingaweakelderlyparent–andalltheattendantneedforphysicalandfinancialassistance–havejumpedeightfoldinjustonegeneration.
Fromthemiddle-classfamilyperspective,muchofthis,understandably,looksfarlesslikeanopportunitytoexercisemorefinancialresponsibility,andagooddealmorelikeafrighteningaccelerationofthewholesaleshiftoffinancialriskontotheiralreadyoverburdenedshoulders.Thefinancialfallouthasbegun,andthepoliticalfalloutmaynotbefarbehind.
英语试题.7.(共14页)31.Today’sdouble-incomefamiliesareatgreaterfinancialriskinthat[A]thesafetynettheyusedtoenjoyhasdisappeared.[B]theirchancesofbeinglaidoffhavegreatlyincreased.[C]theyaremorevulnerabletochangesinfamilyeconomics.[D]theyaredeprivedofunemploymentordisabilityinsurance.32.AsaresultofPresidentBush’sreform,retiredpeoplemayhave[A]ahighersenseofsecurity.[B]lesssecuredpayments.[C]lesschancetoinvest.[D]aguaranteedfuture.
33.Accordingtotheauthor,health-savingsplanswill[A]helpreducethecostofhealthcare.[B]popularizeamongthemiddleclass.[C]compensateforthereducedpensions.[D]increasethefamilies’investmentrisk.34.Itcanbeinferredfromthelastparagraphthat[A]financialriskstendtooutweighpoliticalrisks.[B]themiddleclassmayfacegreaterpoliticalchallenges.[C]financialproblemsmaybringaboutpoliticalproblems.[D]financialresponsibilityisanindicatorofpoliticalstatus.35.Whichofthefollowingisthebesttitleforthistext?[A]TheMiddleClassontheAlert[B]TheMiddleClassontheCliff[C]TheMiddleClassinConflict[D]TheMiddleClassinRuins
英语试题.8.(共14页)Text4
Itneverrainsbutitpours.Justasbossesandboardshavefinallysortedouttheirworstaccountingandcompliancetroubles,andimprovedtheirfeeblecorporationgovernance,anewproblemthreatenstoearnthem–especiallyinAmerica–thesortofnastyheadlinesthatinevitablyleadtoheadsrollingintheexecutivesuite:datainsecurity.Left,untilnow,toodd,low-levelITstafftoputright,andseenasaconcernonlyofdata-richindustriessuchasbanking,telecomsandairtravel,informationprotectionisnowhighontheboss’sagendainbusinessesofeveryvariety.
Severalmassiveleakagesofcustomerandemployeedatathisyear–fromorganizationsasdiverseasTimeWarner,theAmericandefensecontractorScienceApplicationsInternationalCorpandeventheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley–haveleftmanagershurriedlypeeringintotheirintricateITsystemsandbusinessprocessesinsearchofpotentialvulnerabilities.
“Dataisbecominganassetwhichneedstobeguardedasmuchasanyotherasset,”saysHaimMendelsonofStanfordUniversity’sbusinessschool.“Theabilitytoguardcustomerdataisthekeytomarketvalue,whichtheboardisresponsibleforonbehalfofshareholders”.Indeed,justasthereistheconceptofGenerallyAcceptedAccountingPrinciples(GAAP),perhapsitistimeforGASP,GenerallyAcceptedSecurityPractices,suggestedEliNoamofNewYork’sColumbiaBusinessSchool.“Settingtheproperinvestmentlevelforsecurity,redundancy,andrecoveryisamanagementissue,notatechnicalone,”hesays.
Themysteryisthatthisshouldcomeasasurprisetoanyboss.Surelyitshouldbeobvioustothedimmestexecutivethattrust,thatmostvaluableofeconomicassets,iseasilydestroyedandhugelyexpensivetorestore–andthatfewthingsaremorelikelytodestroytrustthanacompanylettingsensitivepersonaldatagetintothewronghands.
Thecurrentstateofaffairsmayhavebeenencouraged–thoughnotjustified–bythelackoflegalpenalty(inAmerica,butnotEurope)fordataleakage.UntilCaliforniarecentlypassedalaw,Americanfirmsdidnothavetotellanyone,eventhevictim,whendatawentastray.Thatmaychangefast:lotsofproposeddata-securitylegislationisnowdoingtheroundsinWashington,D.C.Meanwhile,thetheftofinformationaboutsome40millioncredit-cardaccountsinAmerica,disclosedonJune17th,overshadowedahugelyimportantdecisionadayearlierbyAmerica’sFederalTradeCommission(FTC)thatputscorporateAmericaonnoticethatregulatorswillactiffirmsfailtoprovideadequatedatasecurity.
英语试题.9.(共14页)