考研英语阅读命题思路透析和真题揭秘(43)
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. Superhigh 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 tests 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.
27. What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph 3?
[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.
[答案] C
[解题思路]
本题题干中已确定信息为第三段。A选项明显与该段第一句话"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"（人类有关智力的定义性术语似乎仍然是智商分数，即使人们并不像以前那样经常进行智商测试）的意思相反，可以首先排除。B选项具有很强的干扰性，其对应于该段第三句话"Generally costing several hundred dollars, they are usually given only by psychologists, although variations of them populate bookstores and the World Wide Web"（ 智商测试主要有为两种形式：斯坦福-比奈特智力衡量表和韦氏智力衡量表（两种都包含成人和儿童两个版本）），但versions（版本）与原文的variations（变体，也就是同一版本有不同的变体）意思有出入，也是错误选项。D选项的表述则与第三段无关。C选项对应于该段第二句"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)"（ 尽管这些测试的变种在书店和互联网上都可以找到，但是一般情况下智力测验通常由心理学家来操作，费用为几百美元），括号中的补充说明指出有成人和儿童两个不同版本，自然说明其内容不同，C为正确选项。
[题目译文]
从第三段中，我们可以推断关于智商测试的哪一项情况？
[A] 人们不再用智商分数来作为智力的指标
[B] 更多版本的智商测试现在可以从互联网上得到
[C] 成人和儿童的测试内容和形式可能是不同的
[D] 科学家们已经定义了人类智力的重要因素
29. We can conclude from the last paragraph that
[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 tests are out of date.
[答案] A
[解题思路]
本题要求概括最后一段的中心思想，该段的主题句为文章第一句话"Such standardized tests may not assess all the important elements necessary to succeed in school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg"（罗伯特•杰•斯顿伯格认为，这样的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），文章中间进一步指出"Moreover, IQ tests do not necessarily predict so well once populations or situations change"（而且，一旦种群或环境发生变化，智商测试就未必能够准确预测），因此A选项符合原文意思。B选项与该段主题无关，D选项在原文中未涉及到，两项均为错误答案。C选项对应于原文最后一句话"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"（任何经历过学术能力检测的人都会认为，应试能力也很重要，无论是知道何时应该进行猜题，还是知道应该忽略什么问题等，都是很起作用的），但并不是该段的中心思想。
[题目译文]
我们可以从最后一段总结出
[A] 测试分数可能无法可靠地证明一个人能力
[B] 智商分数与SAT的结果高度相关
[C] 测试中包括了很多猜题的工作
[D] 传统的测试已经过时
