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Twelve-year-old Nishi Uggalle, the new champion of Channel 4’s Child Genius show is said to have an IQ “higher than Einstein’s”. It sounds impressive, but does that comparison actually mean anything and how seriously should we take IQ as a measurement of intellectual capacity? The immediate problem is that no one knows what Einstein’s IQ was, even including himself . It is assumed he would have an IQ score of 160+. When Nishi was tested almost three years ago by Mensa, a membership organization for people with very high IQs, she scored 162—the highest possible score in the test she was taking.
The numbers are purely normative(标准的): the test-taker’s performance is scored against the average for the same age group, based on a series of tests that usually concentrate on pattern recognition, logic and problem-solving ability. The standard for the whole group is 100, and most people fall into a range between 70 and 130. Only 2. 5% considered to have an IQ above 130. Mensa only accepts members who are in the top 2% of those tested.
The aim of an IQ test is not to measure knowledge, but the individual’s ability to learn and their speed in absorbing information. Having zero spatial(空间的)awareness, I look down on them, since they expose me as stupid—I once came bottom in an army intelligence test to determine whether I was potential officer material. Experts differ wildly on whether IQ tests are reliable. Some have full faith in them. All we can say with certainty is that they test a particular, narrow definition of intelligence—the ability to problem-solve under pressure.
The Mensa spokeswoman claims there is a strong connection between high IQ and good health, longevity(长寿) and career success, but she also accepts a high IQ can produce social loneliness. One of Mensa’s aims is to bring together “gifted” children because their general cohort(同龄人)may find them a little odd. I know many chess players who are brilliant problem-solvers but can barely deal with “real” life. What is intelligence? That remains the key, unanswered question.
【文章大意】本文是一篇议论文。作者通过一个据说比爱因斯坦智商还高的12岁小女孩为开头, 引出智商测试法, 阐述了智商测试并不涵盖智力的所有方面, 表达了自己对智商测试不赞成的态度。
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A. Einstein’s IQ was not tested.
B. Nishi is smarter than Einstein.
C. Mensa is non-profit organization.
D. The average IQ of a Mensa member is 160.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据第一段的“The immediate problem is that no one knows what Einstein’s IQ was, even including himself. It is assumed he would have an IQ score of 160+. ”可知, 没人知道爱因斯坦的智商究竟是多少, 包括他自己, 人们只是推测他的智商有160多, 因此可推断没测试过他的智商。
2. What do we know about IQ tests?
A. Experts agree that they are reliable.
B. The numbers of IQ tests are not standardized.
C. They do not include every aspect of intelligence.
D. They are designed to test the individual’s knowledge.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第三段的“All we can say with certainty is that they test a particular, narrow definition of intelligence—the ability to problem-solve under pressure. ”可知, 智商测试不涵盖智力的所有方面。
3. What is the author’s attitude toward IQ tests?
A. Unfavorable. B. Approving.
C. Uncaring. D. Positive.
【解析】选A。观点态度题。根据第三段的“I look down on them, since they expose me as stupid”可知, 作者对智商测试是不赞成的。
4. According to the text, a person with a high IQ may _________.
A. be less healthy
B. have a poor social life
C. find it hard to succeed
D. die at an early age
【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据最后一段的“. . . but she also accepts a high IQ can produce social loneliness. One of Mensa’s aims is to bring together ’gifted’ children because their general cohort may find them a little odd. ”可知, 高智商的人可能不合群, 社交能力差。
