北京大学2013年考博英语真题

　　Part IV: Reading Comprehension (30%)

　　Passage 4

　　The contribution genes make intelligence increase as children grow older. This goes against the notion that most people hold that as we age, environmental influences gradually overpower the genetic legacy we are born with and may have implications for education. “People assume the genetic influence goes down with age because the environmental differences between people pile up in life，” says Robert Plomin. “What we found was quite amazing, and goes in the other direction. ”

　　Previous studies have shown variations in intelligence are at least partly due to genetics. To find out whether this genetic contribution varies with age, Plomin’s team pooled data from six separate studies carried out in the US, the UK, Australia and Netherlands, involving a total of 11, 000 pairs of twins. In these studies, the researchers tested twins on reasoning, logic and arithmetic to measure a quantity called general cognitive ability, or “G”. Each study also included both identical twins, with the same genes, and Lateral twins, sharing about half their genes, making it possible to distinguish the contributions of genes and environment to their g scores. Plomin’s team calculated that in childhood, genes account for about 41 percent of the variation in intelligence. In adolescence, this rose to 55 percent; by young adolescence it was 66 percent. No one knows why the influence Mom genes should increase with age, but Plomin suggests that as children get older, they become better at exploiting and manipulating their environment to suit their genetic needs, and says “Kids with high g will use their environment to foster their cognitive ability and choose friends who are like-minded. ”

　　Children with medium to low g may choose less challenging pastimes and activities, further emphasizing their genetic legacy.

　　Is there any way to interfere with the pattern? Perhaps. “The evidence of strong heritability doesn’t mean at all that there is nothing you can do about it, n says Susanne Jaeggi, “from our own work, the ones that started off with lower IQ scores had higher gains af-

　　ter training. ”

　　Plomin suggests that genetic differences may be more emphasized if all children share an identical curriculum instead of it being tailored to children’s natural abilities. “My inclination would be to give everyone a good education, but put more effort into the lower end，” he says. Intelligence researchers Paul Thompson agrees: “It shows that educators need to steer kids towards things drawing out their natural talents. ”

　　56. What is the common notion that people hold about genes?

　　A. Humans can do little to change the genetic differences between people.

　　B. Genetic influence becomes stronger when people receive education.

　　C. Genes contribute more to one’s intelligence than environmental factors.

　　D. Environmental factors lessen the influence of genes on one’s intelligence.

　　57. The study by Plomin’s team aims to find out .

　　A. whether variations in intelligence caused by genetic differences

　　B. how to overpower genetic factors with new educational approaches

　　C. whether genetic contribution to one’s intelligence varies with age

　　D. the relationship between environment and genes

　　58. From the experiment with twins, Plomin’s team draws a conclusion that .

　　A. genetic contribution increases when one grows older

　　B. genetic influence decreases when age increases

　　C. environment has more impact on fraternal twins than identical twins

　　D. it remains a mystery how genes and environment co-influence people

　　59. The word “pattern” in paragraph four is closest in meaning to .

　　A. cognitive ability

　　B.strong heritability

　　C. genetic legacy

　　D. challenging pastimes

　　60. Which of the following might Plomin’s team least agree to?

　　A. An identical curriculum to school children.

　　B. a differentiated course design to children with varied IQ.

　　C. More effort directed at children with medium or low G.

　　D. Education tailored to children’s natural abilities.

　　Part V:Proofreading (15%)

　　Directions: In the following passage, there are altogether 15 mistakes，OIVE in each numbered and underlined part. You may have to change a word，add a word, or just delete a word. If you change a word，cross it out and write the correct word beside it. If you add a word write the missing word between the words in brackets immediately before and after it. If you delete a word, just cross it out. Put your answers on ANSWER SHEET 2.

　　[61 ] The economic growth that many nations in Asia and increasingly Africa have experienced over the past couple of decades has transformed hundreds of millions of lives —almost entire for the better. [62] But there is byproduct to that growth, one that’s visible ——or sometimes less than visible —in the smoggy, smelly skies above cities like Beijing,New Delhi and Jakarta. [63] Because of new cars and power plants, air pollution is bad and getting worse in much of the world, and it is taking a major toll to global health. [64] How big? According to a new analyze published in the Lancet, more than 3. 2 million people suffered premature deaths from air pollution in 2010, the largest number on record. That’s up from 800, 000 in 2000. [65] And it’s a regional problem: 65%of those deaths occurred in Asia wherever the air is choked by diesel soot 什om cars and trucks，as well as the smog from power plants and the dust from endless urban construction. In East Asia, 1. 2 million people died，as well as another 712，000 in South Asia, including India. [66] For the first time ever，air pollution is the world’s top-10 list of killers，and it’s moving

　　down the ranks faster than any other factor.

　　So how can air pollution be so damaging? [67] It is the very finest soot —so small that it lodges deep within the lungs and from there entered the bloodstream—that contributes to most the public-health toll of air pollution including mortality. [68] Diesel soot， what is also a carcinogen, is a major problem because it is concentrated in cities along transportation corridors impacting densely populated areas. [69] It is thought contribute to half the premature deaths from air pollution in urban centers. For example, 1 in 6 people in the U. S. live near a diesel-pollution hot spot like a rail yard, port terminal or freeway.

　　We also know that air pollution may be linked to other no门lethal conditions, including autism. Fortunately in the U. S. and other developed nations, urban air is for the most part cleaner than it was 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to regulations and new technologies like the catalytic converts that reduce automobile emissions. Governments are also pushing to make air cleaner—see the ’White House’s move last week to further tighten soot standards.

　　[70] It is perfect，but we’ve had much more success dealing with air pollution than climate change.

　　[71 ] Will developing nations like China and India eventually catch up? Hopefully —though the problem may get worse before long it gets better. The good news is that it doesn’t take a major technological leap to improve urban air. [72] Switching from diesel fuel to unleaded helps，as do newer and cleaner cars that are more likely to spew pollutants. Power plants —even ones that burn fossil fuels like coal —can be fitted with pollution-control equipment that, at a price, will greatly reduce smog and other contaminants. [73] But the best solutions may involve urban design. In the Guardian，John Vidal notes that Delhi now has 200 cars per 1，000 people，far more than much rich Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. [74] Developing cities w⑴ almost certainly see an increase in car ownership as residents become wealthier —and that does have to mean lethal air pollution. (Even ultra-green European cities often have rates of car ownership at or above the level Delhi has now. ) [75] Higher incomes should also lead to tougher environmental regulations，which is exactly what happened in the West. We can only hope it happens after the death toll from bad air gets even higher.

　　Part VI: Writing (15%)

　　Directions: Read the following paragraph and then write a response paper of about 250 to 300 English words. Write it neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2.

　　When there is a heavy rain in the north of China，cities and towns are often flooded.But heavy rains in southern cities seldom pose severe problems. When there is a heavy snow in the south of China, cities and towns often run into chaos. But heavy snows in the north seldom pose severe problems. What should city planners do to deal with this and what do you think of different ways of dealing with it?

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