Question

 It seems an unlikely route to the top. Some say medicine might help. But a study says,

  "Who needs brainboosting drugs when you've got ancestors?" Researchers have discovered that,considering your origins gives a better sense of control and can largely boost your chances of success in exams.

  The socalled "ancestor effect" appears to work by acting as a reminder to the brain that seemingly impossible barriers can be overcome. Psychologists think the effect may be rooted in the fact that those,who familiarize themselves with their family history,appear to gain a stronger sense of identity and selfesteem,which somehow boosts intellectual performance.

  In intelligence tests on 80 volunteers,scientists found a noticeable improvement among those who were asked to spend a short while considering what previous generations of their fami?lies had suffered. Those who simply had to recall a more ordinary memory did not fare well.

  The findings suggest remembering the hardships of grandparents,great grandparents and even longforgotten ancestors,seems to have a direct benefit on the brain's ability to meet the demands for its intelligence.

  Researchers reported, "Our ancestors managed to overcome lots of problems,such as bad illnesses,wars,loss of loved ones and economic problems. So when we think about them,we are reminded that humans who are genetically similar to us can successfully overcome a plenty of problems and misfortunes."

  To test their theory,the scientists tested 80 students. They were asked to spend five mi?nutes thinking about their ancestors or a recent trip to the shops. Immediately afterwards,the students were asked how confident they felt about upcoming exams. Those in the two groups that remembered lost generations were more confident about their chances of success. The students then underwent a range of intelligence tests. In one,the"ancestor effect" boosted scores to 14 out of a maximum16,compared with just 10 out of 16 in the other group.

  In a report on their findings the researchers said, "We showed that an easy reminder about our ancestors can significantly increase intellectual performance. Whenever people are in a situa?tion where such performance is extremely important,such as exams and job interviews,they have an easy technique to increase their success."

(   ) 1. According to psychologists,the"ancestor effect" works because it can help people

① better their sense of control

② strengthen their physical energy

③ obtain a stronger sense of identity

④ have a stronger sense of selfesteem

   A. ③④   B. ①③④   C. ②③④   D. ①②③④

(   ) 2. What does the underlined word "fare" (Para.3) most probably mean?

   A. Focus one's mind easily.

   B. Devote oneself to sth.

   C. Progress or get along.

   D. Feel comfortable or relaxed.

(   ) 3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   A. Lost generations were more confident than later generations.

   B. Misfortunes and difficulties are necessary on the way to success.

   C. In terms of the "ancestor effect", the spirit of ancestors is stressed.

   D. The"easy technique" mentioned in the passage can be only used in exams.

(   ) 4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

   A. How to overcome nervousness in exams.

   B. Thinking about your ancestors makes you smarter.

   C. Knowing history better is significant for one's development.

   D. One's intelligence is passed down from his/her ancestors.

Answer 1

1-4 ACCB    

A篇：想要在考試中或面試時(shí)發(fā)揮更高的智力水平嗎？那么請先花幾分鐘想想我們的先輩們吧。"祖先效應(yīng)"通過對大腦的暗示作用來幫助人們克服很多看似不可能逾越的障礙，因此達(dá)到提高成功概率的目的。

1. A細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段"Psychologists think the effect may be rooted in the fact that those... appear to gain a stronger sense of iden?tity and selfesteem,which somehow boosts in?tellectual performance."可知，"祖先效應(yīng)"能夠起作用的原因在于它能夠幫助人們獲得更強(qiáng)的認(rèn)同感和自尊心。

2. C詞義猜測題。根據(jù)本段內(nèi)容及第六段對這一實(shí)驗(yàn)的具體介紹及其中"In one,the 'ancestor effect' boosted scores to 14 out of a maximum   16. compared with just 10 out of 16 in the other group."可知，科學(xué)家將實(shí)驗(yàn)對象分為兩組進(jìn)行智力測試。一組測試者在測試前被要求回想他們家中的先輩們所經(jīng)歷的磨難，而另一組被要求回憶一些普通的事情。前者比后者的測試成績好。因此此處說的是：回憶祖先的測試者成績明顯提高，而回憶普通事件的測試者成績沒有進(jìn)步。由此可知畫線詞的含義為"進(jìn)展、進(jìn)步"。

3. C細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第五段內(nèi)容可知，所謂"祖先效應(yīng)"就是通過回想先輩們所克服的一切困難聯(lián)系到我們自身也遺傳了這樣的基因，因而也能夠克服困難，取得成功。因此，它強(qiáng)調(diào)了先輩們克服萬難的精神。

4. B主旨大意題。通讀全文可知，本文通過一項(xiàng)科學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)闡明：回想先輩們所經(jīng)歷的困難能夠幫助人們在智力方面發(fā)揮出更高的水平，即讓人變得更聰明。