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Why Do Smart People Do Foolish Things?

We all probably know someone who is intelligent but does surprisingly stupid things. What does it mean to be smart or intelligent? Our everyday use of the term is meant to describe someone who is knowledgeable and makes wise decisions, but this definition is at odds with how intelligence is traditionally measured. The most widely known measure of intelligence is the intelligence quotient, more commonly known as the IQ test, which includes visuospatial puzzles, math problems, pattern recognition, vocabulary questions and visual searches.

The advantages of being intelligent are undeniable. Intelligent people are more likely to get better grades and go farther in school. They are more likely to be successful at work. And they are less likely to get into trouble (for example, commit crimes) as adolescents.

Given all the advantages of intelligence, though, you may be surprised to learn that it does not predict other life outcomes, such as well-being. You might imagine that doing well in school or at work might lead to greater life satisfaction, but several large-scale studies have failed to find evidence that IQ impacts life satisfaction or longevity (長壽). Most intelligence tests fail to assess the extent of rational thinking, such as real-world decision-making and our ability to interact well with others. This is, in other words, perhaps why “smart” people do “dumb” things.

The ability to think critically, on the other hand, has been associated with wellness and longevity. Though often confused with intelligence, critical thinking is not intelligence. Critical thinking is a collection of cognitive (認知的) skills that allow us to think rationally (理性地) in a goal-orientated fashion and a disposition to use those skills when appropriate. Critical thinkers have self-confidence in their own abilities to reason. They possess great flexibility in requiring evidence to support their beliefs. Critical thinking means overcoming all kinds of cognitive biases (偏見).

Critical thinking predicts a wide range of life events. Researchers have found that critical thinkers experience fewer negative life events such as academic (“I forgot about an exam”), health (“I received HIV through unprotected sex”), legal (“I was arrested for driving under the influence”), interpersonal (“I cheated on my partner for more than a year”), financial (“I have over $5,000 of credit-card debt”), and so on.

Intelligence and improving intelligence are hot topics that receive a lot of attention. It is time for critical thinking to receive a little more of that attention. Reasoning and rationality more closely resemble what we mean when we say a person is smart rather than spatial skills and math ability. Furthermore, improving intelligence is difficult. Intelligence is largely determined by genetics. Critical thinking, though, can improve with training, and the benefits have been shown to continue over time. Anyone can improve their critical thinking skills. Doing so, we can say with certainty, is a smart thing to do.

A.registerB.reserveC.requestD.restore

“Kim! I could walk you down the aisle if you like!” David’s father offered gently.

“I'm OK. But I appreciate that,” I said with a smile. And I was reminded, again, of my dad's absence.

My father died of cancer six weeks ago. For the last two months, we tried to make him feel comfortable and loved as he departed from this world. He always told us that he didn’t like a funeral and insisted our wedding go forward as planned. But how could we honor him since the wedding would be the first time the family would gather after his death and some even didn’t know he was sick?

During the ceremony, my dear friend Eva delivered a reading entitled “When Things Go Missing” by Kathryn Schulz. She paused and got everyone on the same page: “When we are experiencing it, loss often feels like confusion in the usual order of things. In fact, the entire plan of the universe consists of losing, and life amounts to a reverse（逆向的）savings account in which we are eventually robbed of everything.”

I felt the energy full of the room. Everyone was listening. By choosing to accept the pain, we knew what a wedding does to join two families and mark the next chapter for a couple. Loss became a compass that pointed us away from a fantasy and toward celebrating the difficult realities of life.

After rings were exchanged, fried chicken was served, our friends offered so many funny and touching toasts, and finally David sang “Married” on my father’s guitar. I felt joy filling all the holes in my soul. Celebrating my father’s life at our wedding made me grateful for all the time I had spent with him, because it all goes by so fast.

【1】Why did David’s father offer to walk the author down the aisle?

A.To relieve her tension.B.To play the author’s late father’s role.

C.To welcome her to his family.D.To contribute something to the charity.

【2】What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 6 suggest?

A.Kim could distance herself from the pain.

B.Kim knew how to start her new family.

C.Kim got more courage for marriage and life.

D.Kim imagined she would meet more challenges.

【3】What do we know about Kim and David’s wedding ceremony?

A.It was a touching and happy one.B.Kim and David turned it into a funeral.

C.It was held at a church.D.There was no other activity except reading.

假設你是明啟中學的學生張華，你們學校暑假里將有英國姐妹學校的交流生來訪，你主動申請接待其中一位。學校目前推薦了四項活動：看電影、吃中餐、參加一項學生校外社團活動（自定）、參觀一個上海的景點（自定）。請向負責老師寫一份申請信。

內(nèi)容包括：

1. 你的“活動計劃”（從上述四個選項中任選兩樣）；

2. 你的理由。

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【1】我想申請一張去美國的簽證。

【2】騎自行車時，你應當保持平衡。

【3】指導老師推薦我選修歷史。

【4】不管發(fā)生了什么，他都沒有放棄夢想。

【5】巨大的挑戰(zhàn)會帶來偉大的解決方案。

—All right. But the competition is coming soon. I have to work harder.

A.are practisingB.will be practisingC.have been practisingD.practice

A.on boardB.on watchC.on demandD.on occasion

A.symbolB.sacrificeC.superiorD.substitute

A.spiritualB.universalC.fundamentalD.conventional

【1】Where is the treehouse?

A.In Justin’s yard.

B.In Stanley’s yard.

C.In Miss Johnson’s yard.

【2】How will Justin get back to the treehouse?

A.By car.B.By bike.C.On foot.

【3】Why is Justin in a hurry?

A.He is afraid of thunder.

B.He thinks it’s going to rain.

C.He wants his mother to see the treehouse.