Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are.
You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. “If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us,” Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going – you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence – if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations(变异) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence, there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn’t necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn’t exist,” Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”
1.What is Crabtree’s recent finding according to the article?
A. The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history.
B. Our ancient ancestors had no better surviving abilities than we do nowadays.
C. Humans have been getting steadily more intelligent since the invention of farming.
D. Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence.
2.According to Crabtree, ancient humans _______.
A. had much more genes that determine human intelligence
B. were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures
C. relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence
D. developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the harsh realities
3.Some argue that Crabtree’s theory is false because they think _______.
A. people today are under much more pressure than early humans
B. it’s ridiculous to compare a hunter’s and a poet’s intelligence
C. modern education is far more advanced than ancient education
D. human intelligence nowadays is different from that of the distant past
4.What is Thomas Hills’ attitude toward Crabtree’s theory?
A. Supportive B. Unfavorable
C. Worried D. Confused.
Hi, everybody. Over the past couple months, most of the political headlines you’ve read have probably been about the government shutdown and the launch of the Affordable Care Act. And I know that many of you have rightly never been more frustrated with Washington.
But if you look beyond those headlines, there are some good things happening in our economy. And that’s been my top priority since the day I walked into the Oval Office.
After decades in which the middle class was working harder and harder just to keep up, and a punishing recession that made it worse, we made the tough choices required not just to recover from crisis, but to rebuild on a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth.
Five years later, we have fought our way back. Our businesses have created 7.8 million new jobs in the past 44 months. Another 200,000 Americans went back to work last month.
The American auto industry has come roaring back with more than 350,000 new jobs – jobs churning out and selling the high-tech, fuel-efficient cars the world wants to buy. And they’re leading the charge in a manufacturing sector that has added jobs for the first time since the 1990s – a big reason why our businesses sell more goods and services “Made in America” than ever before.
We decided to reverse our addiction to foreign oil. And today, we generate more renewable energy than ever, more natural gas than anybody, and for the first time in nearly 20 years, America now produces more oil than we buy from other countries.
We decided to fix a broken health care system. And even though the rollout of the marketplace where you can buy affordable plans has been rough, so far, about 500,000 Americans are poised to gain health coverage starting January 1st. And by the way, health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years.
And one more thing: since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half. And that makes it easier to invest in the things that create jobs – education, research, and infrastructure.
Imagine how much farther along we could be if both parties were working together. Think about what we could do if a reckless few didn’t hold the economy hostage every few months, or waste time on dozens of votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act rather than try to help us fix it.
In the weeks ahead, I’ll keep talking about my plan to build a better bargain for the middle class. Good jobs. A good education. A chance to buy a home, save, and retire. And yes, the financial security of affordable health care. And I’ll look for any willing partners who want to help.
Because of your hard work and tough sacrifices over the past five years, we’re pointed in the right direction. But we’ve got more work to do to keep moving that way. And as long as I’m President, I’ll keep doing everything I can to create jobs, grow the economy, and make sure that everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead. Thanks, and have a great weekend.
1.Which of the following is not the reason for people’s frustration with the government?
A. The government shut down
B. Unemployment rate
C. The addiction to foreign oil
D. The launch of the Affordable Care Act
2.Why does the president mention more goods and services “Made in America”?
A. To show that American goods and services are very popular.
B. To indicate that American people should be dependent on themselves.
C. To show that the employment rate has been increased.
D. To show that American auto industry enjoys high technology.
3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “repeal”?
A. To abolish B. To protect
C. To strengthen D. To weaken
4.According to the speech, which of the following can be implied?
A. American people have every reason to feel frustrated with the government.
B. Health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years.
C. The president feels sorry that the economy is not moving in the right direction.
D. Some government officials don’t agree with the president on the medical care system.
Could the Internet be totally free and should it be? Should the Internet be regulated? The recent disorder in the Arab world ____ by a disputed video damaging the image of Prophet Muhammad shows the United States, which is busy ____ global Internet freedom, has paid a huge price ____ the lives of its diplomats。
In an unregulated Internet world, cheating, violence or rumors can ____ serious consequences. Many countries across the world are periodically suffering from “rumors” ____ by the Internet and social media.
The US-led West always promotes Internet freedom and ____ any regulation as investigation, but it should think twice if it calculates the heavy price that has been and has to be paid for “____”. Moreover, ____ the Internet in the West ____ to be free, with no obvious ____ and no limited sites, isn’t the structure of the main pages already hand-controlled, with selected press agencies and ____ occupying clearly dominating positions?
The Internet has helped fight injustice, ____ corruption in places so far apart as Indonesia, India and Latin America. But the Internet could be extremely ____ as well. Various racist or separatist organizations are using their Internet sites to fan ____. Those who are spreading hate are frequently using the Internet as their tool. No country can ____ to make the Internet absolutely free.
The question is how to keep free flow of information ____ while protecting children from unhealthy works, common citizens from ____ rumors and countries from unfair and damaging propaganda (宣传) attacks. And who sets the limits?
The ____ is that there will never be a perfect system. Every country will have to ____ its own system, based on its culture, social ____ and the degree of danger it’s facing.
1.A. led B. caused C. damaged D. attacked
2.A. helping B. processing C. promoting D. improving
3.A. for B. at C. with D. off
4.A. bring B. reach C. fetch D. take
5.A. spread B. exposed C. delivered D. passed
6.A. supports B. follows C. opposes D. dislikes
7.A. free B. accessible C. available D. healthy
8.A. as if B. even if C. so that D. in that
9.A. happens B. intends C. offers D. appears
10.A. interruption B. interference C. defense D. preference
11.A. programs B. substances C. channels D. sources
12.A. uncover B. strike C. prevent D. avoid
13.A. beneficial B. useful C. sensitive D. destructive
14.A. expressions B. impressions C. passions D. affections
15.A. refuse B. afford C. fail D. attempt
16.A. unpolluted B. unskilled C. unoccupied D. uninterrupted
17.A. evil B. meaningful C. untrue D. effective
18.A. importance B. conclusion C. description D. possibility
19.A. develop B. invent C. change D. study
20.A. trends B. structure C. surroundings D. factors
--- The manager of the factory wants to improve production a great deal, but he doesn’t spend much on technology.
---I am afraid he won’t realize his dream. You know ________.
A. empty vessels make the greatest sound
B. you can’t eat your cake and have it
C. enough is as good as a feast
D. two heads are better than one
While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you _____ your abilities must be you displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner.
A. while B. when C. and D. but
The first thing you must remember is that in order to succeed, it is almost compulsory that you ______ optimistic.
A. be B. need to be
C. will be D. shall be
