Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our
environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To
some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of education can make a genius
out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment
will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of
person's intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his
environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent
something we are born with. The closer the
blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. Thus if we take
two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be
completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as
intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar
intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might
send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the wor
k is boring. We would
soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays
a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other,
but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.
1. The writer is in favor of the view that man's intelligence is given to him_________.
A. at birth
B. through education
C. both at birth and through education
D. neither at birth nor through education
2. If a child is born with low intelligence, he can_________.
A. become a genius
B. still become a genius if he should be given special education
C. not reach his intelligence in his life.
D. reach his intelligence limits in rich surroundings
3. The example of the twins going to a university and to a factory separately shows_________.
A. the importance of their intelligence
B. the role of environment on intelligence
C. the importance of their positions
D. the part that birth plays
4. The best title of the passage can be __________.
A. Surroundings
B. Effect of education
C. Dependence on Environment
D. Intelligence
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