“Intelligence” at best is an assumptive construct—the meaning of the word has never been clear. (1) There is more agreement on the kinds of behavior referred to by the term than there is on how to interpret or classify them. But it is generally agreed that a person of high intelligence is one who can grasp ideas readily, make distinctions, reason logically, and make use of verbal and mathematical symbols in solving problems. An intelligence test is a rough measure of a child’s capacity for learning, particularly for learning the kinds of things required in school. It does not measure character, social adjustment, physical endurance, manual skills, or artistic abilities. It is not supposed to—it was not designed for such purposes. (2) To criticize it for such failure is roughly comparable to criticizing a thermometer for not measuring wind velocity.
The other thing we have to notice is that the assessment of the intelligence of any subject is essentially a comparative affair.
(3) Now since the assessment of intelligence is a comparative matter we must be sure that the scale with which we are comparing our subjects provides a “valid” or “fair” comparison. It is here that some of the difficulties which interest us begin. Any test performed involves at least three factors: the intention to do one’s best, the knowledge required for understanding what you have to do, and the intellectual alto do it. (4) The first two must be equal for all who being compared, if any comparison in terms of intelligence is to be made. In school populations in being compared, if any comparison in terms of intelligence is to be made. In school populations in our culture these assumptions can be made fair and reasonable, and the value of intelligence testing has been proved thoroughly. Its value lies, of course, in its providing a satisfactory basis for prediction. No one is in the least interested in the marks a little child gets on his test; what we are interested in is whether we can conclude his mark on the test that the child will do better or worse than other children of his age at tasks which we think require “general intelligence”. (5) On the whole such a conclusion can be drawn with a certain degree of confidence, but only if the child can be assumed to have had the same attitude towards the test as the other with whom he is being compared, and only if he was not punished by lack of relevant information which they possessed.
2 November, 2008
Dear Dr. Yamata,
The Association of Asian Economic Studies is pleased to invite you to be this year's guest speaker at its annual international symposium(研讨会). The symposium will be held for 3 days from December 22nd to 24th, 2008. This year's topic will be Economic Development in Asia. About 100 people from various countries will be attending the symposium. They would be pleased to meet you and share their views with you.
The Association will cover all the expenses of your trip to this symposium.
As the program is to be announced on December 1st, 2008, will you kindly let us konw before that time whether your busy schedule will allow you to attend our symposium? We are looking forward to your favorable reply.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
John Smith
Secretary of Association of Asian Economic Studies
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Letter of Invitation
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The shorter growing seasons expected with climate change over the next 40 years will endanger hundreds of millions of already poor people in the global tropics, say researchers working with the world's leading agricultural organisations.
The effects of climate change are likely to be seen across the entire tropical (1) ______ but many areas previously considered to be (2) ______ food secure are likely to become highly vulnerable to droughts, extreme weather and higher temperatures, say the researchers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
Intensively farmed areas like northeast Brazil and Mexico are likely to see their (3) ______ growing seasons fall below 120 days, which is critical for crops such as corn to mature. Many other places in Latin America are likely to (4) ______ temperatures that are too hot for bean production, a staple in the region.
Higher peak temperatures are also expected to take a heavy (5) ______ on food producers. Today there are 56 million crop-dependent people in parts of west Africa and India who live in areas where, in 40 years, maximum daily temperatures could be higher than 30°C. This is (6) ______ to the maximum temperature that beans can tolerate, while corn and rice yields suffer when temperatures (7) ______ this level.
“We are starting to see much more clearly where the effects of climate change on agriculture could (8) ______ hunger and poverty," said research leader Patti Kristjanson. "Farmers already (9) ______ to variable weather by changing their planting schedules. What this study suggests is that the speed of climate (10) ______ and the magnitude of the changes required to adapt could be much greater."
| A) prime B) toll C) transfers D) exceed E) segment F) relatively G) shifts H) intensify I) precisely J) close K) experience L) plague M) adapt N) relevant O) zone |
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