Humans are fascinated着迷的 by the source of their failings and virtues. This preoccupation inevitably leads to an old debate: whether nature or nurture moulds us more. A revolution in genetics has poised this as a modern political question about the character of our society: if personalities are hard-wired into our genes, what can governments do to help us? It feels morally questionable, yet claims of genetic selection by intelligence are making headlines大字标题;(电视或无线电广播的)新闻摘要.

failings and virtues 缺点和优点

the source of 的来源

nature or nurture 先天还是后天

 

This is down to “hereditarian,” (遗传论的) science and a recent paper claimed “differences in exam performance between pupils attending selective and non-selective schools mirror the genetic differences between them”. With such an assertion断言, the work was predictably greeted by a lot of absurd claims about “genetics determining academic success”. What the research revealed was the rather less相当少 surprising result: the educational benefits of selective schools largely disappear once pupils’ inborn ability天生的能力 and socio-economic background were taken into account. It is a glimpse of the blindingly很;极其 obvious—and there’s nothing to back支持 strongly either a hereditary遗传的 or environmental argument.

is down to sth  归因于，因为

be down with 患...病

non-selective schools  非重点中学

selective schools  重点中学;精英学校

46. What did a recent research paper claim?

A) The type of school students attend makes a difference to their future.

B) Genetic differences between students are far greater than supposed.

C) The advantages of selective schools are too obvious to ignore.

D) Students’ academic performance is determined by their genes.

make a difference to    对... 产生影响 

47. What does the author think of the recent research?

A) Its result was questionable.

B) Its implication含意;暗指;(被)牵连，牵涉 was positive积极乐观的.

C) Its influence was rather negligible微不足道的.

D) Its conclusions were enlightening.

Yet the paper does say children are “unintentionally genetically selected” by the school system. Central to hereditarian遗传的 science is a tall claim: that identifiable可识别的 variations变异 in genetic sequences can predict an individual’s aptness to learn, reason and solve problems. This is problematic on many levels. A teacher could not seriously tell a parent their child has a low genetic tendency to study when external factors clearly exist. Unlike-minded不一样的想法 academics say the inheritability of human traits is scientifically unsound. At best there is a weak statistical association and not a causal因果关系的 link between DNA and intelligence. Yet sophisticated复杂的 statistics are used to create an intimidatory恐吓的;威胁的 atmosphere of scientific certainty.

claim n.索赔

like-minded 志同道合的;  想法相同的

unlike-minded 不同想法的

casual

causal 因果关系的

critical  批评的;关键的

Yet the paper does say children are ... ...  does是用于强调语气  

Central to hereditarian science is a tall claim  遗传科学的核心是一个很高的要求

48. What does the author say about the relationship between DNA and intelligence?

A) It is one of scientific certainty.

B) It is not one of cause and effect.

C) It is subject to interpretation of statistics.

D) It is not fully examined by gene scientists.

While there’s an undoubted genetic basis to individual difference, it is wrong to think that socially defined groups can be genetically accounted for. The fixation on genes as destiny is surely false too. Medical predictability can rarely be based on DNA alone; the environment matters too. Something as complex as intellect is likely to be affected by many factors beyond genes. If hereditarians want to advance推进 their cause事业 it will require more balanced interpretation解读 and not just acts of advocacy.

it is wrong to think that socially defined groups can be genetically accounted for

= it(to think that socially defined groups can be genetically accounted for解释) is wrong 

The fixation on sth  痴迷于... ... 

49. What do hereditarians need to do to make their claims convincing?

A) Take all relevant factors into account in interpreting their data.

B) Conduct their research using more sophisticated technology.

C) Gather gene data from people of all social classes.

D) Cooperate with social scientists in their research.

Genetic selection is a way of exerting施加 influence over others, “the ultimate collective control of human destinies,” as writer H. G. Wells put it. Knowledge becomes power and power requires a sense of responsibility. In understanding cognitive ability, we must not elevate discrimination歧视 to a science: allowing people to climb the ladder of life only as far as their cells might suggest. This will need a more sceptical怀疑的 eye on the science. As technology progresses, we all have a duty to make sure that we shape a future that we would want to find ourselves in.

exert influence over sb 向某人施加影响

50. What does the author warn against in the passage?

A) Exaggerating the power of technology in shaping the world.

B) Losing sight of professional ethics in conducting research.

C) Misunderstanding the findings of human cognition research.

D) Promoting discrimination in the name of science.