2007-1

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Text 1
　　If you were to examine the birth certificates of every soccer player in 2006’s
World Cup tournament, you would most likely find a noteworthy quirk: elite soccer
players are more likely to have been born in the earlier months of the year than in the
later months. If you then examined the European national youth teams that feed the
World Cup and professional ranks, you would find this strange phenomenon to be
even more pronounced.
　　What might account for this strange phenomenon? Here are a few guesses: a)
certain astrological signs confer superior soccer skills; b) winter-born babies tend to
have higher oxygen capacity, which increases soccer stamina; c) soccer-mad parents
are more likely to conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania;
d) none of the above.
　　Anders Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at Florida State University,
says he believes strongly in “none of the above.” Ericsson grew up in Sweden, and
studied nuclear engineering until he realized he would have more opportunity to
conduct his own research if he switched to psychology. His first experiment, nearly
30 years ago, involved memory: training a person to hear and then repeat a random
series of numbers. “With the first subject, after about 20 hours of training, his digit
span had risen from 7 to 20,” Ericsson recalls. “He kept improving, and after about
200 hours of training he had risen to over 80numbers.”
　　This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not
genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more
of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever inborn
differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences
are swamped by how well each person “encodes” the information. And the best way
to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson determined, was a process
known as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a
task. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and
concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.
　　Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a
wide range of pursuits, including soccer. They gather all the data they can, not just
performance statistics and biographical details but also the results of their own
laboratory experiments with high achievers. Their work makes a rather startling
assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way,
expert performers – whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer
programming – are nearly always made, not born.

21. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to
[A] stress the importance of professional training.
[B] spotlight the soccer superstars at the World Cup.
[C] introduce the topic of what makes expert performance.
[D] explain why some soccer teams play better than others.

22. The word “mania” (Line 4, Paragraph 2) most probably means
[A] fun.
[B] craze.
[C] hysteria.
[D] excitement.

23. According to Ericsson, good memory
[A] depends on meaningful processing of information.
[B] results from intuitive rather than cognitive exercises.
[C] is determined by genetic rather than psychological factors.
[D] requires immediate feedback and a high degree of concentration.

24. Ericsson and his colleagues believe that
[A] talent is a dominating factor for professional success.
[B] biographical data provide the key to excellent performance.
[C] the role of talent tends to be overlooked.
[D] high achievers owe their success mostly to nurture.

25. Which of the following proverbs is closest to the message the text tries to convey?
[A] “Faith will move mountains.”
[B] “One reaps what one sows.”
[C] “Practice makes perfect.”
[D] “Like father, like son.”

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Text 2
　　For the past several years, the Sunday newspaper supplement Parade has featured
a column called “Ask Marilyn.” People are invited to query Marilyn vos Savant, who
at age 10 had tested at a mental level of someone about 23 years old; that gave her an
IQ of 228 – the highest score ever recorded. IQ tests ask you to complete verbal and
visual analogies, to envision paper after it has been folded and cut, and to deduce
numerical sequences, among other similar tasks. So it is a bit confusing when vos
Savant fields such queries from the average Joe (whose IQ is 100) as, What’s the
difference between love and fondness? Or what is the nature of luck and coincidence?
It’ s not obvious how the capacity to visualize objects and to figure out numerical
patterns suits one to answer questions that have eluded some of the best poets and
philosophers.
　　Clearly, intelligence encompasses more than a score on a test. Just what does it
mean to be smart? How much of intelligence can be specified, and how much can we
learn about it from neurology, genetics, computer science and other fields?
　　The defining term of intelligence in humans still seems to be the IQ score, even
though IQ tests are not given as often as they used to be. The test comes primarily in
two forms: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scales
(both come in adult and children’ s version). Generally costing several hundred dollars,
they are usually given only by psychologists, although variations of them populate
bookstores and the World Wide Web. Superhigh scores like vos Savant’ s are no longer
possible, because scoring is now based on a statistical population distribution among
age peers, rather than simply dividing the mental age by the chronological age and
multiplying by 100. Other standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test
(SAT)and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ tests.
　　Such standardized tests may not assess all the important elements necessary to
succeed in school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg. In his article “How
Intelligent Is Intelligence Testing?”, Sternberg notes that traditional tests best assess
analytical and verbal skills but fail to measure creativity and practical knowledge,
components also critical to problem solving and life success. Moreover, IQ tests do not
necessarily predict so well once populations or situations change. Research has found
that IQ predicted leadership skills when the tests were given under low-stress
conditions, but under high-stress conditions, IQ was negatively correlated with
leadership – that is, it predicted the opposite. Anyone who has toiled through SAT will
testify that test-taking skill also matters, whether it's knowing when to guess or what
questions to skip.

26. Which of the following may be required in an intelligence test?
[A] Answering philosophical questions.
[B] Folding or cutting paper into different shapes.
[C] Telling the differences between certain concepts.
[D] Choosing words or graphs similar to the given ones.

27. What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph3?
[A] People no longer use IQ scores as an indicator of intelligence.
[B] More versions of IQ tests are now available on the Internet.
[C] The test contents and formats for adults and children may be different.
[D] Scientists have defined the important elements of human intelligence.

28. People nowadays can no longer achieve IQ scores as high as vos Savant’s because
[A] the scores are obtained through different computational procedures.
[B] creativity rather than analytical skills is emphasized now.
[C] vos Savant’s case is an extreme one that will not repeat.
[D] the defining characteristic of IQ tests has changed.

29. We can conclude from the last paragraph that
[A] test scores may not be reliable indicators of one’s ability.
[B] IQ scores and SAT results are highly correlated.
[C] testing involves a lot of guesswork.
[D] traditional tests are out of date.

30. What is the author’s attitude towards IQ tests?
[A] Supportive.
[B] Skeptical.
[C] Impartial.
[D] Biased.

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Text 3
　　During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could
count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been
transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or
a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in
a few months.
　　In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming
basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have
debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect:
family risk has risen as well. Today’ s families have budgeted to the limits of their
new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in
times of financial setback – a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the
workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “added-worker effect”
could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability
insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family
fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home
partner.
　　During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in
their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto
industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock
market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money.
For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a
savings-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments
for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is
not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by
families have risen – and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from
legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new
dose of investment risk for families’ future healthcare. Even demographics are
working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly
parent – and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance – have jumped
eightfold in just one generation.
　　From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks
far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal
more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their
already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political
fallout may not be far behind.

 

31. Today’s double-income families are at greater financial risk in that
[A] the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared.
[B] their chances of being laid off have greatly increased.
[C] they are more vulnerable to changes in family economics.
[D] they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance.

32. As a result of President Bush’s reform, retired people may have
[A] a higher sense of security.
[B] less secured payments.
[C] less chance to invest.
[D] a guaranteed future.

33. According to the author, health-savings plans will
[A] help reduce the cost of healthcare.
[B] popularize among the middle class.
[C] compensate for the reduced pensions.
[D] increase the families’ investment risk.

34. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that
[A] financial risks tend to outweigh political risks.
[B] the middle class may face greater political challenges.
[C] financial problems may bring about political problems.
[D] financial responsibility is an indicator of political status.

35. Which of the following is the best title for this text?
[A] The Middle Class on the Alert
[B] The Middle Class on the Cliff
[C] The Middle Class in Conflict
[D] The Middle Class in Ruins

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Text 4
　　It never rains but it pours. Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their
worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation
governance, a new problem threatens to earn them – especially in America – the
sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data
insecurity. Left, until now, to odd, low-level IT staff to put right, and seen as a
concern only of data-rich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel,
information protection is now high on the boss’ s agenda in businesses of every
variety.
　　Several massive leakages of customer and employee data this year – from
organizations as diverse as Time Warner, the American defense contractor Science
Applications International Corp and even the University of California, Berkeley –
have left managers hurriedly peering into their intricate IT systems and business
processes in search of potential vulnerabilities.
　　“Data is becoming an asset which needs to be guarded as much as any other
asset,” says Haim Mendelson of Stanford University’ s business school. “The ability
to guard customer data is the key to market value, which the board is responsible for
on behalf of shareholders”. Indeed, just as there is the concept of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (GAAP), perhaps it is time for GASP, Generally Accepted
Security Practices, suggested Eli Noam of New York’ s Columbia Business School.
“Setting the proper investment level for security, redundancy, and recovery is a
management issue, not a technical one,” he says.
　　The mystery is that this should come as a surprise to any boss. Surely it should
be obvious to the dimmest executive that trust, that most valuable of economic assets,
is easily destroyed and hugely expensive to restore – and that few things are more
likely to destroy trust than a company letting sensitive personal data get into the
wrong hands.
　　The current state of affairs may have been encouraged – though not justified –
by the lack of legal penalty (in America, but not Europe) for data leakage. Until
California recently passed a law, American firms did not have to tell anyone, even the
victim, when data went astray. That may change fast: lots of proposed data-security
legislation is now doing the rounds in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the theft of
information about some 40 million credit-card accounts in America, disclosed on June
17 th , overshadowed a hugely important decision a day earlier by America’ s Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) that puts corporate America on notice that regulators will
act if firms fail to provide adequate datasecurity.

 

36. The statement “It never rains but it pours” is used to introduce
[A] the fierce business competition.
[B] the feeble boss-board relations.
[C] the threat from news reports.
[D] the severity of data leakage.

37. According to Paragraph 2, some organizations check their systems to find out
[A] whether there is any weak point.
[B] what sort of data has been stolen.
[C] who is responsible for the leakage.
[D] how the potential spies can be located.

38. In bringing up the concept of GASP the author is making the point that
[A] shareholders’ interests should be properly attended to.
[B] information protection should be given due attention.
[C] businesses should enhance their level of accounting security.
[D] the market value of customer data should be emphasized.

39. According to Paragraph 4, what puzzles the author is that some bosses fail to
[A] see the link between trust and data protection.
[B] perceive the sensitivity of personal data.
[C] realize the high cost of data restoration.
[D] appreciate the economic value of trust.

40. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that
[A] data leakage is more severe in Europe.
[B] FTC’s decision is essential to data security.
[C] California takes the lead in security legislation.
[D] legal penalty is a major solution to data leakage.