5. But in most situations one can study, the role of the environment is very much in evidence. Identical human twins who have been reared apart show quite noticeable phenotypic differences, in personality and even in some physical characteristics.

6. The problem of assessing the relative contributions of heredity and environment to human intelligence is notoriously difficult and controversial. On the one hand, many studies have shown high correlations between the intelligence of individuals and their degree of “relatedness”. On the other hand, the many variables encountered in studies of this type make interpretation very difficult. But some studies have found correlations suggesting environmental factors influence intelligence more than genetic factors do. So the question of intelligence and inheritance is still very much up in the air. The problems and the controversy should not, however, obscure one basic fact: intelligence, like any other trait, depends on the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors.

SECTION 2  READING COMPREHENSION (40 points)

IV. Directions: Skim passage 2 and read the statements given right after the passage and judge whether they are True or False. Blacken the corresponding answer you choose on your ANSWER SHEET. (10 points, 1 point for each)

Passage 2

1. Mild stress is known to improve learning. A totally relaxed child will not be as receptive to new information as a child experiencing mild stress. It is also known that when the stress of working at a job is removed when elderly people retire they age more quickly unless new activities are substituted in their lives. It is thought that senility occurs more frequently with inactivity than with continued activity. Much of the great art, inventions and discoveries has resulted from the stress of the creators. Would we have the Sistine Chapel(西斯行廷教堂) if Michaelangelo had lived a quiet stressless life?

2. We must also admit that the bodily changes that occur under stress often lead to activities that could not be performed under normal circumstances. The 110-pound woman who lifts a one-ton automobile to release her child caught under the wheels could not ordinarily perform this feat; the bodily changes produced by the stress of the situation enable her to do this superhuman act. An athlete relies on the changes that occur under stress to help him run faster, tackle harder, and win the game.

3. It appears that the amount of harmful stress any particular individual experiences depends upon how he views the stressful experience. If he sees it as threatening, it is a bad stress; but if he views it as a challenge, it can be a beneficial stress. Also, his personality type plays a significant role in the determination of whether the stress is good or bad. Certain types of people appear to need stress to make their lives exciting and meaningful—it keeps them young, alive, and functioning. Other types seem to need routine, quiet, and peaceful environment.