Unit 14
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 late 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 ever more pronounced.
What might account for this strange phenomenon? Here are a few guess: a）certain astrological signs confer superior soccer skills; b）winter born babies tend to have higher oxygen capacity, which increas 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 rearch if he switched to psychology. His first experiment, nearly 30 years ago, involved memory: training a person to hear and then repeat a ran
dom ries of numbers. “With the first subject, after about 20 hours of training, his digit span had rin from 7 to 20,” Ericsson recalls. “He kept improving, and after about 200 hours of training he had rin to over 80 numbers.”isia
This success, coupled with later rearch showing that memory itlf is not genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exerci than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, tho 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 tting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.
xcel 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 asrtion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers – whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer program
ming –are nearly always made, not born.
1. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to
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unproper [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.
2. The word “mania” （Line 4, Paragraph 2）most probably means
[A] fun. [B] craze. [C] hysteria. [D] excitement.
3. According to Ericsson, good memory
[A] depends on meaningful processing of information.
[B] results from intuitive rather than cognitive exercis.
[C] is determined by genetic rather than psychological factors.
[D] requires immediate feedback and a high degree of concentration.
4. Ericsson and his colleagues believe that
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[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.
5. Which of the following proverbs is clost 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.”
Unit 14（2007） Part 1
试题解析：
1．【正确答案】【C】
【解析】结构题，题⼲中的“is mentioned to”表明本题是结构题。本题考查考⽣对⽂章第⼀段内容的理解。题⼲中的信号词
是“soccer player”，出⾃⽂章第⼀段第⼀句话中。⽂章第⼀段提到检查⾜球运动员的出⽣证明时指出，你最可能发现⼀种引⼈注意的巧合——优秀⾜球运动员更可能出⽣于每年的前⼏个⽉⽽不是后⼏个⽉，第⼆段接着指出，什么可以解释这种奇怪的现象呢？随后介绍了⼏种猜测。这说明，提到⽣⽇现象是为了引出本⽂的主题。C为正确选项。第⼀段中没有提到专业训练，所以A属于⽆中⽣有；本⽂是通过检查世界杯上的⾜球运动员⽽得出“⽣⽇”现象的，说明B属于本末倒置；⽂中并没有提到某些⾜球队⽐其他⾜球队表现更好，所以D与⽂意不符。
2. 【正确答案】【B】
【解析】词义题，题⼲中的“most probably means”表明本题是词义题。本题考查考⽣对⽂章第⼆段内容的理解。题⼲中的信号词出⾃⽂章第⼆段最后⼀句话中。⽂章第⼆段⾸先指出，什么可以解释这种奇怪的现象呢？接着提到了⼀些猜测，其中的c）指出，热爱⾜球的⽗母更可能在春季怀孕，随后提到
了该词所在的句⼦。这说明，该词可能与“soccermad”的意思相近。B 是对该词的同义替换，为正确选项。A和C是误解了该词的意思；D不准确。
3. 【正确答案】【A】mi two
法学专业考研pornograph【解析】细节题，题⼲中的“According to Ericsson”表明本题是观点细节题。本题考查考⽣对⽂章第三、四段内容的理解。题⼲中的信号词是“Ericsson”和“memory”，出⾃⽂章第三、四段。⽂章第三段提到了有关记忆的试验，第四段介绍了埃⾥克森有关记忆的结论——记忆过程是⼀种认知练习，不是⼀种本能练习；了解如何有⽬的地解读信息的⽅法就是⼀个为⼈所知的有意练习过程，⽽有意练习需要的不只是简单地重复⼀个任务，它涉及到确定明确的⽬标、获得即时反馈以及注重⽅法与结果。这说明，他认为，好的记忆⼒依赖于⼈们对信息的有⽬的应⽤。A为正确选项。B和C明显与⽂意不符；不准确；与有关的信息是第⼀段第四句话，⽽这个假设被⼀项研究证实是错误的，所以B不对；D是在解释有意练习，与题⽬的要求不符。
4. 【正确答案】【D】
【解析】细节题，题⼲中的“Ericsson and his colleagues believe”表明本题是观点细节题。本题考查考⽣对⽂章最后⼀段内容的理解。题⼲中的信号词是“Ericsson and his colleagues”，出⾃⽂章最后⼀段。⽂章最后⼀段介绍了埃⾥克森和他的同事有关成就优秀者的研究，指出，他们的研究得出了⼀个
⾮常令⼈惊奇的结论——成就优秀者⼏乎总是培养的，不是天⽣的。D为正确选项。A和C与⽂意相反；B与最后⼀段第⼆句话的意思不符。
5. 【正确答案】【C】
【解析】主旨题，题⼲中的“clost to the message the text tries to convey”表明本题是主旨题。本题考查考⽣对全⽂内容的理解。⽂章通过⾜球运动员的出⽣证明引出了本⽂的主题，随后的段落解释了这种现象，得出的结论是，成就优秀者⼏乎都是后天培养的，⽽不是天⽣的。这说明，本⽂主要讲的是，优异成就是后天习得的，不是天⽣的。C为正确选项。A、B和D都是误解了⽂意。
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全⽂翻译：
如果你打算检查2006年世界杯锦标赛上所有⾜球运动员的出⽣证明，那么你最可能发现⼀种引⼈注意的巧合：优秀⾜球运动员更可能出⽣于每年的前⼏个⽉⽽不是后⼏个⽉。如果你检查进⼊世界杯和职业⽐赛的欧洲国家青年队的话，那么你会发现这种奇怪的现象甚⾄更明显。
什么可以解释这种奇怪的现象呢？下⾯是⼀些猜测：a）某种占星术征兆使⼈具备更⾼的⾜球技能；b）冬季出⽣的婴⼉往往具有更⾼的供氧能⼒，这提⾼了踢⾜球的耐⼒；c）热爱⾜球的⽗母更可能在春季（每年⾜球狂热的⿍盛时期）怀孕；d）以上各项都不是。
安德斯?埃⾥克森是佛罗⾥达州⽴⼤学的⼀位58岁的⼼理学教授，他说，他坚信“以上各项都不是”这⼀点。埃⾥克森在瑞典长⼤，他⼀直在研究核⼯程，直到他认识到，如果他转向⼼理学领域，他会有更多机会从事⾃⼰的研究。他的⾸次试验是在⼤约30年以前进⾏的，与记忆有关——训练⼀个⼈先听⼀组任意挑选的数字，然后复述这些数字。“在接受⼤约20个⼩时的训练后，第⼀个试验对象（复述）的数字组合从7个上升到20个，” 埃⾥克森回忆说。“该试验对象不断进步，在接受⼤约200个⼩时的训练后，他复述的数字已经达到80多个。”
这次成功，连同后来证明“记忆本⾝不是遗传决定的”研究，使得埃⾥克森得出结论——记忆过程是⼀种认知练习，不是⼀种本能练习。换句话说，⽆论两个⼈在记忆⼒⽅⾯可能有什么样的天⽣差异，这些差异都会被每个⼈如何恰当地“解读”所记的信息所掩盖。埃⾥克森确信，了解如何有⽬的地解读信息的⽅法就是⼀个为⼈所知的有意练习过程。有意练习需要的不只是简单地重复⼀个任务。相反，它涉及到确定明确的⽬标、获得即时反馈以及注重⽅法与结果。
浙江二级建造师报名 因此，埃⾥克森和他的同事开始研究⼴泛领域的成就优秀者，包括⾜球。他们收集了能够收集的所有资料，不只是表现⽅⾯的统计数据和传记详细资料，还包括他们⾃⼰对取得很⾼成就的⼈员进⾏的实验室实验结果。他们的研究得出了⼀个⾮常令⼈惊奇的结论——我们通常称为才能的特征被⾼估了。或者，换句话说，成就优秀者（⽆论是在记忆还是⼿术⽅⾯，在芭蕾还是计算机编程⽅⾯）⼏乎总是培养的，不是天⽣的。
