Question

Scientists use a test called Digit Symbol Substitution to assess everything from dementia(痴呆) to brain damage. Hartshorne, the lead author of the study, employed the test in his study of how intelligence changes over time. 1.

Most adults are bad at memorizing bits of information without context. A classic example is that you’ll have an easier time remembering a story about someone who bakes than a person with the last name Baker. 2.A 2011 study found humans are best at learning new names in our early 20s.

The human brain has a remarkable capacity to identify faces, and scientists are just beginning to learn why. On average, our ability to learn and remember new faces appears to peak shortly after our 30th birthday.

3. Don’t worry. A 2015 study suggests that our ability to sustain attention improves with age, reaching its peak around age 43.

Dating is tough. One of the reasons could be that we’re generally bad at reading other people’s emotions until we reach our late 40s. 4.Performance peaked for people aged around 48.

Ever wonder why you always lose at Scrabble(拼字游戏)? 5.According to people’s scores on multiple-choice vocabulary tests, most of us don’t reach our peak wordsmith(词语大师) abilities until we’re in our late 60s or early 70s.

A. Having trouble focusing?

B. Good news: Your best days may be ahead.

C. Young people don’t appear to be as burdened by this issue, though.

D. He found that participants’ performance generally peaked in their late teens.

E. Participants were asked to describe the emotion the person in the photo felt.

F. Adults approaching mid-years may have the greatest capacity to remain focused.

G. The results suggest that no matter what your age is, there’s always a new peak on the horizon.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.E

5.B

【解析】人类的智力是如何随着时间变化的？是越老越聪明，还是随着年龄的增长逐渐走下坡路？本文对此作出了正确的解读。

1.D

根据上句：哈茨霍恩应用这项测试研究智力如何随着时间变化。可知，下文应该是他研究的结果。所以，D. He found that participants’ performance generally peaked in their late teens.（他经过研究发现，发现参与者最好的表现通常是在二十岁之前。）符合题意。

2.C

根据上句：这一观点的典型例证是，相比于记住一个叫贝克的人，你更加容易记住一个烘焙师的故事。再根据下文：2011年的一项研究发现，人类在20出头时最擅长记忆新名字。由此可知，然而，年轻人似乎没有这个困扰。故选C。

3.A

根据下文：不要担心。哈佛大学和波士顿注意力与学习研究所2015年的一项研究表明，人类保持专注的能力随着年龄的增长而提高，在43岁左右到达顶峰。由此推知上文应该是让人心烦的事情。所以，A. Having trouble focusing?（注意力很难集中？）符合题意。

4.E

根据上文：恋爱真的很难。原因之一可能是，在快50岁前我们通常都不善于解读别人的情绪。再根据下文：表现最好的人年龄在48岁左右。可知此空的意思是“参与者被要求描述出图片中人物的情绪。”故选E。

5.B

根据上文：想知道为什么你玩拼字游戏时总是输吗？再根据空格下文：根据人们的词汇多选测试成绩，大多数人直到70岁前后遣词造句的水平才达到巅峰。由此可知，你未来的表现可能是最好的。故选B。