Question

    What we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem totally impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry of her blood. Any chemical change in the mother’s blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.

In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.

As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.

1.Which of the following statements is not true?

A.Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during their pregnancy.

B.It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.

C.The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.

D.There are no connection between mother’s nervous systems and her unborn child’s.

2.A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ______.

A.she is emotionally shocked

B.she has a good knowledge of inheritance

C.she takes part in all kind of activities

D.she sticks to studying

3.According to the passage, a child may inherit ______.

A.everything from his mother

B.a knowledge of mathematics

C.a rather general ability that we call intelligence

D.her mother’s musical ability

4.If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or of the vocal organs, he will _____.

A.surely become musician

B.mostly become a poet

C.possibly become a teacher

D.become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

本文属于说明文阅读。文章介绍了母亲对未出生孩子的影响以及遗传问题，如果一个母亲在情绪上很震惊会影响她未出生的婴儿，而孩子的成长环境也会对他们造成一定的影响。而人们有理由相信，人们继承的东西必须是某种非常简单的行为，而不是任何复杂或非常明确的行为。至于其他能力的形成，完全由孩子成长的环境中的力量决定。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段第一句What we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem totally impossible.可知，我们对产前发育的了解，使得母亲在怀孕期间通过学习诗歌、艺术或数学来塑造未出生孩子的性格的所有这些尝试似乎完全不可能。由此可知，我们是能了解到产前发育知识的，故B选项“我们完全不可能学到任何有关产前发育的知识”表述错误，故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据第一段中An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry of her blood.可知，对母亲的情感冲击将影响她的孩子，因为它改变了她腺体的活动，从而改变了她血液的化学性质。由此可知，如果一个母亲受到感情上的打击，她就会影响她未出生的孩子。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据第二段中It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence.可知，但是，孩子可能或多或少地继承了一种我们称为智力的相当普遍的能力。由此可知，一个孩子可能继承了一种相当普遍的能力，我们称之为智力。故选C。

4.细节理解题。根据最后一段中As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician.可知，至于音乐能力，可能是遗传的是特别敏感的耳朵，手的特殊结构或神经和肌肉之间的发声器官的连接，这使得学习音乐家必须执行的动作相对容易些，尤其是充满活力 情绪。 如果所有这些因素都围绕音乐进行组织，那么孩子可能会成为音乐家。由此可知，如果一个孩子从他的母亲那里继承了一些东西，比如一个特别敏感的耳朵，一种特殊的手的结构或发声器官，而且所有这些因素都是围绕着音乐来组织的，那么他将成为一个音乐家。故选D。