2024年4月12日发(作者：)

剑桥雅思8-第三套试题-阅读部分-PASSAGE 1-阅读真题原文部分:

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on

Reading Passage 1 below.

Striking Back at Lightning With Lasers

Seldom is the weather more dramatic than when thunderstorms strike. Their

electrical fury inflicts death or serious injury on around 500 people each year in the

United States alone. As the clouds roll in, a leisurely round of golf can become a

terrifying dice with death - out in the open, a lone golfer may be a lightning bolt's

most inviting target. And there is damage to property too. Lightning damage costs

American power companies more than $100 million a year.

But researchers in the United States and Japan are planning to hit back.

Already in laboratory trials they have tested strategies for neutralising the power

of thunderstorms, and this winter they will brave real storms, equipped with an

armoury of lasers that they will be pointing towards the heavens to discharge

thunderclouds before lightning can strike.

The idea of forcing storm clouds to discharge their lightning on command is

not new. In the early 1960s, researchers tried firing rockets trailing wires into

thunderclouds to set up an easy discharge path for the huge electric charges that

1

these clouds generate. The technique survives to this day at a test site in Florida

run by the University of Florida, with support from the Electrical Power Research

Institute (EPRI), based in California. EPRI, which is funded by power companies, is

looking at ways to protect the United States' power grid from lightning strikes. 'We

can cause the lightning to strike where we want it to using rockets, ' says Ralph

Bernstein, manager of lightning projects at EPRI. The rocket site is providing

precise measurements of lightning voltages and allowing engineers to check how

electrical equipment bears up.

Bad behaviour

But while rockets are fine for research, they cannot provide the protection

from lightning strikes that everyone is looking for. The rockets cost around $1, 200

each, can only be fired at a limited frequency and their failure rate is about 40 per

cent. And even when they do trigger lightning, things still do not always go

according to plan. 'Lightning is not perfectly well behaved, ' says Bernstein.

'Occasionally, it will take a branch and go someplace it wasn't supposed to go. '

And anyway, who would want to fire streams of rockets in a populated area?

'What goes up must come down, ' points out Jean-Claude Diels of the University of

New Mexico. Diels is leading a project, which is backed by EPRI, to try to use lasers

to discharge lightning safely - and safety is a basic requirement since no one wants

to put themselves or their expensive equipment at risk. With around $500, 000

invested so far, a promising system is just emerging from the laboratory.

2

The idea began some 20 years ago, when high-powered lasers were revealing

their ability to extract electrons out of atoms and create ions. If a laser could

generate a line of ionisation in the air all the way up to a storm cloud, this

conducting path could be used to guide lightning to Earth, before the electric field

becomes strong enough to break down the air in an uncontrollable surge. To stop

the laser itself being struck, it would not be pointed straight at the clouds. Instead

it would be directed at a mirror, and from there into the sky. The mirror would be

protected by placing lightning conductors close by. Ideally, the cloud-zapper

(gun)would be cheap enough to be installed around all key power installations,

and portable enough to be taken to international sporting events to beam up at

brewing storm clouds.

A stumbling block

However, there is still a big stumbling block. The laser is no nifty portable: it's a

monster that takes up a whole room. Diels is trying to cut down the size and says

that a laser around the size of a small table is in the offing. He plans to test this

more manageable system on live thunderclouds next summer.

Bernstein says that Diels's system is attracting lots of interest from the power

companies. But they have not yet come up with the $5 million that EPRI says will

be needed to develop a commercial system, by making the lasers yet smaller and

cheaper. 'I cannot say I have money yet, but I'm working on it, ' says Bernstein. He

reckons that the forthcoming field tests will be the turning point - and he's hoping

for good news. Bernstein predicts 'an avalanche of interest and support' if all goes

3

well. He expects to see cloud-zappers eventually costing 100, 000 each.

Other scientists could also benefit. With a lightning 'switch' at their fingertips,

materials scientists could find out what happens when mighty currents meet

matter. Diels also hopes to see the birth of 'interactive meteorology' - not just

forecasting the weather but controlling it. 'If we could discharge clouds, we might

affect the weather, ' he says.

And perhaps, says Diels, we'll be able to confront some other meteorological

menaces. 'We think we could prevent hail by inducing lightning, ' he says. Thunder,

the shock wave that comes from a lightning flash, is thought to be the trigger for

the torrential rain that is typical of storms. A laser thunder factory could shake the

moisture out of clouds, perhaps preventing the formation of the giant hailstones

that threaten crops. With luck, as the storm clouds gather this winter, laser-toting

researchers could, for the first time, strike back.

Questions 1-3

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.

1 The main topic discussed in the text is

A the damage caused to US golf courses and golf players by lightning

4

strikes.

B the effect of lightning on power supplies in the US and in Japan.

C a variety of methods used in trying to control lightning strikes.

D a laser technique used in trying to control lightning strikes.

2 According to the text, every year lightning

A does considerable damage to buildings during thunderstorms.

B kills or injures mainly golfers in the United States.

C kills or injures around 500 people throughout the world.

D damages more than 100 American power companies.

3 Researchers at the University of Florida and at the University of New Mexico

A receive funds from the same source.

B are using the same techniques.

C are employed by commercial companies.

5

D are in opposition to each other.

Questions 4-6

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 4-6 on your answer sheet.

4 EPRI receives financial support from………………………….

5 The advantage of the technique being developed by Diels is that it can be

used……………… .

6 The main difficulty associated with using the laser equipment is related to

its……………….

Questions 7-10

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.

Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.

In this method, a laser is used to create a line of ionisation by removing

electrons from 7 …………………………. This laser is then directed at

6

8 ………………………… in order to control electrical charges, a method which is less

dangerous than using 9 …………………………. As a protection for the lasers, the

beams are aimed firstly at 10………………………….

A cloud-zappers B atoms C storm clouds

D mirrors E technique F ions

G rockets H conductors I thunder

Questions 11-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading

Passage 1?

In boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

11 Power companies have given Diels enough money to develop his laser.

12 Obtaining money to improve the lasers will depend on tests in real

7

storms.

13 Weather forecasters are intensely interested in Diels's system.

READING PASSAGE 1

篇章结构

体裁 说明文

主题 用激光回击闪电

结构 第1段：闪电带来的危害

第2段：科研人员正在研究回击闪电的方法

第3段：先前的闪电回击术介绍

第4段：火箭回击术的缺陷

第5段：更安全的激光回击术

第6段：激光回击术的技术原理

第7段：激光回击术的缺陷

8

第8段：通过实地实验改进激光回击术

第9段：激光回击术对其他学科也有益处

第10段：激光回击术的其他用途

解题地图

难度系数：★★★

解题顺序：按题目顺序解答即可

友情提示：烤鸭们注意：本文中的SUMMARY题目顺序有改变，解题要小心；

MULTIPLE CHOICE的第三题是个亮点，爱浮想联翩的烤鸭们可能会糊掉。

必背词汇

1. inflict v. 造成

The strikes inflicted serious damage on the economy. 罢工给经济造成了重大损

失。

2. inviting adj. 吸引人的

The log fire looked warm and inviting. 篝火看上去温暖而诱人。

9

3. property n. 财产；属性

The hotel is not responsible for any loss or damage to guests’ personal

property.

酒店不承担宾客的任何个人财产的丢失或损坏。

a herb with healing properties具有治疗效果的草药

physical/chemical properties物理特性/化学特性

4. fund v. 资助，投资

The project is jointly funded by several local companies. 这个项目得到了当地几

家公司的联合资助。government-funded research政府资助的研究

5. back v. 支持，帮助

The scheme has been backed by several major companies in the region.

这个项目得到了该地区几家大公司的支持。

Some suspected that the rebellion was backed and financed by the US.

有人怀疑这次叛乱是由美国主使并资助的。

10

6. discharge v. 放电；排出

Both forms are readily gasified by electrical discharge without leaving any

tangible residue.

两种形态都易被放电气化而不剩任何可触察的残余。

7. emerge v. 出现，浮现

The sun emerged from behind the clouds. 太阳从云朵中探出头来。

Eventually the truth emerged. 真相最终浮出水面。

8. reveal v. 展现，显示；揭示，泄露

He may be prosecuted for revealing secrets about the security agency.

他可能会因为泄露国安局机密而遭检控。

He revealed that he had been in prison twice before. 他透露说他曾经坐过两次

牢。

9. generate v. 使产生

The program would generate a lot of new jobs. 这项计划会创造很多新职位。

11

Tourism generates income for local communities. 旅游业给当地社区带来了收

入。

10. surge n. 涌流：猛增

a surge of excitement一阵兴奋

a surge of refugees into the country 涌入该国的难民潮

a surge in food costs食品价格猛涨

11. install v. 安装

They've installed the new computer network at last. 他们最终安装了新的计算机

网络。

Security cameras have been installed in the city centre. 市中心安装了安全摄像

头。

12. nifty adj. 灵便的

a nifty little gadget for squeezing oranges一个榨橘子汁用的灵便小工具

13. in the offing即将发生的

Big changes were in the offing. 剧变即将发生。

12

认知词汇

dramatic adj. 激动人心的

fury n. 狂怒，狂暴(本文中指雷暴电流)

leisurely adv. 轻松地

dice with death拿性命开玩笑

neutralize v. 中和

brave v. 勇敢地面对

armoury n. 军械库

on command 按指令

power grid 电力网

precise adj. 精确的

voltages n. 电压

frequency n. 频率

13

failure rate 失败率

trigger v. 激发，触发

branch n. 岔路

populated adj. 人口密集的

extract v. 提取

atom n. 原子

ion n. 离子

ionization n. 离子化

electric field 电场

conductor n. 导体

sporting event体育项目

stumbling block 绊脚石

monster n. 庞然大物

14

manageable adj. 易管理的

yet adv. 尚未；还没有

come up with 准备好；提供

reckon v. 料想，预计

forthcoming adj. 即将来临的

field test 实地测试

turning point 转折点

an avalanche of似雪片般的

current n. 电流

matter n. 物质

interactive meteorology互动气象学

confront v. 面临，对抗

menace n. 威胁

15

hail n. 冰雹

torrential rain 暴雨

moisture n. 水汽

giant hailstone 大冰雹

佳句赏析

1. If a laser could generate a line of ionisation in the air all the way up to a

storm could, this conducting path could be used to guide lightning to Earth,

before the electric field becomes strong enough to break down the air in an

uncontrollable surge.

•参考译文：如果激光器能够生成一条直达暴雨云的离子线，就可以在闪电电场增强为

一股无法控制的涌流并击破空气之前，用这条传导通道把电荷引导到地面上来。

•语言点：状语从句——条件状语从句

条件状语从句的连接词主要有：if, unless，as/so long as，on condition that等。

此处为if引导的条件状语从句。

例句：Just imagine how horrible the world would be if humans are the only

creature in the world.

16

想一想，如果人类是这世界上唯一的生物，这世界会变得多可怕。

Some animal species are under threat if they stay in their natural habitat.

如果留在自然栖息地，某些动物物种会面临威胁。

If引导的条件句有真实条件句和非真实条件句两种。非真实条件句可以表示：

(1)同现在事实相反的假设：从句(一般过去时)+主句(should/would+动词原形)

(2)与过去事实相反的假设：从句(过去完成时)+主句(should/would have+过去分词)

(3)对将来的假设：从句(一般过去时)+主句(should+动词原形)；从句(were+不定式

/should+动词原形)+主句(would+动词原形)

例句：If drug use were to be legalized，considerable police time would be spent

in dealing with other more serious problems.

如果吸食毒品合法化，警察大量的时间就将用于解决其他更严重的问题。

2. A laser thunder factory could shake the moisture out of clouds, perhaps

preventing the formation of the giant hailstones that threaten crops.

•参考译文：一个激光雷工厂可以把水汽从云层中震出，这样也许可以阻止威胁庄稼的

大冰雹的形成。

17

•语言点：现在分词作状语

例句：Facing high competition，people may suffer great pressure.

面对高度竞争，人们可能会承受巨大的压力。

Being confronted with economic pressure，women have to go outside to work.

面临经济压力，妇女不得不外出工作。

Not wearing proper clothes people will be considered those who do not know

social and interpersonal skills.

如果衣着不当，人们会被当成是不懂社交和人际关系技巧的人。

试题解析

Questions 1-3

•题目类型：MULTIPLE CHOICES

•题目解析：

解题小窍门：

读清题干巧定位，

18

四个选项要读完，

绝对only排除掉，

正确选项在中间。

题号 定位词 题目解析

1

main topic 题目：本文讨论的主题是

A闪电攻击对美国高尔夫场地和高尔夫选手造成的损失。

B闪电对美国和日本电力供应的影响。

C试图用来控制闪电袭击的各种方式。

D一种试图用来控制闪电袭击的激光技术。

正确翻译后，选项A和B比较容易排除，选项C比较具有迷惑性，但是只要看看文章

标题，就不难发现本文主题是laser，所以正确答案是D。

2 lightning 题目：根据文章，每年闪电会

A在暴风雨期间对建筑物造成相当大的破坏。

19

B在美国主要导致高尔夫球手死亡或受伤。

C在全世界范围内导致500人死亡或受伤。

D破坏了100多家美国电力公司。

选项C和D中的具体数字是很好的定位词，可定位至文章第一段。文中提到，只是在

美国，闪电每年就能杀伤500人，而不是世界范围内，因此排除选项C。而100这个数字

在文中是100 million a year，说的是每年闪电会让电力公司损失超过一亿美元，而不是

说毁掉100多家电力公司，因此排除选项D。文中提到了云层翻滚而来时在户外打高尔夫

是非常危险的，并没有说每年因雷击而死伤的是高尔夫球手，因此排除选项B。文中提到，

there is damage to property too. buildings属于property的范畴，因此正确答案为A。

3

University of Florida，University of New Mexico 题目：佛罗里达大学和新墨西

哥大学的研究员们

A有同样的资金来源。

B使用同样的技术

C受雇于商业公司。

D互相反对。

20

此题是不可过多联想的典型，越直白的想法越能解题。一般来讲，带有金钱的选项应

该去掉，但是此题剑走偏锋，偏偏选了带funds一词的选项A。文中有两处支持这个答案：

第一处在第三段：…with support from the Electrical Power Research Institute

(EPRI)…另一处在第五段：…which is backed by EPRI…

两处暗示两项研究都得到了EPRI的资助，因此答案为A。

选项B可以从文中说的一个主张用火箭，一个主张用激光来排除；选项C在文中并没

有提及；选项D则是过多推理的结果，尽管使用技术不同，但是并不代表两者互相反对。

Questions 4—6

•题目类型：SENTENCE COMPLETION

•题目解析：

题号 定位词 文中对应点 题目解析

4 EPRI，financial

support 第三段：

EPRI，which is funded by

power companies… 用EPRI定位到文章第三段，EPRI第一次出现之后即指出其是

21

由电力公司资助的，原文中的funded等同于题干中的receives financial support from，

因此答案应该填power companies。注意不要写成单数。

5

Diels 第五段：

…to try to use lasers to

discharge lightning safely… 用人名Diels在文中定位到第五段，从题目看出这里应

填入一个副词，所以可以在人名周围寻找use或者use的替换词，并且在其周围找带有-ly

形式的词，这样正确答案safely很快就能浮出水面了。

6 difficulty，laser equipment 第七段：

The laser is no nifty portable：it’s a monster that takes up a whole room. Diels

is trying to cut down the size… 这道题目的定位稍微有一些困难，需要将difficulty一

词与文章中的stumbling block联系起来，进而找到第七段中的laser一词。文中提到，

该激光设备并不方便携带，它是个体积占据了一整间房间的庞然大物。看到这里，通过理

解，考生们可以想到激光设备最大的问题就是体积太大，不好携带，所以正确答案是size。

Questions 7-10

•题目类型：SUMMARY COMPLETION

•解题小窍门：

22

•题目解析：

解题小窍门：

1. 理解词库里的单词，并将其按词性归类。

2. 带动整道题的定位词是第一行的ionisation，比较容易定位到文章第六段，那么整

个summary的答案就应该在这个词周围寻找。

题号 定位词 文中对应点 题目解析

7

electrons 第六段：

…to extract electrons out of atoms… 本题关键是要理解题目中的remove…

from…与文中的extract…out of…属于同义替换，这里要表达的是从原子(atoms)中提取

电荷(electrons)。故正确答案是B。

8 directed at 第六段：

If a laser could generate a line of ionization in the air all the way up to a storm

cloud… 注意文中generate是“产生”的意思；directed at对应文中的all the way up

to，其后的a storm cloud 即对应空格处要填的内容。因此正确答案是C。

9 less dangerous 第五段：

23

…who would want to fire streams of rockets in a populated area?…to try to use

lasers to discharge lightning safely… 这道题比较麻烦，对于只是按照顺序寻找答案的

考生，定位答案会比较困难。这里需要联系第五段中的信息，参照词库里的单词，推测出

空格所在句的意思是“用激光控制闪电是比用火箭更安全(less dangerous)的方式”。正确

答案是G。

10 protection，aimed firstly at 第六段：

To stop the laser itself being

struck…Instead it would be directed at a

mirror… protection对应文中的stop…being struck；at是解题关键词，即使不知

道文中的directed和题目中的aimed是同义词，也可以从词组的形式上看出来两者是同

位的，其后的名词即为答案。由此可知答案是D。

Questions 11-13

•题目类型：YES/NO/NOT GIVEN

•题目解析：

11. Power companies have given Diels enough money to develop his laser.

参考译文 电力公司已经向Diels提供了足够的资金来研发他的激光器。

24

定位词 Diels，money

解题关键词 have given…enough money

文中对应点 由定位词及顺序规律可以定位到第八段：“I cannot say I have money

yet, but I am working on it. ”(“我还不能说我已经拿到钱了，但是我正在为之努力。”)

看到这句话，再联系上句：Bernstein says that Diels’ system is attracting lots

of interest from the power companies. But they have not yet come up with the

5 million that EPRI says will be needed to develop a commercial system…

(Bernstein表示，Diels的激光系统正在引起各电力公司的广泛兴趣。但他们还没有准备好

EPRI提出的500万美元——开发一个……的商用系统的所需资金。)这两句话足以证明

Diels的系统还没有得到足够的资金支持。

答案 NO

12. Obtaining money to improve the lasers will depend on tests in real storms.

参考译文 获得改善激光器所需的资金依赖于在真正的暴风雨中进行的试验。

定位词 obtaining money. tests in real storms

解题关键词 tests in real storms

文中对应点 第八段：第11题对应的原文下一句提到：He reckons that the

forthcoming field tests will be the turning point…其中turning point是“转折点”的

25

意思，联系上题中说到的，目前该项目还没有拿到钱，可知这句话的意思是field tests就

是得到资金的转折点。field tests=tests in real storms

答案 YES

13. Weather forecasters are intensely interested in Diels's system.

参考译文 天气预报员们对Diels的系统设备特别感兴趣。

定位词 Diels，weather forecasters

解题关键词 intensely interested

文中对应点 这是一道典型的完全未提及的题目，interest一词出现在第八段的末尾，

而weather forecasters这两个词也仅在第九段最后两句中出现：…not just forecasting

the weather but

controlling it…，而具体内容则完全不相干。

答案 NOT GIVEN

参考译文

用激光回击闪电

很少有比雷暴天气更令人感到恐怖的天气了。仅在美国，猛烈的雷暴电流每年都会造

26

成大约500人死亡或重伤。云层翻滚而来的时候，在户外打一场轻松的高尔夫成了一件异

常可怕的事情，无异于是在拿自己的性命开玩笑——孤身一人在户外的高尔夫球手可能是

闪电最喜欢攻击的目标。此外，闪电也会带来财产损失。每年闪电会对美国电力公司造成

超过一亿美元的损失。

不过，美国和日本的研究人员正在策划回击闪电的方案。他们已开始通过实验测试中

和雷暴电荷的各种方法。今年冬天，他们将直面雷暴：使用配备的激光器射向空中的雨云，

使其在闪电出现之前放电。

迫使雨云根据指令释放闪电并非一个新想法。早在20世纪60年代早期，研究者们就

尝试过把带着拖曳线的火箭射入雨云，以期为这些云层发出的庞大的电荷群搭建起便捷的

放电路径。由于受到建在加利福尼亚的电力研究所(EPRI)的支持，这一技术在佛罗里达的

州立大学试验基地幸存到了今天。EPRI由电力公司资助，现正致力于研究保护美国输电网

不受闪电袭击的方法。“我们可以通过火箭让闪电击向我们想让它去的地方，”EPRI的闪电

项目经理Ralph Bemstein如此说道。该火箭基地现在能对闪电电压进行精确测量，并可

以让工程师们检测电气设备的负载。

不良行为

虽然火箭在研究中功不可没，但它们无法提供闪电来袭时所有人都希求的保护。每支

火箭造价大约1,200美元，发射频率有限，而失败率却高达40％。即使它们确实能够引发

闪电，事情也无法总是按计划顺利进行。“闪电可不那么听话，”Bernstein说，“它们偶尔

会走岔路，射到它们本不该去的地方。”

但不管怎样，有谁会想在人口密集的地区发射成群的火箭呢?“射上去的肯定会掉下

27

来，”新墨西哥大学的Jean-Claude Diels指出。Diels现在正在负责一个项目，该项目由

ERPI所支持，试图通过发射激光使闪电安全放电——安全是一项基本要求，因为没人愿意

把他们自己的性命或他们的昂贵设备置于危险之中。有了迄今为止的50万美元的投入，

一套有巨大潜力的系统装置正在该实验室慢慢成形。

这一系统装置的想法始于大约20年前，当时正在开发大功率激光器从原子中提取电

荷并生成离子的能力。如果激光器能够生成一条直达暴雨云的离子线，就可以在闪电电场

增强为一股无法控制的涌流并击破空气之前，用这条传导通道把电荷引导到地面上来。为

了防止激光器本身受到电击，不能把它直接对准云层，而是要把它对准一面镜子，让激光

通过镜子折射向天空。要在靠近镜子的四局布置闪电传导器从而对其进行保护。理想的做

法是，云层遥控器(枪)要比较廉价，以便能够把它们安装在所有重点电力设备周围；另外

还要方便携带，以便在国际运动赛事场地中用于使逐渐聚积的雨云失去威力。

绊脚石

可是，仍存在巨大的绊脚石。激光器并不方便携带：它是个能占据整个房间的庞然大

物。Diels一直想要缩小它的体积，并表示很快就会有小型桌子大小的激光器了。他计划在

明年夏天用真正的雨云来实际测试这个更容易操作的激光系统。

Bemstein表示，Diels的激光系统正在引起各电力公司的广泛兴趣。但他们还没有准

备好EPRI提出的500万美元——开发一个让激光器更小巧、价格也更便宜的商用系统的

所需资金。Bernstein说：“我还不能说我已经拿到钱了，但是我正在为之努力。”他认为，

即将进行的实地测试会成为一个转折点，而且他也在期待着好消息。Bemstein预言，如果

一切顺利，这将吸引“排山倒海般的兴趣和支持”。他希望看到云层遥控器的最终价格能定

在每台5万到10万美元之间。

28

其他科学家也能从中受益。如果手上有了控制闪电的“开关”，材料科学家就可以了解

强大的电流遇到物质时会发生什么现象。Diels也希望看到“互动气象学”问世——不仅

仅是预测天气，而且能控制天气。“如果我们能使云层放电，我们也许就能左右天气，”他

说。

而且也许，Diels说，我们将能够对抗一些其他的气象威胁。“我们认为我们也许能通

过引导闪电来阻止冰雹，”他说。雷，来自于闪电的冲击波，被认为是大暴雨——典型的雷

暴天气——的触发器。一个激光雷工厂可以把水汽从云层中震出，这样也许可以阻止威胁

庄稼的大冰雹的形成。如果运气好的话，在今年冬天雨云聚积的时候，持有激光器的研究

者们就能第一次对其进行回击了。

剑桥雅思8-第三套试题-阅读部分-PASSAGE 2-阅读真题原文部分:

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on

Reading Passage 2 below.

The Nature of Genius

There has always been an interest in geniuses and prodigies. The word 'genius',

from the Latin gens (= family) and the term 'genius', meaning 'begetter', comes

from the early Roman cult of a divinity as the head of the family. In its earliest form,

genius was concerned with the ability of the head of the family, the paterfamilias,

to perpetuate himself. Gradually, genius came to represent a person's

29

characteristics and thence an individual's highest attributes derived from his

'genius' or guiding spirit. Today, people still look to stars or genes, astrology or

genetics, in the hope of finding the source of exceptional abilities or personal

characteristics.

The concept of genius and of gifts has become part of our folk culture, and

attitudes are ambivalent towards them. We envy the gifted and mistrust them. In

the mythology of giftedness, it is popularly believed that if people are talented in

one area, they must be defective in another, that intellectuals are impractical, that

prodigies burn too brightly too soon and burn out, that gifted people are eccentric,

that they are physical weaklings, that there's a thin line between genius and

madness, that genius runs in families, that the gifted are so clever they don't need

special help, that giftedness is the same as having a high IQ, that some races are

more intelligent or musical or mathematical than others, that genius goes

unrecognised and unrewarded, that adversity makes men wise or that people with

gifts have a responsibility to use them. Language has been enriched with such

terms as 'highbrow', 'egghead', 'blue-stocking', 'wiseacre', 'know-all', 'boffin' and,

for many, 'intellectual' is a term of denigration.

The nineteenth century saw considerable interest in the nature of genius, and

produced not a few studies of famous prodigies. Perhaps for us today, two of the

most significant aspects of most of these studies of genius are the frequency with

which early encouragement and teaching by parents and tutors had beneficial

effects on the intellectual, artistic or musical development of the children but

caused great difficulties of adjustment later in their lives, and the frequency with

30

which abilities went unrecognised by teachers and schools. However, the difficulty

with the evidence produced by these studies, fascinating as they are in collecting

together anecdotes and apparent similarities and exceptions, is that they are not

what we would today call norm-referenced. In other words, when, for instance,

information is collated about early illnesses, methods of upbringing, schooling,

etc. , we must also take into account information from other historical sources

about how common or exceptional these were at the time. For instance, infant

mortality was high and life expectancy much shorter than today, home tutoring

was common in the families of the nobility and wealthy, bullying and corporal

punishment were common at the best independent schools and, for the most part,

the cases studied were members of the privileged classes. It was only with the

growth of paediatrics and psychology in the twentieth century that studies could

be carried out on a more objective, if still not always very scientific, basis.

Geniuses, however they are defined, are but the peaks which stand out

through the mist of history and are visible to the particular observer from his or

her particular vantage point. Change the observers and the vantage points, clear

away some of the mist, and a different lot of peaks appear. Genius is a term we

apply to those whom we recognise for their outstanding achievements and who

stand near the end of the continuum of human abilities which reaches back

through the mundane and mediocre to the incapable. There is still much truth in

Dr Samuel Johnson's observation, 'The true genius is a mind of large general

powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction'. We may disagree

with the 'general', for we doubt if all musicians of genius could have become

scientists of genius or vice versa, but there is no doubting the accidental

31

determination which nurtured or triggered their gifts into those channels into

which they have poured their powers so successfully. Along the continuum of

abilities are hundreds of thousands of gifted men and women, boys and girls.

What we appreciate, enjoy or marvel at in the works of genius or the

achievements of prodigies are the manifestations of skills or abilities which are

similar to, but so much superior to, our own. But that their minds are not different

from our own is demonstrated by the fact that the hard-won discoveries of

scientists like Kepler or Einstein become the commonplace knowledge of

schoolchildren and the once outrageous shapes and colours of an artist like Paul

Klee so soon appear on the fabrics we wear. This does not minimise the supremacy

of their achievements, which outstrip our own as the sub-four-minute milers

outstrip our jogging.

To think of geniuses and the gifted as having uniquely different brains is only

reasonable if we accept that each human brain is uniquely different. The purpose

of instruction is to make us even more different from one another, and in the

process of being educated we can learn from the achievements of those more

gifted than ourselves. But before we try to emulate geniuses or encourage our

children to do so we should note that some of the things we learn from them may

prove unpalatable. We may envy their achievements and fame, but we should also

recognise the price they may have paid in terms of perseverance,

single-mindedness, dedication, restrictions on their personal lives, the demands

upon their energies and time, and how often they had to display great courage to

preserve their integrity or to make their way to the top.

32

Genius and giftedness are relative descriptive terms of no real substance. We

may, at best, give them some precision by defining them and placing them in a

context but, whatever we do, we should never delude ourselves into believing that

gifted children or geniuses are different from the rest of humanity, save in the

degree to which they have developed the performance of their abilities.

Questions 14-18

Choose FIVE letters, A-K.

Write the correct letters in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

NB Your answers may be given in any order.

Below are listed some popular beliefs about genius and giftedness.

Which FIVE of these beliefs are reported by the writer of the text?

A Truly gifted people are talented in all areas.

B The talents of geniuses are soon exhausted.

C Gifted people should use their gifts.

D A genius appears once in every generation.

33

E Genius can be easily destroyed by discouragement.

F Genius is inherited.

G Gifted people are very hard to live with.

H People never appreciate true genius.

I Geniuses are natural leaders.

J Gifted people develop their greatness through difficulties.

K Genius will always reveal itself.

Questions 19-26

Reading

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading

Passage 2?

In boxes 19-26 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE

FALSE

34

NO T GIVEN

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

19 Nineteenth-century studies of the nature of genius failed to take into

account the uniqueness of the person's upbringing.

20 Nineteenth-century studies of genius lacked both objectivity and a

proper scientific approach.

21 A true genius has general powers capable of excellence in any area.

22 The skills of ordinary individuals are in essence the same as the skills of

prodigies

23 The ease with which truly great ideas are accepted and taken for granted

fails to lessen their significance.

24 Giftedness and genius deserve proper scientific research into their true

nature so that all talent may be retained for the human race.

25 Geniuses often pay a high price to achieve greatness

35

26 To be a genius is worth the high personal cost.

READING PASSAGE 2

篇章结构

体裁 议论文

主题 天才的本质

结构 第1段：天才一词的来源及其含义

第2段：人们对于天才的种种误解

第3段：十九世纪对天才的研究及其缺陷

第4段：天才何以为天才?

第5段：天才是非凡的凡人

第6段：要看到天才所付出的代价

第7段：总结到底应该如何看待天才

解题地图

36

难度系数：★★★★☆

解题顺序：MUTIPLE CHOICE→TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN

友情提示：看到这么多的TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN，考生心里一定乐开花了吧。本

题是全TRUE法最佳试验场地，别客气，尽管用吧，结果会给你惊喜!!

必背词汇

1. perpetuate v. 使永久存在，使不朽

It is our hope that the men of Yale will，in their own lives，perpetuate their

manhood and courage.

我们愿所有耶鲁人一生都能永远保持他们这种豪迈精神与勇气。

His honesty and generosity perpetuated our memory. 他的真诚和大度长存于我

们的记忆中。

2. attribute n. 品质：属性

What attributes should a good manager possess?一名优秀的经理人应该具备何

种品质?

Courage is a good attribute of a soldier. 勇气是一名好士兵应该具备的品质。

37

3. ambivalent adj. 自相矛盾的；含糊的(n. ambivalence)

We are both somewhat ambivalent about having a child. 对于要不要孩子这件

事，我们都有些摇摆不定。

O’Neill had a genuine ambivalence toward US involvement in the war.

O’Neil在美国是否参战一事上态度暧昧。

4. mistrust v. 不相信，怀疑

As a very small child she had learned to mistrust adults. 还是个小孩的时候，她

就已经学着不相信大人了。

Some people mistrust the computerised banking. 有些人对计算机化的银行业深

表怀疑。

5. defective adj. 有缺陷的

The disease is caused by a defective gene. 这种疾病是由基因缺陷引起的。

This is a defective product. 这是件次品。

6. burn out燃尽；耗尽

The hotel was completely burnt out. Only the walls ramained.

38

那座宾馆完全烧毁了，只留下一些残垣断壁。

It’s a high-pressure job and you could burn out young.

这工作压力太大，你可能在年纪轻轻时就江郎才尽了。

7. eccentric adj. 古怪的

His eccentric behaviour lost him his job. 他的怪异举止让他丢了饭碗。

Aunt Lucy was always a bit eccentric. Lucy姑妈总是有点怪怪的。

8. adversity n. 逆境

We admire his courage in the face of adversity. 我们佩服他在逆境中的勇气。

He had drifted through life with advantage of wealth，never tested by

adversity.

他一生生活富足，从未经受贫苦的考验。

9. collate v. 整理

A computer system is used to collate information from across Britain.

一个电脑系统被用来整理英国的所有信息。

39

10. upbringing n. 养育

Mike had had a strict upbringing. Mike从小家教严格。

11. vantage point特定角度，有利位置

From my vanrage point on the hill，I could see the whole procession.

从我在山上的位置望去，整个队伍尽收眼底。

The whole dispute looked silly from my uantage point. 从我的角度看，整个争端

毫无意义。

12. continuum n. 连续统一体

The Creole language is really various dialects arranged on a continuum.

克里奥尔语是几个相当不同的方言组成的共同体。

All the organisms in an ecosystem are part of an evolutionary continuum. 生态

系统中所有的生物都是一个进化体系的一部分。

13. manifestation n. 表现

These latest riots are a clear manifestation of growing discontent. 最近的暴乱

正是民怨的明确体现。

40

Manifestation of the disease often doesn't occur until middle age. 这种病的症

状到人的中年时才会显现。

14. minimise v. 使缩小

Every effort is being made to minimise civilian casualties. 我们尽了最大努力减

少平民伤亡。

We must not minimise the problem of racial discrimination. 我们不可以轻视种

族歧视的问题。

15. supremacy n. 最高地位；主权

We can't deny Japan's unchallenged supremacy in the field of electronics.

我们不能否认日本在电子产品市场不可挑战的权威。

air supremacy制空权

16. outstrip v. 超过

We outstripped all our competitors in sales last year. 去年我们的销售额赶超了所

有对手。

Demand for new aircraft production is outstripping supply. 新型航空产品供不

应求。

41

17. emulate v. 效仿

He hoped to emulate the success of Wilder. 他希望能够效仿Wilder的成功。

Few teachers can emulate the remarkable result of the experiment.

鲜有教师能够效仿实验的惊人结果。

认知词汇

genius n. 天才

prodigy n. 神童

cult n. 狂热崇拜

divinity n. 神明

characteristic n. 特点，特征

exceptional adj. 非同一般的，优秀的

intellectual n. 知识分子

impractical adj. 不切实际的，缺乏实践经验的

42

denigration n. 贬损

frequency n. 频繁

beneficial effect 有利影响

adjustment n. 适应

fascinating adj. 吸引人的

anecdote n. 轶事

norm-referenced 常模参照

schooling n. 学校教育

historical sources 历史资源

infant mortality 婴儿死亡率

life expectancy寿命

home tutoring 家教

bullying n. 恃强凌弱(的行为)

43

privileged adj. 特权的

paediatrics n. 儿科学

mundane adj. 平凡的

mediocre adj. 平庸的

incapable adj. 无能的

nurture v. 养育，培养

trigger v. 引发，触动

marvel v. 惊叹

demonstrate v. 论证，证明；示范

unpalatable adj. 令人不快的，讨厌的

perseverance n. 坚持不懈

precision n. 精确性；明确性

save conj. 只是，除了

44

佳句赏析

1. Perhaps for us today, two of the most significant aspects of most of these

studies of genius are the frequency with which early encouragement and teaching

by parents and tutors had beneficial effects on the intellectual, artistic or musical

development of the children but caused great difficulties of adjustment later in

their lives, and the frequency with which abilities went unrecognised by teachers

and schools.

•参考译文：或许现在对于我们来说，大部分对天才的研究中包含以下两个最重要的方

面：其一，早期教育中父母和教师对孩子进行的频繁的鼓励和教导对孩子在智力、艺术或

音乐方面的发展是有益的，但这也给孩子以后对生活的适应方面带来了巨大的困难；其二，

老师和学校常常认识不到孩子所具备的才能。

•语言点：which引导的定语从句

例句：Proper monitoring of the mesa prevents indecent materials which will be

harmful to children's growth.

对媒体恰当的监控阻止了有害于孩子们成长的不健康材料的出现。

(which在从句中作主语。)

Military life creates hero worship which may do harm to youngsters.

军旅生活会产生对年轻人有害的英雄崇拜主义。

45

(which在从句中作主语。)

There is an urgent need to censor the net to remove inappropriate materials

which children have online access to.

现在迫切需要监督网络，以消除孩子可以在网上看到的不当材料。

(which在从句中作宾语。)

2. What we appreciate, enjoy or marvel at in the works of genius or the

achievements of prodigies are the manifestations of skills or abilities which are

similar to, but so much superior to, our own.

•参考译文：天才的作品或神童的成就令人欣赏、喜爱和惊叹之处在于其体现了他们的

技能和本领，这些技能和本领虽然与我们的相似，但远远高于我们的水平。

•语言点：what引导的名词性从句

例句：What happened was my fault.

所发生的事是我的错。(主语从句)

People do not know what will happen to minority languages under the

pressure of English globalization.

人们不知道在英语全球化的压力下少数民族语言会怎样。(宾语从句)

46

3. To think of geniuses and the gifted as having uniquely different brains is

only reasonable if we accept that each human brain is uniquely different.

•参考译文：只有在承认了每个人的大脑都是独特的这个前提下，认为天才和有天赋者

的大脑独一无

二、异于常人这一想法才能算是合理的。

•语言点：不定式作主语

例句：To telecommute usually means to work at home.

远程上班通常意味着在家工作。

To have a family full of love and care helps one enjoy his life more.

拥有一个充满爱和关心的家庭让人们更加享受生活。

To send children to the army helps cultivate their independence

self-control.

送孩子去参军有助于培养他们的独立和自理能力。

试题解析

Questions 14-18

47

and

•题目类型：MULTIPLE CHOICE

•题目解析：

本题属于选择题中的多选题，一般题目说明中会指定要选几个答案。

本题问的是作者在文中描述的看法，答案全部集中于第二段。

题目 题目翻译 试题解析

A 真正的天才在各个领域都有才华。 与…it is popularly believed that if people

are talented in one area，they must be defective in another…相矛盾。

B 天才的才能会很快耗尽。 与…prodigies burn too brightly too soon and

burn out这句话一致；burn out是“耗尽”的意思，等同于exhausted。故选项B正确。

C 天才应该应用他们的天赋。 对应文中…people with gifts have a responsibility

to use them。故选项C 正确。

D 每代人中出一个天才。 文中提到…that genius runs in families，指出天赋是遗

传的，但是并没有精确到每一代人就出一个天才。题目属于过度推断。

E 天才会被挫折轻易摧毁。

话，可能…that

其实这一点在文章中没有提到，如果非要加以联系的

adversity makes men wise，逆境出英才这句话会产生误导作用，但并不等同于英才

48

为挫折所毁。

F 天赋是遗传的。 文中说…genius runs in ramifies，指天才是遗传的。看到这个选

项，就更能体会选项D的错误所在了。故选项F正确。

G 天才很难相处。 有的考生对文中eccentric这个词比较敏感，这个词是指人行为

“古怪的”，但是并不等同于难相处。显然，这道题在混淆概念。词汇量大但又记得不够精

准的同学可能会在这里吃亏。

H 人们从不欣赏真正的天才。 对应文中的…genius goes unrecognised and

unrewarded，即天才不受认同也得不到相应的回报，故选项H正确。

I 天才是天生的领导者。 文中没有提到有关“领导者”的内容。

J 天才于困境中实现卓越。

正确。

对应文中的…adversity makes men wise，故选项J

K 天赋总能显现出来。 完全没有提到。

Questions 19-26

•题目类型：TRUE/FALSE/NOTGIVEN

•题目解析：

19. Nineteen-century studies of the nature of genius failed to take into

49

account the uniqueness of the person's upbringing.

参考译文 19世纪关于天才本质的研究未曾考虑到每个人生长环境的独特性。

定位词 nineteen-century. studies

解题关键词 failed to，uniqueness of the person's upbringing

文中对应点 第三段：However, the difficulty with the evidence produced by

these studies，fascinating as they are in collecting together anecdotes and

apparent similarities and exceptions, is that they are not what we would today call

norm-referenced. In other words, when, for instance, information is collated about

early illnesses, methods of upbringing, schooling etc. ,we must also take into

account information from other historical sources about how common or

exceptional these were at the time.

但是，想要利用这些研究得出的证据也有一定困难，因为它们不符合我们今天所谓的

常模参照。换句话说，比如当我们在搜集有关早期疾病、养育方式、学校教育等信息时，

我们也要考虑到在其他的历史资料中所记载的、关于这种情况在当时有多么普遍或不寻常

的信息。本题并不能利用nineteen-century的定位来轻松解决问题。本题需要通读第三

段，在考场上，这无疑是个折磨人的过程。正确翻译之后，判定答案是TRUE。建议词汇

量较小的考生使用全TRUE法解决此题。

答案 TRUE

50

20. Nineteen-century studies of genius lacked both objectivity and a proper

scientific approach.

参考译文 19世纪关于天才的研究既缺乏客观性也缺少一种恰当的科研方式。

定位词 nineteen-century，objectivity

解题关键词 lacked, both…and…

文中对应点 第三段末句：

It was only with the growth of paediatrics and psychology in the twentieth

century that studies could be carried out on a more objective，if still not always

very scientific，basis.

直到20世纪，随着儿科学和心理学的发展，相关研究才得以在更加客观的基础上进

行——尽管依然并不总是很科学。

通过本句首先可以推测出19世纪关于天才的研究缺乏客观性，然后通过if still not

always very scientific得知，连20世纪有关天才的研究都并不总是很科学，那么就更别

提19世纪的研究了，因此可以推测出本题正确答案是TRUE。

答案 TRUE

21. A true genius has general powers capable of excellence in any area.

51

参考译文 一个真正的天才是在任何领域都能出类拔萃的通才。

定位词 general powers，area

解题关键词 any area

文中对应点 本题的描述过于绝对，而绝对词正是选择FALSE的主要判断依据。如果

题目中出现如all/always/any/never/none/every这样过于绝对的词，那么该题答案基本

就是FALSE了。此题定位于文章的第四段：We may disagree with the ‘general’. for

we doubt if all musicians of genius could have

become scientists of genius or vice versa…但我们可能会对“各方面”这一点有所

保留，因为我们怀疑是否所有的天才音乐家都可以成为天才科学家，反之亦然。

这句话表明了作者对于所谓全能型天才的质疑，正好与题干的表述相反，故答案应该

是FALSE。

答案 FALSE

22. The skills of ordinary individuals are in essence the same as the skills of

prodigies.

参考译文 普通人的技能与神童的技能在本质上是相同的。

定位词 skills，ordinary individuals，prodigies

52

解题关键词 the same as

文中对应点 第五段首句：

What we appreciate，enjoy or marvel at in the works of genius or the

achievements of prodigies are the manifestations of skills or abilities which are

similar to，but so much superior to, our own.

天才的作品或神童的成就令人欣赏、喜爱和惊叹之处在于其体现了他们的技能和本领，

这些技能和本领虽然与我们的相似，但远远高于我们的水平。

这句话说明了天才的技能与普通人相似，只不过更高超而已。有的考生可能认为更高

超就是不同，因而选FALSE；其实这是一种逻辑谬误。从句型结构上可以看出，but so much

superior to是以插入语的形式出现的，并不是该句论述的重点，重点还是在similar to上，

等同于题目中的the same as，所以答案应该选择TRUE。

答案 TRUE

23. The ease with which truly great ideas are accepted and taken for granted

fails to lessen their significance.

参考译文 真正伟大的思想可以被轻松接受，甚至得不到重视，但是这无损它们的重要

性。

定位词 great ideas

53

解题关键词 fail to，lessen their significance

文中对应点 第五段后两句：

But that their minds are not different from our own is demonstrated by the

fact that the hard-won discoveries of scientists like Kepler or Einstein become the

commonplace knowledge of schoolchildren and the once outrageous shapes and

colours of an artist like Paul Klee so soon appear on the fabrics we wear. This does

not minimise the supremacy of their achievements. . .

然而事实可以证明他们的智力和我们的并非迥然不同，比如，像Kepler和Einstein

这样的科学家历尽艰辛所取得的科学发现现已成为学童的常识性知识；像Paul Klee这样

的画家所创造的曾经非比寻常的形状和颜色很快就出现在了我们穿着的面料上。当然，这

并没有降低天才成就的价值。

作者先是举出数个例子来说明天才伟大的思想或者作品已经成为日常生活中司空见惯

的东西，这就对应了题目的前半句the ease…，接着又提出This does not minimise the

supremacy of their achievements，正好对应题干后半句。因此此题选TRUE。当然，如

果比较纠结于翻译的话，最好的方法就是先放下，最后全TRUE之。

答案 TRUE

24. Giftedness and genius deserve proper scientific research into their true

nature so that all talent may be retained for the human race.

54

参考译文 人们应当恰当地研究天赋和天才的真正本质以便为人类保留所有的才能。

定位词 giftedness，genius，scientific research

解题关键词 deserve，retained

文中对应点 这道题目定位点在第六段开头的geniuses and the gifted，但是比较隐

蔽，难以正确定位。建议如果找不到此题位置，最好的方法就是直接做下一题目，然后用

顺序出题原则反推回这道题目。在锁定范围内如果找不到该题所述内容，则此题答案为

NOT GIVEN。

答案 NOT GIVEN

25. Geniuses often pay a high price to achieve greatness.

参考译文 为了获得卓越成就，天才往往付出了高昂代价。

定位词 pay a high price

解题关键词 pay a high price

文中对应点 第六段：

…but we should also recognise the price they may have paid in terms of

perseverance…这句话以及接下来的内容明确说明了天才在成为天才的道路上所付出的高

昂代价，是本题中最容易判断的一道题目。

55

答案 TRUE

26. To be a genius is worth the high personal cost.

参考译文 成为天才值得付出高昂的个人代价。

定位词 high personal cost

解题关键词 worth

文中对应点 第六段末句：

…but we should also recognise the price they may have paid in terms of

perseverance，single-mindedness，dedication，restrictions on their personal fives，

the demands upon their energies and time，and how often they had to display

great courage to preserve their integrity or to make their way to the top.

…但是也应该看到他们为此所付出的代价，看到他们的锲而不舍，专心致志，献身精

神，自我约束，他们对自己时间和精力的严格要求，以及多少次他们不得不表现出极大的

勇气来保持自身的正直或艰难地走成功。这些都是天才为了成为天才而付出的个人代价，

但是观其周遭，没有任何一个评述讲到这种个人付出值还是不值。典型的文中无此信息型

题目。

答案 NOT GICEN

参考译文

56

天才的本质

一直以来，天才和神童都倍受人们关注。genius一词源于拉丁语“gens”(=家族)；

拉丁语词条“genius”意为“父”，来自于罗马早期，当时人们对一种神明狂热崇拜，并

尊其为家族的首领。在genius的最初形态中，它与家族首领——也就是一家之长——永

生的能力有关。后来，genius逐渐被用来表示人的特点；再后来，genius便用以指代一

个人从他的“父亲”或精神领袖身上所传承的最佳特质。今天，人们仍然醉心于对星相和

基因的研究，希望能够通过占星术或遗传学找到出色能力和个人特征的来源。

天才和天赋的概念已经成了民间文化的一部分，但人们对其所持的态度却是矛盾的。

我们羡慕天才却不信任他们。在天才的神话里，人们普遍认为：如果人们在某方面很有天

赋，那么他们一定会在其他方面有所不足；知识分子往往不切实际；神童过于才华横溢而

早早地“泯然众人矣”；天才往往秉性古怪；天才的体质都很孱弱；天才和疯子只有一线之

隔；天赋是家族遗传的；天才很聪明，所以不需要任何特别的帮助；天才和高智商是一回

事；有些种族比其他人更聪明、更有音乐天赋或更有数学头脑；天才总被埋没，得不到应

有的回报；逆境出英才；天才有责任运用他们的天赋。英语中有很多这样的表达，如：

highbrow (自以为文化修养很高的人)，egghead(书呆子)，blue-stocking(女学者)，

wiseacre(自以为聪明的人)，know-all(自以为无所不知的人)，boffin(科学家)；另外，对

于很多人来说intellectual是一个贬义词。

19世纪，人们对于天才的本质表现出相当大的兴趣，而且做了不少针对著名神童的研

究。或许现在对于我们来说，大部分对天才的研究中包含以下两个最重要的方面：其一，

早期教育中父母和教师对孩子进行的频繁的鼓励和教导对孩子在智力、艺术或音乐方面的

发展是有益的，但这也给孩子以后对生活的适应方面带来了巨大的困难；其二，老师和学

校常常认识不到孩子所具备的才能。尽管在研究中搜集的轶闻趣事、显著相似点以及例外

57

状况都颇为吸引人，但是，想要利用这些研究得出的证据也有一定困难，因为它们不符合

我们今天所谓的常模参照。换句话说，比如当我们在搜集有关早期疾病、养育方式、学校

教育等信息时，我们也要考虑到在其他的历史资料中所记载的、关于这种情况在当时有多

么普遍或不寻常的信息。例如，当时的婴儿死亡率很高，人的寿命也比今天短得多，家教

对于贵族和富裕家庭司空见惯，恃强凌弱和体罚在最好的私立学校里也屡见不鲜，而且大

多数的研究对象来自特权阶级。直到20世纪，随着儿科学和心理学的发展，相关研究才

得以在更加客观的基础上进行——尽管依然并不总是很科学。

无论如何进行定义，天才只不过是从历史的迷雾之中凸显出来的一座座山峰，只有特

定的观察者通过他们特殊的角度才能看到。而改变观察者和视角，拨开些许迷雾，许多不

同的山峰出现在眼前。我们用“天才”这个词来指代那些因其出色成就而被我们所认可的

人，那些人几乎处在了人类能力连续体的顶端，往下依次是平凡者、平庸者和无能者。

Samuel Johnson博士的观察还是颇有道理的：“真正的天才在各方面都拥有着巨大的潜

能，很偶然地被决定了向一个特定的方向发展。”但我们可能会对“各方面”这一点有所保

留，因为我们怀疑是否所有天才音乐家都可以成为天才科学家，反之亦然。但是有一点毋

庸置疑：正是偶然的决定培养或触发了他们的才能，使之有了用武之地，让他们可以成功

地把自己的能量注入其中。在芸芸众生之中，有能之士成千上万，有男有女，有成人也有

孩童。

天才的作品或神童的成就令人欣赏、喜爱和惊叹之处在于其体现了他们的技能和本领，

这些技能和本领虽然与我们的相似，但远远高于我们的水平。然而事实可以证明他们的智

力和我们的并非迥然不同，比如，像Kepler和Einstein这样的科学家历尽艰辛所取得的

科学发现现已成为学童的常识性知识；像Paul Klee 这样的画家所创造的曾经非比寻常的

形状和颜色很快就出现在了我们穿着的面料上。当然，这并没有降低天才成就的价值。他

们的成就与普通人的相比就好像在四分钟内跑完一英里的运动员之于普通慢跑者一样，前

58

者远远超越了后者。

只有在承认了每个人的大脑都是独特的这一前提下，认为天才和有天赋者的大脑独一

无二、异于常人这一想法才能算是合理的。教育的目的就在于使我们更加与众不同，而在

受教育的过程中，我们可以从比我们更有天赋的人的成就中学有所得。但是，在效仿天才

或鼓励我们的孩子这样做之前，我们应该注意到，从他们身上学到的某些东西结果可能并

不令人愉快。我们可能会羡慕他们的成就和名誉，但是也应该看到他们为此所付出的代价，

看到他们的锲而不舍，专心致志，献身精神，自我约束，他们对自己时间和精力的严格要

求，以及多少次他们不得不表现出极大的勇气来保持自身的正直或艰难地走成功。

天才和天赋只是具有相对意义的描述性术语，并没有实质内容。我们顶多可以通过对

其进行定义并将其置于某一语境中来赋予它们一些准确的意思。但是，无论怎样做，我们

都不能蒙蔽自己，认为神童或天才与其他人不一样，只是他们对自己能力表现开发的程度

与我们不同而已。

59