Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough，the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent（程度）our intelligence is given to us at birth，and special education can never make a genius(天才) out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to say that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters，parents and children，usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine that now we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
小题1:By using the example that two people closer in blood relationship are closer in intelligence that writer wants to prove _ .
A．intelligence can be developed by environment
B．intelligence is given at birth
C．intelligence can be developed by experience
D．education plays an important part in the development of education小题2:A child who lives in rich and varied surroundings turns out higher in intelligence because ________.
A．his family is rich and therefore can afford to develop his intelligence
B．he can break the limits of intelligence fixed at birth
C．his family is rich and provides him with various healthy food
D．these surroundings are likely to help him reach the limits of their intelligence小题3:In the second paragraph “if we take two unrelated people at random from the population．．．” means “if we ____．”
A．choose two persons who are relative
B．take out two different persons
C．choose two persons with different intelligence
D．pick any two persons小题4:The best title for this passage might be __________.
A．Birth and Environment
B．Intelligence
C．The Answer to a Question
D．Intelligence and Education
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:B
小题1:B 推理题。根据文章第一段可知人的智力受出身的影响，也首环境的影响。举这个例子是想告诉我们人的智力是首出身影响的。
小题2:D 推理题。根据文章第一段人的智力受出身的影响，也首环境的影响。一个生活在富有的多样化的环境中的人智力更高，这个例子想说明环境对人的智力的影响。故D正确。
小题3:C 推理题。本题是指找两个没有任何关系的人。因为没有任何关系，意味着他们的智力可能完全不一样，故C正确。
小题4:B 主旨大意题。主旨主要讲述的就是影响智力的因素，故Ｂ正确。