What makes humans smarter than other animals? We’ve got a bigger brain, of course. But when it comes to brains, is bigger always better?

Traditionally, scientists have thought that humans’ superior intelligence derived(源于)mostly from the fact that our brains are three times bigger than those of our nearest living relatives, chimpanzees. People even used to believe that because men have slightly larger brains than women that men are smarter.

This, however, is not the truth. Scientists at University College London in the UK have found that brain organization, and not brain size, is the key to the superiority of human intelligence, reported Live Science.

Through millions of years of evolution, our ancestors were constantly pushed to get smarter so that they could meet the demands of new environments. However, holding this growing intelligence in increasingly large brains was not the best choice because bigger brains require more energy to power. “This is when reorganization may come into play, ”said Christophe Soligo, a member of the London research team.

In the study, scientists looked at the brains of 17 species of primates(灵长目动物), including monkeys, apes and humans. They found that in the process of evolution, brains didn’t keep growing as a whole. Certain regions of the brain grew prior to others in response to species’ needs, and in this way they could make the best use of their limited brain space.

For example, when early humans were struggling to survive, the brain region in charge of using tools and finding food grew in size more than other regions. But in modern times, the prefrontal cortex(前额皮质)—the region in charge of social cognition(认知), moral judgments and goal-directed planning—grew more than the rest of the brain.

Think of the brain as a room. If a big room is poorly organized, it doesn’t necessarily store more stuff than a smaller one.

Paul Manger, professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, explains this principle using the example of whales. He told Scientific American: “Whales have big brains, absolutely. But if you look at the actual structure of the brain, it’s not very complex. Brain size only matters if the rest of the brain is organized properly. ”

小题1:It has recently been found that humans are smarter than the other animals mainly because　　　.

A．they are a species of primates

B．they have much larger brains

C．their brain structure is more complex

D．they were constantly pushed to get smarter小题2:According to the article, in recent human evolution, 　　　.

A．the brain kept growing in size to adapt to new environments

B．most regions of the brain didn’t change

C．the prefrontal cortex grew more than the rest of the brain

D．humans’ brains became increasingly simple so that humans could survive小题3:What can we conclude from the article?

A．Gender makes a difference in intelligence.

B．The size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence.

C．Species whose brain is organized properly tend to be smarter.

D．Larger brains are usually organized better than smaller ones.小题4:The method the writer uses to develop the last paragraph is　　　.

A．by presenting research data

B．by giving examples

C．by making a comparison

D．by analyzing cause and effect

阅读理解。

     Only a small number of office workers have been trained in basic life-saving techniques.

     Just 33,526 of London's estimated 3.5 million workers signed up with St John's Ambulance and the British

Red Cross to learn simple first aid last year. The figures coming from a new report show that nine out of 10

people would not know what to do if a colleague was badly hurt, while 72 percent have never attended a

first-aid course.

     Doctors describe the situation as appalling and have called for urgent training in schools and the workplace.

     Training in first aid should start at an early age and should be taught to everybody at school. First aid is very

important because at best it can save lives and at worst it reduces pressure on hospital rooms. Employers get

anxious when a worker has had some sort of accident in the office or factory and rush them to the

hospital-even if all they require is a bandage.

     Last year 20,000 Londoners were trained in first aid by St John's Ambulance, the leading provider in

life-saving courses, and 13,526 were trained by the Red Cross. According to St John's Ambulance, four out of

five parents do not know how to carry out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (苏醒).

     Nick Suggitt, training manager with St John Ambulance, said,"We are training just a tiny part of the number

necessary, and only touching the tip of the iceberg."

     "Not enough people know how to save a life, and since many emergencies occur at home or at work, these

skills are often needed to save the life of a friend or a family member."

1.The underlined word "appalling" in the passage probably means ______.

A. surprising

B. terrible

C. rising

D. challenging

2. From the passage, we know that the problem lies in the fact that ______.

A. many people won't provide first aid properly

B. many people are unwilling to take the training

C. most people know nothing or very little about first aid

D. 90 percent of people never attend first-aid courses

3. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. about 33,526 workers don't know anything about first aid

B. many people are rushed to the hospital with only slight injuries

C. mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is quite important for parents at home

D. a number of people are trained

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. First-aid Is Very Important

B. First-aid Training Is Urgently Needed

C. Training in First Aid Is Valuable

D. Not Enough People Know How to Save a Life