C: Animal experiments throw some light on this question, and on the whole area of whether it is genetics, the environment or a combination of the two that allows for intelligence and creative ability. Different strains of rats show great differences in intelligence or ‘rat reasoning’. If these are brought up in normal conditions and then run through a maze to reach a food goal, the ‘bright-strain make far fewer wrong turns that the ‘dull-ones’. But if the environment is made dull and boring the number of errors becomes equal. Return the rats to an exciting maze and the discrepancy returns as before — but is much smaller. In other words, a dull rat in a stimulating environment will almost do as well as bright rat who is bored in a normal one. This principle applies to humans too — someone may be born with innate intelligence, but their environment probably has the final say over whether they become creative or even a genius.

　　D: Evidence now exists that most young children, if given enough opportunities and encouragement, are able to achieve significant and sustainable levels of academic or sporting prowess. Bright or creative children are often physically very active at the same time, and so many receive more parental attention as a result — almost by default — in order to ensure their safety. They may also talk earlier, and this, in turn, breeds parental interest. This can sometimes cause problems with other siblings who may feel jealous even though they themselves may be bright. Their creative talents may be undervalued and so never come to fruition. Two themes seem to run through famously creative families as a result. The first is that the parents were able to identify the talents of each child, and nurture and encourage these accordingly but in an even handed manner. Individual differences were encouraged, and friendly sibling rivalry was not seen as particular problem. If the father is, say, a famous actor, there is no undue pressure for his children to follow him onto the boards, but instead their chosen interests are encouraged. There need not even by any obvious talent in such a family since there always needs to be someone who sets the family career in motion, as in the case of the Sheen acting dynasty.

　　E: Martin Sheen was the seventh of ten children born to a Spanish immigrant father and an Irish mother. Despite intense parental disapproval he turned his back on entrance exams to university and borrowed cash from a local priest to start a fledgling acting career. His acting successes in films such as Badlands and Apocalypse Now made him one of the most highly-regarded actors of the 1970s. Three sons — Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Charlie Sheen — have followed him into the profession as a consequence of being inspired by his motivation and enthusiasm.

　　F: A stream seems to run through creative families. Such children are not necessarily smothered with love by their parents. They feel loved and wanted, and are secure in their home, but are often more surrounded by an atmosphere of work and where following a calling appears to be important. They may see from their parents that it takes time and dedication to be master of a craft, and so are in less of a hurry to achieve for themselves once they start to work.

　　G: The generation of creativity is complex: it is a mixture of genetics, the environment, parental teaching and luck that determines how successful or talented family members are. This last point — luck — is often not mentioned where talent is concerned but plays an undoubted part. Mozart, considered by many to be the finest composer of all time, was lucky to be living in an age that encouraged the writing of music. He was brought up surrounded by it, his father was a musician who encouraged him to the point of giving up his job to promote his child genius. Mozart himself simply wanted to create the finest music ever written but did not necessarily view himself as a genius — he could write sublime music at will, and so often preferred to lead a hedonistic lifestyle that he found more exciting than writing music to order.

　　H: Albert Einstein and Bill Gates are two more examples of people whose talents have blossomed by virtue of the times they were living in. Einstein was a solitary, somewhat slow child who had affection at home but whose phenomenal intelligence emerged without any obvious parental input. This may have been partly due to the fact that at the start of the 20th century a lot of the Newtonian laws of physics were being questioned, leaving a fertile ground for ideas such as his to be developed. Bill Gates may have had the creative vision to develop Microsoft, but without the new computer age dawning at the same time he may never have achieved the position on the world stage he now occupies.

　　1. We can label someone who are capable of significant success as talented.

　　2. Most people studying intelligence and creativity in the new millennium now prefer a broader definition.

　　3. Animal experiments are contributed to whether it is genetics, the environment or a combination of the two that allows for intelligence and creative ability.

　　4. Bright or creative children are often physically very active at the same time.

　　5. Children in creative families feel loved and wanted, and are secure in their home.

　　6. The generation of creativity is not simple.

　　7. Bill Gates is an example of people whose talents have blossomed by virtue of the times they were living in.

　　8. Evidence shows that bright or creative children are often physically very active and thus receive more parentalattention to ensure their safety.

　　9. Luck is often not mentioned but an undoubted part of a person how creative or talented.

　　10. Albert Einstein’s and Bill Gates’ significant success may be due to thetimes they were living in.

　　1. A

　　2. B

　　3. C

　　4. D

　　5. F

　　6. G

　　7. H

　　8. D

　　9. G

　　10.H

　　Education Study Finds U. S. FallingBehind

　　A Teachers in the United States earn less relative tonational income than their counterparts in many industrialized countries, yet they spend far more hours in front of the classroom, according to a major newinternational study.

　　B The salary differentials are part of apattern of relatively low public investment in education in the United States compared with other member nationsof the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group in Paris that compiled thereport. Total government spending on educational institutions in the United Statesslipped to 4.8 percent of gross domestic product in 1998, falling under theinternational average — 5 percent — for the first time.

　　C “The whole economy has grown faster thanthe education system,” Andreas Schleicher, one of the reports’ authors,explained. “The economy has done very well, but teachers have not fullybenefit.” The report, due out today, is the sixth on education published since1991 by the organization of 30 nations, founded in 1960, and now covering muchof Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

　　D In addition to the teacher pay gap, thereport shows the other countries have begun to catch up with the United Statesin higher education: college enrollment has grown by 20 percent since 1995across the group, with one in four young people now earning degrees. For thefirst time, the United States’ college graduation rate, now at 33percent, is not the world’s highest. Finland,the Netherlands, New Zealand and Britain have surpassed it.

　　E The United States is also producingfewer mathematics and science graduates than most of the other member states.And, the report says, a college degree produces a greater boost in income herewhile the lack of a high school diploma imposes a bigger income penalty. “The number of graduates is increasing, but that stimulates even more of a demand —there is no end in sight,” Mr. Schleicher said. “The demand for skill, clearly,is growing faster than the supply that is coming from schools and colleges.”

　　F The report lists the salary for a highschool teacher in the United Stateswith 15 years experience as $36,219, above the international average of $31,887but behind seven other countries and less than 60 percent of Switzerland’s$62,052. Because teachers in the Unites States have a heavier classroom load —teaching almost a third more hours than their counterparts abroad — theirsalary per hour of actual teaching is $35, less than the international averageof $41 (Denmark, Spain and Germany pay more than $50 per teaching hour, SouthKorea $77). In 1994, such a veteran teacher in the United States earned 1.2 times theaverage per capita income whereas in 1999 the salary was just under thenational average. Only the Czech Republic, Hungary,Iceland and Norway pay their teachers less relative tonational income; in South Korea, teachers theactual teaching salary earn 2.5 times the nationalaverage. Teacher pay accounts for 56 percent of what the United Statesspends on education, well below the 67 percent average among the group ofcountries.

　　G The new data come as the United Statesfaces a shortage of two million teachers over the next decade, with questions oftraining, professionalism and salaries being debated by politicians local andnational. Joost Yff, an international expert at the American Association ofColleges of Teacher Education, said training for teachers is comparable amongmost of the nations in the study, and that they are all dealing with similarissues of raising standards and increasing professionalism.

　　H Though the United States lags behind in scores on standardized tests in science and mathematics, students here get more instruction in those subjects, the report shows. The average 14-year-oldAmerican spent 295 hours in math and science classes in 1999, far more than the229 international average; only Austria(370 hours), Mexico (367)and New Zealand(320) have more instruction in those subjects. Middle-schoolers here spend less time thantheir international counterparts studying foreign languages and technology, butfar more hours working on physical education and vocational skills. High schoolstudents in the United Statesare far more likely to have part-time jobs: 64 percent of Americans ages 15 to19 worked while in school, compared with an international average of 31 percent(only Canada and the Netherlands, with 69 percent, and Denmark,with 75 percent, were higher).

　　I One place the United States spends more money is on special services for the disabled and the poor. More than one infour children here are in programs based on income — only five other countriesserve even 1 in 10— and nearly 6 percent get additional resources based on physical or mental handicaps, twice or three times the rate in other countries.

　　J The report shows a continuing shift inwhich the United Statesis losing its status as the most highly educated among the nations. The UnitedStates has the highest level of high school graduates ages 55 to 64, but fallsto fifth, behind Norway, Japan, South Korea, the Czech Republic andSwitzerland, among ages 25 to 34. Among college graduates, it leads in theolder generation but is third behind Canada and Japan in the younger cohort (一群). While the portion of Americans with high schooldiplomas remains at 88 percent across age groups, the average age among membercountries is rising. It has gone from 58 percent of those ages 45 to 54, to 66percent of those ages 35 to 44 and 72 percent of those ages 25 to 34. A higherpercentage of young people in Norway,Japan, South Korea, the CzechRepublic and Switzerland have degrees than in the United States.

　　K “The U.S. has led the development incollege education and making education sort of accessible for everyone,” Mr.Schleicher said. “It’s now becoming the norm.”

　　1. Compared with their counterparts in many industrialized countries, the U.S. teachers work longer.

　　2. The U.S. government spent 4.8% of its GDP on education in 1998.

　　3. From the passage we learn about Finland surpassesthe U.S.in college graduation rate.

　　4. When the number of graduates in the U.S.increases, the demand for them is rising.

　　5. The new study shows that the actual teaching salary per hour in the U.S. is $35.

　　6. In the report, the U.S.students’ study of science and mathematics get most instruction in those subjects in the OECD.

　　7. Compared with those in other OECD countries, high school students in the U.S. spend more time in in physical education and vocational skills.

　　8. It is for the special services for thedisabled and the poor that the United States pays more money than other OECD countries.

　　9. Those who have high school diplomas in the U. S. account for 88percent ofthe Americans of all ages.

　　10. According toMr. Schleicher, the U.S.is becoming the norm in making education accessible for everyone and collegeeducation.

　　1.A

　　2.B

　　3.D

　　4.E

　　5.F

　　6.H

　　7.H

　　8.I

　　9.J

　　10.K