What Is Intelligence Anyway? Unit 9 Intelligence: power of learning, understanding and reasoning; mental ability --Even students with average intelligence.

What Is Intelligence Anyway?

Unit 9

Intelligence: power of learning, understanding and reasoning; mental ability--Even students with average intelligence can be top students if they study hard.

bright

sensible

talented

brilliantwise

gifted

smart

clever

What words will occur to you when you want to describe this great scientist?

The Professor and the Yo-Yo

Unit 9

What Is Intelligence, Anyway?

Isaac Asimov

Directions: Listen to the following passage and fill in the blanks.

Isaac Asimov

Name: Isaac Asimov

OccupationDate of BirthPlace of Birth former Soviet Union

Date of Death 1992

Cause of Death

Best Known as: Prolific 多创作的 writer of and science fiction

Writer / Chemist_____________

2 January 1920_____________

6 April______

HIV infection /AIDS________________

popular science_____________

■

Isaac Asimov was born on 2 January 1920 in the former Soviet Union, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He taught biochemistry at Boston University until he retired in 1958 to become a full-time writer. Asimov had been publishing short stories since the late 1930s, and in 1952 published his first novel. The author of the classic Ⅰ, Robot series and The Foundation Trilogy, Asimov wrote more than 400 books and won every major science fiction award. He also wrote popular books and essays on science and technology, earning him the nickname "The Great Explainer." Isaac Asimov died of “heart and kidney failure, which were complications of the HIV infection” on 6 April 1992. HIV was not revealed as the cause of his death until 2002, when his widow Janet published the memoirs It's Been a Good Life.

How does the author start his essay? Question + Story → his point of view

How does the author develop his essay? Examples of his auto-repair man

How does the author end his essay? one-sentence paragraph → his conclusion

Good at Solving mechanical problems trap the author with his trick

Text analysis-----Text structure IntroductionPara.1-2

Development

Para.3-6

Conclusion

para.7

I score high in aptitude tests but it only means I am good at answering academic questions

The examples of the auto repairman show that intelligence is decided by the society one lives in.

Intelligence is not absolute and it is only one aspect of a person’s total qualities

Questions and Answers1. What did the author think of the high score he had achieved in the aptitude test?2. Does the author believe that he is highly intelligent?3. According to the author, what do the high scores really mean?

For Paras 1-2

My auto repairman once got a score of less than 80 on an intelligence test. I estimated that my auto repairman could not have a score of more than 80 if he took an intelligence test.

F ( )

1.

Although I considered myself far more intelligent than my auto repairman, I had to ask him to fix my car when anything went wrong with it.

2.

I would not score high in an intelligent test designed by a worker.

3.

T

( )

T

( )

For Paras. 3-7

I was good at both physical work and brainwork. 4.

I would do poor when working with my hands.

( )

The numerical evaluation of intelligence is determined by the talented people.

5.

The numerical evaluation of intelligence is determined by a small subsection of that society as an arbiter of such matters.

( )

F

F

For Paras. 3-7

The jokeThe joke

The prelude ( 前奏 ) of the joke

The question asked by the repairman

My answer

My feeling

The repairman’s response

How could a blind man buy scissors?

A deaf-and-dumb guy bought nails by making motions successfully.

made scissoring motions with his first two fingers

laughed and said that I was a moron

Uneasy

He cannot repair his car

He was caught by a joke

His high I.Q

What is intelligence, anyway?

Discussion

Do you agree that sometimes highly educated people are not so smart as those who receive less education? Why or why not?

Talking About the Pictures and writing the summary of the text

考试得高分 参加测试 大惊小怪 学究式的问题 值得回答 出试题 据我估计想当然

score high on a test

receive a test

make a fuss over / of

an academic question

be worthy of answers

make up a test

by my estimate

take sth. for granted

Assignments:

检查主要部件 explore the vitals of sth.

神谕 divine oracles

Useful Expressions

1.2.3.

4.

5.6.

7.

8.9.

10.

12. 强加于我们身上13. 高度赞扬14. 从车下面抬起头15. 做捶打动作16. 挑出17. 开怀大笑18. 在所有顾客身上试验

foist on uspraise highly

raise one’s head from under a carmake a hammering motionpick outlaugh heartilytry on all customers

19. 确定20. 有一定原因或道理

for surehave something there

11. 口语能力 verbal talents

Unit 9

What Is Intelligence, Anyway?

Isaac Asimov

He cannot repair his car

He was caught by a joke

His high I.Q

What is intelligence, anyway?

I have been scoring high in intelligence tests all my life but it only means that I am good at answering certain types of academic questions.

Part I Paras.1-2

aptitude: natural ability or skill (L2) Examples: --She has an attitude for dealing with people. --He showed an aptitude for music at an early

age.

fuss 1.unnecessary,useless,or unwelcome

expression of excitement, impatience, etc. Don't make (such) a fuss.! 2.an anxious, nervous condition 3.an expression of annoyance, esp.

for a good reason

make a great fuss about nothing 小题大做 make a great fuss about trifles fuss and feathers 大吹大擂 ; 夸耀 , 不必要的忧虑和紧张

get into a fuss 焦急 ; 忙乱 kick up a fuss [ 美俚 ] 起哄 , 骚乱 ; 大吵大闹 make a fuss of sb. 对某人过分关心 , 大肆吹捧某人 make a fuss over sb. 对某人过分关心 , 大肆吹捧某人

make a fuss over (about/of): (L4) show unnecessary nervous excitement (es

p. about unimportant things) Examples: --This is only a small cut. Don’t make a fuss. --He asked himself why he had made such a

big fuss about so simple a matter.

. Register (L6) (v.) write in a list or record Examples: --I have registered for four courses for next semes

ter. -- 学生们必须在四月底完成新课程的注册。 Students have to finish registering for the new

course by the end of April. (n.) record or list Example: --The old man finally found the register of birth

s and deaths.

academic: (9) (1) scholarly, theoretical, not practical Examples: --His theory received little attention because he was unk

nown in the academic world. --This question is purely academic. (2) of a college or university Examples: -- 这一学年，他没有得到任何奖励。 He didn’t receive any prize in this academic year.

academic: 2) of a college or university 学院的

We have made good preparations and welcome the assessment of our university in academic year 2007 – 2008

bent: n. special natural skill or interest (L11) She has a scientific bent.

他生性爱好音乐。 He has a natural bent for music.

Actually, though, don’t such scores simply mean [ that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions] ( that are considered worthy of answers by the people ( who make up the intelligence tests — people with intellectual bents similar to mine ) ) ?(L8) 1. the subject : such scores 2. the predicate : mean 3.the object : the clause “that I am very good at

answering the type of academic questions”. 4.an attributive clause modifying “academic

questions” 5. another attributive clause modifying the word

“people”.

Difficult Sentences

Actually, though, don’t such scores simply mean [ that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions] ( that are considered worthy of answers by the people ( who make up the intelligence tests — people with intellectual bents similar to mine ) ) ? (L8)

Translate this sentence: 然而，实际上，难道这类分数不是仅仅意味着我很善于

回答那些编制智力测验的人们 —— 智力爱好跟我类似的人们 —— 认为值得回答的那类学究式的问题吗？

What function does this sentence perform in organizing the essay?

Transitional sentence

What effect does it achieve?

Coherence

intelligent & intellectual

An intelligent person: someone who has the ability to think, understand, and learn things quickly and well.

An intellectual person: someone who is interested in ideas or theories, rather than in practical matters.

For example:

Some scientists claim that dolphins are more intelligent than humans.

Einstein knew there were answers beyond his intellectual reach.

See page 225 about intelligent and intellectual

Part IIParas. 3-6

The examples of the auto repairman show that intelligence is decided by the society one lives in.

What does the writer think of the intelligence test?What does the writer think of the intelligence test?

It can only show one aspect of a person's intelligence.It can only show one aspect of a person's intelligence.

hasten: move or act with speed (15)

Examples: --Upon learning the news of her son’s injury,

she hastened to the hospital. -- 毫无疑问，落后的医疗加速了他的死亡。 There is no doubt that poor medical treatment

has hastened his death.

foist on: impose (someone or something unwanted) upon by coercion or trickery (L26)

Examples: --Stores should not foist defective goods on custom

ers. -- 他是教徒 , 但他不想把自己的信仰强加人。 --He's religious but he doesn't try to foist his beliefs o

n everyone. --I’m sorry all this has been foisted on you.

whereupon: upon that; immediately following that (L37)

Examples: --I described my disastrous morning, whereupon,

he laughed and laughed. --The unsuspecting teacher pulled out the drawer;

whereupon, a dozen frogs leaped out.

Note: The word “whereupon” is used in our text as an adverb, not as a conjunction.

goddamned: strongly cursed or damned(L45)

This expression is used as a strong expletive ( 咒

骂语 ), often shortened to “goddamn”, considered inappropriate in polite society or on formal occasions. And students of English are not advised to use it.

--The professor is so goddamned educated that he is not very smart.

Difficult Sentences

Its numerical evaluation is determined by a small subsection of that society which has managed to foist itself on the rest of us as an arbiter of such matters. (L24)

What can we infer from the sentence? The author believed that only a small group of peop

le in society determined what intelligence was and forced all the others to accept their ideas.

Translate the sentence: 它的数值是由那个社会中的一小部分人决定的，他

们作为这类事情的仲裁人已设法把他们的意志强加在我们身上。

Part IIIPara 7

Intelligence is not absolute and it is only one aspect of a person’s total qualities

uneasy: awkward; not easy in mind or body (L46)

Examples: --He gave an uneasy smile when he

met his mother-in-law for the first time. --The professor was so uneasy in suit

and tie that he found an excuse to leave the dinner party early.

Difficult Sentences And I have an uneasy feeling he had someth

ing there (L46)

Translate this sentence into Chinese: 我有一种不安的感觉：他的话不无道理。What can we infer from the sentence?To some extent, the author agrees with the auto r

epairman that too much education made him not very smart.

What is your understanding of intelligence?

考试得高分 参加测试 大惊小怪 学究式的问题 值得回答 出试题 据我估计想当然

score high on a test

receive a test

make a fuss over / of

an academic question

be worthy of answers

make up a test

by my estimate

take sth. for granted

Useful Expressions

检查主要部件 explore the vitals of sth.

神谕 divine oracles

1.2.3.

4.

5.6.

7.

8.9.

10.

12. 强加于我们身上13. 高度赞扬14. 从车下面抬起头15. 做捶打动作16. 挑出17. 开怀大笑18. 在所有顾客身上试验

foist on uspraise highly

raise one’s head from under a carmake a hammering motionpick outlaugh heartilytry on all customers

19. 确定20. 有一定原因或道理

for surehave something there

11. 口语能力 verbal talents

Make a role play to perform the joke.

Activity:

SentenceSentence WordWord

What is intelligence, anyway? When I was in the army I received a kind of aptitude test that all soldiers took and, against a normal of 100, scored 160. No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that and for two hours they made a big fuss over me. (It didn’t mean anything. The next day I was still a buck private with KP as my highest duty.)

What Is Intelligence, Anyway?Isaac Asimov

All my life I’ve been registering scores like that, so that I have the complacent feeling that I’m highly intelligent, and I expect other people to think so, too. Actually, though, don’t such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by the people who make up the intelligence tests — people with intellectual bents similar to mine?

For instance, I had an auto repairman once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not possibly have scored more than 80, by my estimate. I always took it for granted that I was far more intelligent than he was. Yet, when anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it, watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals, and listened to his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles — and he always fixed my car.

Before Reading Global Reading After ReadingDetailed Reading

Well, then, suppose my auto repairman devised questions for an intelligence test. Or suppose a carpenter did, or a farmer, or, indeed, almost anyone but an academician. By every one of those tests, I’d prove myself a moron. And I’d be a moron, too. In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working with my hands, I would do poorly. My intelligence, then, is not absolute. Its worth is determined by the society I live in. Its numerical evaluation is determined by a small subsection of that society which has managed to foist itself on the rest of us as an arbiter of such matters.

SentenceSentence WordWord

Before Reading Global Reading After Reading

SentenceSentence WordWord

Consider my auto repairman, again. He had a habit of telling me jokes whenever he saw me. One time he raised his head from under the automobile hood to say: “Doc, a deaf-and-dumb guy went into a hardware store to ask for some nails. He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering motions

Detailed Reading

with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He shook his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk brought him nails. He picked out the sizes he wanted, and left. Well, doc, the next guy who came in was a blind man. He wanted scissors. How do you suppose he asked for them?”

Before Reading Global Reading After Reading

SentenceSentence WordWord

Detailed Reading

I lifted my right hand and made scissoring motions with my first two fingers. Whereupon my auto repairman laughed heartily and said, “Why, you dumb fool, he used his voice and asked for them.” Then he said, smugly, “I’ve been trying that on all my customers today.” “Did you catch many?” I asked. “Quite a few,” he said, “but I knew for sure I’d catch you.” “Why is that?” I asked. “Because you’re so goddamned educated, doc, I knew you couldn’t be very smart.”

And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.

Assignment

Try to master the language points we have learned.

Read the text again and try to recite paragraph 7.

Do exercises III and IV on page221-223.

Unit 9

What Is Intelligence, Anyway?

Isaac Asimov

Talking About the Pictures

score high on a test receive a test

make a fuss over / of an academic question

be worthy of answersmake up a test

by my estimate take sth. for granted

explore the vitals of sth. divine oracles

make a hammering motion pick out

a deaf –and- dumb guy

laugh heartily try on all customers

for sure have something there

Definition of Intelligence

Intelligence is a term usually referring to a general mental to reason, solve problems, think abstractly,

learn new material, and from past experience. Intelligence can be by many different kinds of tasks. , this ability is expressed in many aspects of a person’s life. Intelligence a variety of mental processes, including memory, learning, , decision-making and reasoning. Yet no accepted definition of intelligence exists, and people continue to what, exactly, it is. questions remain: Is intelligence one general ability or several independent systems of abilities? Is intelligence a

of the brain, a characteristic of behavior, or a set of knowledge and skills?

capacity________profit_____

Likewise_______measured_________

draws on________perception_________

universally_________debate______ Fundamental___________

property________

■

How does the author start his essay? Question + Story → his point of view

How does the author develop his essay? Examples of his auto-repair man

How does the author end his essay? one-sentence paragraph → his conclusion

Good at Solving mechanical problems trap the author with his trick

his high I,Q ( score 160)

mean nothing, still a buck private

What is intelligence, anyway?

Less intelligent auto repairman

fix the car well each time

What is intelligence, anyway?

Less intelligent auto repairman

He was sure to catch me by a joke

What is intelligence, anyway?

introduction

development

development

I have an uneasy feeling he had

something there

conclusion

He cannot repair his car

He was caught by a joke

His high I.Q

What is intelligence, anyway?

1. What kind of person is an intelligent person?

3. If one person excels in mathematics , another excels in English , who is more intelligent?

2. If a person is good at sports or music, can we say he is an intelligent person?

Today, many believe that there is more than one type of intelligence. American psychologist Howard Gardner the existence of intelligences, each linked to a separate system within the brain. He that there are seven types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, , musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, an . American psychologist Robert Sternberg suggested a different of intelligence, consisting of three : analytic (“school smarts,” as measured in academic tests), creative (a capacity for ), and practical (“street smarts,” or the ability to adapt to, select, and shape their environment).

Spot Dictation

psychologists_________

proposed________

■

multiple_______theorized________

spatial_______intrapersonal___________

model______components____________

insight______

real-world_________

linguist poet

1.linguistic

scientist

mathematician

华罗庚

2.logical-mathematical

胡壮麟

李白

郑成功

navigator

chess expert

3. spatial

贝多芬

musician/composer

4.musical

5. bodily-kinesthetic

athlete/ actor

religious persons

7.intrapersonal

statesman/leader/ consultant

6.interpersonal

seven types of intelligence

1.linguistic

2.logical-mathematical

3. spatial

4.musical

5. bodily-kinesthetic

6.interpersonal

7. intrapersonal

linguists / poets

scientists / mathematicians

navigator/ chess expert

musician/ composer

athlete / actor/actress/dancer

statesman/leader/ consultant

religious persons

Take the IQ test below to see how intelligent you are.

A sample IQ test

Some people maintain that IQ tests are just for fun. Others argue that they are indeed testing man’s intelligence. What’s your opinion?

Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.) The result of an intelligence test is called an IQ.

Generally a person’s IQ is to be obtained by divided by his or her mental age (determined by a test) by his or her real age and multiplying the result by 100

(IQ=mental age ÷real age×100).

below 85 retardation （迟钝） 85-100 average intelligence

110-120 bright-average intelligence

120-130 intellectually superior

above 130 intellectually very superior

gifted or genius

A brief introduction 1.Transition is frequently used to indicate the

logical relationship within or between sentences. Different transitional words and phrases facilitate the conveyance of ideas in various ways. Therefore, it is easier for readers to follow the author’s line of thought.

Writing Practice — Transition

WAY SAMPLE SENTENCE

Adding ideas Jerry prefers coffee to milk. Furthermore, he prefers black coffee.

Emphasizing ideas

Max is hardworking, cheerful, and above all honest.

Illustrating ideas

We need to take everything into account. We have to consider, for instance, the cost of each item.

Comparing ideas

The first letter she wrote me was less than a page long, and her second letter was similarly brief.

Contrasting ideas

This is a cheap and simple process. However there are dangers.

Showing cause and effect

Since the prices of the raw materials have been raised, I'm afraid that we have to adjust the prices of our products accordingly.

Summarizing ideas

In conclusion, all the three factors contribute to the final success of the project.

Transitional words & phrases in the text

actually, though (para. 2) for instance; yet (para. 3) then; then (para. 4) again (para. 4)

See page 237-238,do exercise

Assignment

Write a paragraph of 120-150 words explaining your view of intelligence. You are required to cite examples to support your argument.

Writing skills How does the author put his ideas together?

What is intelligence, anyway + Story

→ his point of view

For instance + example 1 Consider my auto-repair man again+ example 2

One-sentence paragraph

Proverbs and Quotations

1 ． A wise man hears one word and understands two.智者听一知二。

2 ． To much cleverness is folly. 过分聪明反而愚蠢。

3 ． Wisdom in the mind is better than money in the hand. 脑中智慧胜过手中金钱。

．

5 ． You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. Youcan tell whether a man is wise by his questions. — Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian writer

6. Every man is a fool sometimes, and none at all times. — George Kelly, American playwright and actor

看一个人是否聪明看他的答案；看一个人是否有智慧看他提的题。—— 埃及作家 纳吉布 · 马福兹

任何人都会做蠢事，但没有人永远愚蠢。 —— 美国剧作家、演员 G · 凯利

Before Reading Global Reading After ReadingDetailed Reading