Does your older brother think he’s cleverer than you? Well, he’s probably right. According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest.

A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores drop with birth order. In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam, researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5, 12, and 18.

The results, which show a trend（趋势）for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000 people. That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line.

The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically（学术）successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes. However, eldest children are less likely to be creative. Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six.

Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child.

The so-called dilution （稀释法） theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop. Another theory is that the intellectual（知识的）environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of personal care and help.

The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borns get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．IQ scores have little to do with the order of birth.

B．Intellectual families favor the first-born.

C．The order of birth can have an effect on IQ.

D．The order of birth can affect personality, achievement, and carrier.

2. By using Charles Darwin as an example, the author wants to prove that ______.

A．eldest children are the smartest in a family

B．youngest children will usually become experts

C．first-borns are more likely to win Nobel prizes

D．eldest children are less likely to try something new

3. What do we know about the dilution theory?

A．Intellectual parents love the first –born better

B．Parents’ attention will drop with more children coming.

C．Family resources, both emotional and physical are endless.

D．First-born get less care and help from their parents.

4. The passage is developed mainly by          .

A．offering opinion with further explanation

B．pointing out similarities and difference

C．comparing opinions from different fields

D．providing typical examples

5. What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?

A．scientists        B．students                 C．experts             D．common readers

E

Does your older brother think he’s cleverer than you ? Well, he’s probably right． According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest ,

A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores decline with birth order． In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam,researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5，12 ，and 18．

The results , which show a trend for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000people． That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line．

The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes． However,eldset children are less likely to be radical and pioneering ． Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six．

Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child．

The so-called dilution(稀释法) theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop． Another theory is that the intellectual(智力) environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of individual care and help．

The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borns get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage．

1．What is the passage mainly about?

A．IQ scores have little to do with the order of birth．

B．Intellectual families favor the first-born

C．The order of birth can have an effect on IQ

D．The order of birth can affect personality, achievement, and carrer．

2．By using Charles Darwin as an example, the author wants to prove that         

A．eldest children are the smartest in a family

B．youngest children will usually become experts

C．first-borns are more likely to win Nobel prizes

D．eldest children are less likely to try something new

3．What do we know about the dilution theory?

A．Intellectual parents love the first –born better

B．Parents’ attention will drop with more children coming

C．Family resources,both emotional and physical are endless．

D．First-born get less care and help from their parents．

4．The passage is developed mainly by         

A．offering opinion with further explanation

B．pointing out similarities and difference

C．comparing opinions from different fields

D．providing typical examples

E

Does your older brother think he’s cleverer than you ? Well, he’s probably right． According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest ,

A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores decline with birth order． In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam,researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5，12 ，and 18．

The results , which show a trend for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000people． That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line．

The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes． However,eldset children are less likely to be radical and pioneering ． Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six．

Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child．

The so-called dilution(稀释法) theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop． Another theory is that the intellectual(智力) environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of individual care and help．

The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borns get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage．

1．What is the passage mainly about?

A．IQ scores have little to do with the order of birth．

B．Intellectual families favor the first-born

C．The order of birth can have an effect on IQ

D．The order of birth can affect personality, achievement, and carrer．

2．By using Charles Darwin as an example, the author wants to prove that         

A．eldest children are the smartest in a family

B．youngest children will usually become experts

C．first-borns are more likely to win Nobel prizes

D．eldest children are less likely to try something new

3．What do we know about the dilution theory?

A．Intellectual parents love the first –born better

B．Parents’ attention will drop with more children coming

C．Family resources,both emotional and physical are endless．

D．First-born get less care and help from their parents．

4．The passage is developed mainly by         

A．offering opinion with further explanation

B．pointing out similarities and difference

C．comparing opinions from different fields

D．providing typical examples

 At age 86, Millie Garfield is one of the world’s oldest elderly bloggers(写博客的人). __36___ reading a newspaper article in 2003 and then asking her son for __37___ in getting online, Millie has been blogging ever since.

We usually associate blogging with the __38___: our children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews. While the blogging landscape was once ___39___ almost entirely by teens, it has opened to different age groups now.

After 38 years of marriage, Millie ___40__ her husband in 1994. She has no siblings and has only one son. She has to live alone. Like many elderly people, her social network was beginning to ___41___ in size as many of her friends were in assisted living.

Blogging has ___42__ Millie’s universe. “I have to blog once a week,” she says. “If I don’t, they start ___43__ about me.” When I ask who “they” are, Millie says they are the 70 or 80 ___44__ who visit her blog each day. When she was three days __45___ in posting one week, she began getting ___46___ from them to see if she was okay. She has also got to ___47___ other bloggers from around the country.

Not only has blogging helped Millie make new __48___, but it has also helped her learn about herself. “I write about everyday living in a __49___ fashion, so I try to find interesting things in a TV show, a movie, or a(n) __50___ to the dentist, she says. “I never knew I was funny but now people ___51___ me I am. It is a big discovery.”

Millie __52___ loves blogging. “My life would be __53___ and empty without it. I’m able to learn from people all over the world,” she says. Then she adds, “When you’re older, you don’t have many ___54___. The wonderful thing about blogging is that you can have many people hear what you think and no one ___55__ you when you are speaking.”

36. A. While          B. Until            C.  After          D. As

37. A. help           B. apology          C. excuse          D. permission

38. A. old            B. young            C. rich            D. sick

39. A. damaged        B. occupied         C. prepared        D. designed

40. A. missed         B. followed         C. recognized      D. lost

41. A. grow           B. develop          C. decrease        D. remain

42. A. expanded       B. concluded        C. found           D. ruined

43. A. complaining    B. thinking         C. arguing         D. worrying

44. A. workers        B. readers          C. passengers      D. speakers

45. A. late           B. away             C. fast            D. ready

46. A. warnings       B. suggestions      C. emails          D. books

47. A. know           B. see              C. change          D. ask

48. A. comments       B. connections      C. contributions   D. combinations

49. A. popular        B. famous           C. similar         D. humorous
50. A. gift           B. visit            C. wave            D. award

51. A. warn           B. prove             C. order         D. tell

52. A. probably       B. fortunately       C. hardly        D. clearly

53. A. poor           B. slow              C. dull          D. simple

54. A. listeners      B. managers          C. interpreters  D. lecturers

55. A. fears          B. interrupts        C. controls      D. treats