A set of genes play a role in learning to read and do math, but this ability is not just gene-driven,【C1】______schooling and help from parents are also vital【C2】______. Early mathematical ability and literacy are known to【C3】______in some families, but the genes【C4】______affect this have until now been【C5】______unknown. Scientists looked into a data pool called the Twins Early Development Study, which【C6】______12-year-olds from nearly 2,800 British families. The team compared twins and【C7】______children to see how they【C8】______in tests for maths and reading comprehension, and then matched the children's genomes. Between 10 percent and half of the genes involved in reading were also involved in math, they found, and tiny variants in these【C9】______genes influence skill level. 【C10】______it's also clear how important our life experience is in making us better at one or the other. It's this complex【C11】______of nature and nurture as we grow up【C12】______shapes who we are. Professor Robert Plomin said the study was the first to estimate the【C13】______from DNA alone on learning ability. But, he stressed, the genetic variants that were identified were not【C14】______"literacy or numeracy" genes. 【C15】______they formed part of a more complex mechanism in which many genes each【C16】______a small, but combined, effect on learning ability. "Children differ【C17】______in how easy or difficult they find learning, and we need to recognize and【C18】______these individual differences," said Plomin. "Heritability does not【C19】______that anything is set in stone—it just means it may take more effort from parents, schools and teachers to【C20】______the child up to speed."
【答案解析】解析:上文提到了基因的作用,but后说not just gene-driven,意即还有其他的因素,因此推断空格处应填入跟driven语义相近的词,四个选项中,C项contributors“起作用的事物”符合要求,表示“学校教育”和“家长的帮助”起到了重要作用,故选C。
单选题
【C3】
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析:本句大意是:“早期的学文算数能力在有些家庭中——”,B项run表示“(一种体系、机构或计划等)在运作,并以莱种特定的方式在持续”,如everything's running according toplan,代入空格,指“早期的学文算数能力”是一种遗传特征或体系,在各家族中存在并一直持续体现,符合句意。
【答案解析】解析:该句看起来很长,结构复杂,但提取主干则显而易见;It's...—______shapes who weare。以it引导的固定句型中有一个就是强调句,因此空格处不管是强调事物还是人都只能用that,故选B项。
单选题
【C13】
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析:Plomin教授对他们所做的研究做了一个小概括,即“该研究首次评估了仅DNA对学习能力的——”。结合下文倒数第三段的in which many genes each——a small,butcombined,effect on learning ability,可推断空格处填入跟effect近义的词,B项impact“影响”符合要求。
【答案解析】解析:空格后边的up to speed暗示了某些孩子可能速度不够,落后了,需要“赶上”。在“______the child up to the speed”中,the child作间接宾语,动作的发出者为parents,schools and teachers,故使用bring“带领”合乎逻辑。