Giải đề Cambridge IELTS 19 – Test 2: Reading Passage 3 – An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child
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A. Bài đọc An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child
Let us start by looking at a modern ‘genius’, Maryam Mirzakhani, who died at the early age of 40. She was the only woman to win the Fields Medal the mathematical equivalent of a Nobel prize. It would be easy to assume that someone as special as Mirzakhani must have been one of those ‘gifted’ children, those who have an extraordinary ability in a specific sphere of activity or knowledge. But look closer and a different story emerges. Mirzakhani was born in Tehran, Iran. She went to a highly selective girls’ school but maths wasn’t her interest -reading was. She loved novels and would read anything she could lay her hands on. As for maths, she did rather poorly at it for the first couple of years in her middle school, but became interested when her elder brother told her about what he’d learned. He shared a famous maths problem from a magazine that fascinated her and she was hooked.
In adult life it is clear that she was curious, excited by what she did and also resolute in the face of setbacks. One of her comments sums it up. ‘Of course, the most rewarding part is the “Alia” moment, the excitement of discovery and enjoyment of understanding something new … But most of the time, doing mathematics for me is like being on a long hike with no trail and no end in sight.’ That trail took her to the heights of original research into mathematics.
Is her background unusual? Apparently not. Most Nobel prize winners were unexceptional in childhood. Einstein was slow to talk as a baby. Ile failed the general part of the entry test to Zurich Polytechnic – though they let him in because of high physics and maths scores. Ile struggled at work initially, but he kept plugging away and eventually rewrote the laws of Newtonian mechanics with his theory of relativity.
There has been a considerable amount of research on high performance over the last century that suggests it goes way beyond tested intelligence. On top of that, research is clear that brains are flexible, new neural pathways can be created, and IQ isn’t fixed. For example, just because you can read stories with hundreds of pages at the age of five doesn’t mean you will still be ahead of your contemporaries in your teens. While the jury is out on giftedness being innate and other factors potentially making the difference, what is certain is that the
behaviours associated with high levels of performance are replicable and most can be taught even traits such as curiosity.
According to my colleague Prof Deborah Eyre, with whom I’ve collaborated on the book Great Minds and How to Crow Them, the latest neuroscience and psychological research suggests most individuals can reach levels of performance associated in school with the gifted and talented. However, they must be taught the right attitudes and approaches to their learning and develop the attributes of high performers-curiosity, persistence and hard work, for example an approach Eyre calls ‘high performance learning’. Critically, they need the right support in developing those approaches at home as well as at school.
Prof Anders Ericsson, an eminent education psychologist at Florida State University, US, is the co-author of Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. After research going back to 1980 into diverse achievements, from music to memory to sport, he doesn’t think unique and innate talents are at the heart of performance. Deliberate practice, that stretches you every step of the way, and around 10,000 hours of it, is what produces the goods. It’s not a magic number the highest performers move on to doing a whole lot more, of course. Ericsson’s memory research is particularly interesting because random students, trained in memory techniques for the study, went on to outperform others thought to have innately superior memories those who you might call gifted.
But it is perhaps the work of Benjamin Bloom, another distinguished American educationist working in the 1980s, that gives the most pause for thought. Bloom’s team looked at a group of extraordinarily high achieving people in disciplines as varied as ballet, swimming, piano, tennis, maths, sculpture and neurology. He found a pattern of parents encouraging and supporting their children, often in areas they enjoyed themselves. Bloom’s outstanding people had worked very hard and consistently at something they had become hooked on when at a young age, and their parents all emerged as having strong work ethics themselves.
Eyre says we know how high performers learn. From that she has developed a high performing learning approach. She is working on this with a group of schools, both in Britain and abroad. Some spin-off research, which looked in detail at 24 of the 3,000 children being studied who were succeeding despite difficult circumstances, found something remarkable. Half were getting free school meals because of poverty, more than half were living with a single parent, and four in five were living in disadvantaged areas. Interviews uncovered strong evidence of an adult or adults in the child’s life who valued and supported education, either in the immediate or extended family or in the child’s wider community. Children talked about the need to work hard at school, to listen in class and keep trying. Let us end with Einstein, the epitome of a genius. He clearly had curiosity, character and determination. He struggled against rejection in early life but was undeterred. Did he think he was a genius or even gifted? He once wrote: ‘It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. Most people say it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.’
B. Bài tập
Questions 27–32
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-K, below.
Write the correct letter, A-K, in boxes 27–32 on your answer sheet.
A. appeal
B. determined
C. intrigued
D. single
E. achievement
F. devoted
G. involved
H. unique
I. innovative
J. satisfaction
K. intent
Maryam Mirzakhani
Maryam Mirzakhani is regarded as 27 in the field of mathematics because she was the only female holder of the prestigious Fields Medal—a record that she retained at the time of her death. However, maths held little 28 for her as a child and in fact, her performance was below average until she was 29 by a difficult puzzle that one of her siblings showed her.
Later, as a professional mathematician, she had an inquiring mind and proved herself to be 30 when things did not go smoothly. She said she got the greatest 31 from making groundbreaking discoveries, and in fact, she was responsible for some extremely 32 mathematical studies.
Questions 33–37
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 33–37 on your answer sheet, write:
- YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
- NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
- NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Questions 38–40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 38–40 on your answer sheet.
38. What does Eyre believe is needed for children to equal ‘gifted’ standards?
39. What is the result of Ericsson's research?
40. In the penultimate paragraph, it is stated the key to some deprived children’s success is:
Điểm số của bạn là % - đúng / câu
C. Đáp án và giải thích chi tiết
Questions 27-32: Dạng Summary Completion with a wordlist Cách làm:
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Question 27: Maryam Mirzakhani is regarded as ____ in the field of mathematics because she was the only female holder of the prestigious Fields Medal record that she retained at the time of her death.
Từ cần điền có thể là một tính từ hoặc danh từ liên quan đến Maryam Mirzakhani.
Cụ thể: Maryam Mirzakhani được tác giả gọi là một thiên tài thời hiện đại. Bà là người phụ nữ duy nhất thắng Huy chương Fields – giải thưởng cao quý tương đương với lại giải Nobel (tại thời điểm bà mất). ⇒ Đáp án là H – unique Từ vựng: Unique (adj) khác biệt, đặc biệt ~ genius (adj) thiên tài | Đoạn 1: Let us start by looking at a modern ‘genius’, Maryam Mirzakhani, who died at the early age of 40. She was the only woman to win the Fields Medal, the mathematical equivalent of a Nobel prize. […] |
Question 28: However, maths held little ____ for her as a child
Từ cần điền có thể là một danh từ nói về mối quan hệ giữa môn Toán và Maryam Mirzakhani thời còn trẻ.
Cụ thể: Khi còn đi học, Mirzakhani không thích học toán, mà cô ấy thích đọc sách.
⇒ Đáp án là A – appeal Từ vựng: Appeal (n) sự thu hút ~ interest (n) sở thích | Đoạn 1: […] Mirzakhani was born in Tehran, Iran. She went to a highly selective girls’ school but maths wasn’t her interest – reading was. |
Question 29: However, maths held little appeal for her as a child in fact her performance was below average until she was ____ by a difficult puzzle that one of her siblings showed her.
Từ cần điền có thể là một tính từ nói về mối quan hệ giữa Mirzakhani và một câu đố khó
Cụ thể: [Nói tóm gọn lại thông tin bài đọc] ⇒ Đáp án là C. intrigued Từ vựng: Intrigued (adj) bị cuốn hút, lôi cuốn ~ fascinate (v): lôi cuốn | Đoạn 1: […] As for maths, she did rather poorly at it for the first couple of years in her middle school, but became interested when her elder brother told her about what he’d learned. He shared a famous maths problem from a magazine that fascinated her and she was hooked. |
Question 30: Later, as a professional mathematician, she had an inquiring mind and proved herself to be ____ when things did not go smoothly.
Từ cần điền có thể là một tính từ, nói về tính cách mà Mirzakhani thể hiện ra khi mà mọi thứ diễn ra không thuận lợi.
Cụ thể: Mirzakhani là người có tính hiếu kì và thích thú với những gì mà cô ấy làm, cô ấy cũng rất kiên định khi phải đối mặt với khó khăn.
⇒ Đáp án là B. determined Từ vựng: Resolute (v) kiên định, kiên quyết ~ determined (adj) quyết tâm | Đoạn 2: […] In adult life it is clear that she was curious, excited by what she did and also resolute in the face of setbacks […] |
Question 31: She said she got the greatest ____ from making ground-breaking discoveries
Từ cần điền có thể là một danh từ liên quan đến điều mà Mirzakhani đạt được từ những phát hiện chấn động.
Cụ thể: Với Mirzakhani, phần xứng đáng nhất chính là khoảnh khắc “Alia”, và sự hưng phấn khi phát hiện ra điều mới.
⇒ Đáp án là J – satisfaction | Đoạn 2: […] One of her comments sums it up.‘Of course, the most rewarding part is the “Alia” moment, the excitement of discovery and enjoyment of understanding something new . . . |
Question 32: […] in fact she was responsible for some extremely ____ mathematical studies Từ cần điền có thể là một tính từ, liên quan đến những nghiên cứu toán học của Mirzakhani.
Cụ thể: Cô ấy đã vươn tới những đỉnh cao của các nghiên cứu sáng tạo trong lĩnh vực toán học.
⇒ Đáp án là I. innovative Từ vựng: Innovative (adj) mang tính cải tiến ~ original (adj) sáng tạo (đây là một nét nghĩa khác của original bên cạnh nghĩa “nguồn gốc”, mà ta thường thấy) | Đoạn 2: […] That trail took her to the heights of original research into mathematics. |
Questions 33 – 37: YES/NO/NOT GIVEN Cách làm:
Chọn đáp án bằng cách lần lượt trả lời 2 câu hỏi:
| |
Question 33: Many people who ended up winning prestigious intellectual prizes only reached an average standard when young Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là YES | Đoạn 3: […] Most Nobel prize winners were unexceptional in childhood. Einstein was slow to talk as a baby. He failed the general part of the entry test to Zurich Polytechnic – though they let him in because of high physics and maths scores. […] |
Question 34: Einstein’s failures as a young man were due to his lack of confidence Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là NOT GIVEN | Đoạn 3: […] He failed the general part of the entry test to Zurich Polytechnic – though they let him in because of high physics and maths scores. He struggled at work initially, but he kept plugging away and eventually rewrote the laws of Newtonian mechanics with his theory of relativity. |
Question 35: It is difficult to reach agreement on whether some children are actually born gifted. Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là YES
the jury is (still) out on something (idiom): vẫn còn gây tranh cãi, chưa được đồng thuận. | Đoạn 5: While the jury is out on giftedness being innate and other factors potentially making the difference, what is certain is that the behaviours associated with high levels of performance are replicable and most can be taught even traits such as curiosity. |
Question 36: Einstein was upset by the public’s view of his life’s work. Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là NOT GIVEN | Đoạn 3: He struggled at work initially,but he kept plugging away and eventually rewrote the laws of Newtonian mechanics with his theory of relativity. |
Question 37: Einstein put his success down to the speed at which he dealt with scientific questions Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là FALSE | Đoạn cuối: He once wrote: ‘It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. Most people say it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character. |
Questions 38-40: Dạng Multiple Choice Questions Cách làm:
Chứng minh các đáp án ĐÚNG/SAI bằng cách lần lượt trả lời 2 câu hỏi:
| |
Question 38: What does Eyre believe is needed for children to equal ’gifted’ standards? | |
C. the development of a spirit of inquiry towards their studies Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là C | Đoạn 6: According to my colleague Prof Deborah Eyre, with whom I’ve collaborated on the book Great Minds and How to Grow Them, the latest neuroscience and psychological research suggests most individuals can reach levels of performance associated in school with the gifted and talented. However, they must be taught the right attitudes and approaches to their learning and develop the attributes of high performers- curiosity, persistence and hard work, for example an approach Eyre calls ‘high performance learning’. Critically, they need the right support in developing those approaches at home as well as at school. |
A. strict discipline from the teaching staff Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án A là NOT GIVEN | |
B. assistance from their peers in the classroom Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án B là NOT GIVEN | |
D. the determination to surpass everyone else’s achievements Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án D là NOT GIVEN | |
Question 39: What is the result of Ericsson’s research? | |
B. Being born with a special gift is not the key factor in becoming an expert. Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là B Từ vựng: At the heart of something (idiom) ~ be the key factor in something : là nhân tố quan trọng trong điều gì | Đoạn 7: Prof Anders Ericsson, […] . After research going back to 1980 into diverse achievements, from music to memory to sport, he doesn’t think unique and innate talents are at the heart of performance. |
A. Very gifted students do not need to work on improving memory skills Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án A là NOT GIVEN | Đoạn 7 Deliberate practice, that stretches you every step of the way, and around 10,000 hours of it, is what produces the goods. It ‘s not a magic number – the highest performers move on to doing a whole lot more, of course. Ericsson’s memory research is particularly interesting because random students, trained in memory techniques for the study, went on to outperform others thought to have innately superior memories- those who you might call gifted. |
C. Including time for physical exercise is crucial in raising performance Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án A là NOT GIVEN | |
D. 10,000 hours of relevant and demanding work will create a genius. Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án D là FALSE | Đoạn 7: […] After research going back to 1980 into diverse achievements, from music to memory to sport, he doesn’t think unique and innate talents are at the heart of performance. Deliberate practice, that stretches you every step of the way, and around 10,000 hours of it, is what produces the goods. |
Question 40: In the penultimate paragraph, it is stated the key to some deprived children‘s success is | |
D. the guidance of someone who recognizesrecognises the benefits of learning. Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án là D | Đoạn 9: […] Some spin-off research, which looked in detail at 24 of the 3,000 children being studied who were succeeding despite difficult circumstances, found something remarkable. Half were getting free school meals because of poverty, more than half were living with a single parent, and four in five were living in disadvantaged areas. Interviews uncovered strong evidence of an adult or adults in the child’s life who valued and supported education, either in the immediate or extended family or in the child’s wider community. |
A. a regular and nourishing diet at home Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án A là FALSE | Đoạn 7 […] Half were getting free school meals because of poverty |
B the loving support of more than one parent. Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án A là FALSE | Đoạn 7: […] more than half were living with a single parent […] |
C. a community which has well-funded facilities for learning Nhận xét:
Cụ thể:
⇒ Đáp án C là NOT GIVEN | |
