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  3. Researchers have discovered that spending a few minutes thinking about your ancestors before an exam or job interview can signif

Researchers have discovered that spending a few minutes thinking about your ancestors before an exam or job interview can signif

admin2012-07-11  44
问题     Researchers have discovered that spending a few minutes thinking about your ancestors before an exam or job interview can significantly boost your chances of success. The so-called "ancestor effect" appears to work by acting as a reminder to the brain that seemingly impossible hurdles can be overcome. Psychologists think the effect may be rooted in the fact that those who familiarize themselves with their family history—such as in the hit TV series Who Do You Think You Are? —appear to gain a stronger sense of identity and self-esteem,which somehow boosts intellectual performance. In intelligence tests on 80 volunteers, scientists found a marked improvement among those who,prior to the tasks,were asked to spend a short while considering what previous generations of their families had endured. Those who simply had to recall a more mundane (平凡的，平淡的) memory,such as a recent shopping trip,did not fare as well.
    The findings, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, suggest remembering the hardships of grandparents,great grandparents and even long forgotten ancestors,seems to have a direct benefit on the brain’s ability to cope with demands on its intelligence. Dr. Peter Fischer,from the University of Graz in Austria and a member of the research team,said: "Our ancestors managed to overcome a multitude of problems,such as severe illnesses, wars,loss of loved ones or severe economic declines. So when we think about them, we are reminded that humans who are genetically similar to us can successfully overcome a multitude of problems and adversities. "
    To test their theory,scientists from the University of Graz,together with colleagues from Berlin and Munich universities, recruited 80 students. They were asked to spend five minutes thinking about their 15th century ancestors, their great-grandparents or a recent trip to the shops. Immediately afterwards, the students were asked how confident they felt about upcoming exams. Those in the two groups that remembered lost generations were more confident about their chances of success. The students then underwent a range of intelligence tests. In one,the "ancestor effect" boosted scores to 14 out of a maximum 16, compared with just ten out of 16 in the rival group. In a report on their findings the researchers said:" We showed that an easy reminder about our ancestors can significantly increase intellectual performance. Whenever people are in a situation where such performance is extraordinarily important,such as exams or job interviews, they have an easy technique to increase their success. "
What does the author mean by "ancestor effect"?
选项 A、People inherit good performance from their ancestors.
B、People remember what their ancestors have endured.
C、Thinking of ancestors can boost success chances.
D、Ancestors pave the way to success for their descendants.
答案C
解析 语义理解题。本题考查文中提及的“祖先效应”的含义。原文第一段第一句指出研究人员发现在考试或者面试前回想自己的祖先能增加成功的机会。这就是所谓的“祖先效应”，这一效应能促进大脑克服看起来无法克服的困难。该句中so-called是关键词，提示了此处是对“祖先效应”的解释。所以C)为本题答案。A)“人们从祖先那里继承优秀表现”，是字面意思，与文意不符；B)“人们记得祖先所受的苦”，这是“祖先效应”中要回想的内容。而不是效应本身；D)“祖先为后代的成功铺好了路”与文意不符，故排除。
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