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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  29
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. "
How does the "ancestor effect" put into effect?
选项 A、It boosts the sense of identity and self-esteem that helps people overcome barriers.
B、It marks people with all the difficulties that their ancestors have experienced.
C、It makes people realize how important their families are in the history.
D、It serves good suggestions to people to deal with all the difficulties and adversities.
答案A
解析 事实细节题。本题考查“祖先效应”起作用的原因。定位句指出心理学家认为此效应通过促进人的认同感和自尊心，从而提高智力表现。关键词为前半句中的the effect rooted in，提示了此句与祖先效应起作用的原因有关，故答案为A)。B)“让人们知道他们的祖先所经历的所有困难”，此论述不属于祖先效应起作用的原因；C)“让人们认识到其家族在历史中的地位”，同样不属于原因陈述，且不符合文义；D)“给提供人们对付困难和逆境的好建议”，与原文不符，故排除。
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