Gifted children and learning 天才儿童和学习解析

A     Internationally, 'giftedness' is most frequently determined by a score on a general intelligence test, known as an IQ test, which is above a chosen cutoff point, usually at around the top 2-5%. Children's educational environment contributes to the IQ score and the way intelligence is used. For example, a very close positive relationship was found when children's IQ scores were compared with their home educational provision (Freeman, 2010). The higher the children's IQ scores, especially over IQ 130, the better the quality of their educational backup, measured in terms of reported verbal interactions with parents, number of books and activities in their home etc. Because IQ tests are decidedly influenced by what the child has learned, they are to some extent measures of current achievement based on age-norms; that is, how well the children have learned to manipulate【】 their knowledge and know-how within the terms of the test. The vocabulary 【】aspect, for example, is dependent on having heard those words. But IQ tests can neither identify the processes of learning and thinking nor predict creativity.

in terms of：phrase. 根据,按照;用…的思想方法;在…方面,从…方面(说来)
            phrase. 用…的话,用…的字眼(或措辞)

B    Excellence does not emerge without appropriate help. To reach an exceptionally high standard in any area very able children need the means to learn, which includes material to work with and focused challenging tuition 【】— and the encouragement to follow their dream. There appears to be a qualitative difference in the way the intellectually highly able think, compared with more average-ability or older pupils,【】 for whom external regulation【n. 规章制度；管理，控制 adj. 规定的；必须使用的】 by the teacher often compensates 【v. 补偿；弥补；赔偿，赔款】for lack of internal regulation.【】 To be at their most effective in their self-regulation,【】 all children can be helped to identify their own ways of learning — metacognition 【n. 元认知；后设认知】— which will include strategies of planning, monitoring, evaluation,【n. 评价, 【数】赋值】 and choice of what to learn. Emotional awareness is also part of metacognition, so children should be helped to be aware of their feelings around the area to be learned, feelings of curiosity 【】or confidence, for example.

internal regulation：内部规章制度

C    High achievers【成功者】 have been found to use self-regulatory learning strategies more often and more effectively than lower achievers, and are better able to transfer these strategies to deal with unfamiliar 【adj. 陌生的, 不熟悉的, 不认识的, 无…的知识（或经验）】tasks. This happens to such a high degree in some children that they appear to be demonstrating 【v. 显示；演示；证明；示威】talent in particular 【】areas. Overviewing research on the thinking process of highly able children, (Shore and Kanevsky, 1993) put the instructor's problem succinctly: 'If they [the gifted] merely think more quickly, then we need only teach more quickly. If they merely make fewer errors, then we can shorten the practice'. But of course, this is not entirely 【】the case; adjustments have to be made in methods of learning and teaching, to take account of the many ways individuals think.

take account of ：考虑到，把....计算在内

D     Yet in order to learn by themselves, the gifted do need some support from their teachers. Conversely,【adv. 相反地, 反过来】 teachers who have a tendency 【n. 趋势，倾向；习惯】to 'overdirect'【过度直接的】 can diminish their gifted pupils【n. 学生, (尤指)小学生, 弟子, 瞳孔】' learning autonomy.【n. 自治, 自主, 自主权, 自治权】 Although 'spoon-feeding'【v. 填鸭式灌输, 满堂灌, 用勺喂（婴儿）】 can produce extremely high examination results, these are not always followed by equally impressive life successes. Too much dependence on the teachers risks loss of autonomy and motivation to discover. However, when teachers help pupils to reflect on their own learning and thinking activities, they increase their pupils' self-regulation. For a young child, it may be just the simple question 'What have you learned today?' which helps them to recognise what they are doing. Given that a fundamental goal of education is to transfer the control of learning from teachers to pupils, improving pupils' learning to learn techniques should be a major outcome of the school experience, especially for the highly competent.【adj. 有能力的，能胜任的】 There are quite a number of new methods which can help, such as child-initiated 【】learning, ability-peer tutoring,【】 etc. Such practices have been found to be particularly useful for bright children from deprived 【adj. 贫穷的, 贫困的, 穷苦的 v. 剥夺（deprive的过去式和过去分词）】areas.

E    But scientific progress is not all theoretical【】, knowledge is a so vital 【】to outstanding 【】performance: individuals who know a great deal about a specific domain will achieve at a higher level than those who do not (Elshout, 1995). Research with creative scientists by Simonton (1988) brought him to the conclusion that above a certain high level, characteristics such as independence seemed to contribute more to reaching the highest levels of expertise than intellectual 【】skills, due to the great demands of effort and time needed for learning and practice. Creativity in all forms can be seen as expertise mixed with a high level of motivation (Weisberg, 1993).

F     To sum up, learning is affected by emotions of both the individual and significant 【】others. Positive emotions facilitate the creative aspects of learning and negative emotions inhibit it. Fear, for example, can limit the development of curiosity, which is a strong force in scientific advance, because it motivates problem-solving behaviour. In Boekaerts' (1991) review of emotion the learning of very high IQ and highly achieving children, she found emotional forces in harness.【】 They were not only curious, but often had a strong desire to control their environment, improve their learning efficiency and increase their own learning resources.

　　Questions 14-17

　　Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.

　　Which paragraph contains the following information?

　　Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

　　NB You may use any letter more than once.

　　14 a reference to the influence of the domestic background on the gifted child 【A】

　　15 reference to what can be lost if learners are given too much guidance 【D】

　　16 a reference to the damaging effects of anxiety 【F】

　　17 examples of classroom techniques which favour socially-disadvantaged【社会弱势群体】 children  正确答案【D】 错误：C

        17解析：classroom techniques 等同于学校教育，教室工艺    

                     socially-disadvantaged：社会弱势群体，等同于deprived

                     useful 等同于 favour ,有利于，有助于

techniques:n. 技术, 工艺, 技巧, 技能
favour:n. 恩惠，善意的行为；好感，喜爱；赞同，支持；偏袒，偏爱  v. 较喜欢；优惠，偏袒；有利于，有助于；支持
practices ：n. 训练, 练习; 实践; 惯例, 通常的做法; 习惯 v. <美>(同practise)练习; 养成…习惯; 从事, 执业
bright:adj. 光线充足的, 明亮的, 鲜艳夺目的, 快活而生气勃勃的, 聪明的, 悟性强的, （未来）光明的, 有希望的
            adv. 光亮地, 明亮地 n. 头灯

　　Questions 18-22

　　Look at the following statements (Questions 18-22) and the list of people below.

　　Match each statement with the correct person or people, A-E.

　　Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 18-22 on your answer sheet.

　　18 Less time can be spent on exercises with gifted pupils who produce accurate【adj. 准确的，精确的】 work. 【B】

　　19 Self-reliance is a valuable tool that helps gifted students reach their goals. 【D】

　　20 Gifted children know how to channel their feelings to assist their learning. 【E】

　　21 The very gifted child benefits from appropriate support from close relatives. 【A】

　　22 Really successful students have learnt a considerable amount about their subject. 【C】

　　List of People

　　A Freeman

　　B Shore and Kanevsky

　　C Elshout

　　D Simonton

　　E Boekaerts

　　Questions 23-26

　　Complete the sentences below.

　　Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

　　Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet

　　23 One study found a strong connection between children's IQ and the availability of 【23-1】 and 【23-2】at home. 

　　24 Children of average ability seem to need more direction from teachers because they do not have 【24】

　　25 Metacognition involves children understanding their own learning strategies, as well as developing 【25】

　　26 Teachers who rely on what is known as【26】 often produce sets of impressive【adj. 给人深刻印象的】 grades in class tests. 

23-1：book

23-2：activities

24：self-regulation

25：emotional awareness

26：spoon-feeding

   解析：

 第23题答案：

books activities 对应原文：A段：The higher the children’s IQ scores, especially over IQ 130, the better the quality of their educational backup, measured in terms of reported verbal interactions with parents, number of books and activities in their home etc 答案解析：根据at home定位到A段的这一部分，从题干中可以推测空上填的应该是家庭的两种东西，而且它们还需要存在并列关系，由此确定答案为book和activities。 

第24题答案：

internal regulation/self-regulation 对应原文：B段：more average-ability or older pupils, for whom external regulation by the teacher often compensates for lack of internal regulation. 答案解析：根据average ability定位B段的这句话，题干中do not have与lack of同义替换，由此确定答案为internal regulation。 

第25题答案：

emotional awareness 对应原文：B段：identify their own ways of learning – metacognition … Emotional awareness is also part of metacognition 答案解析：根据metacognition定位到B段的这一部分。also与题干中as well as（和...一样）对应，由此确定答案为emotional awareness. 

第26题答案：

spoon-feeding 对应原文：D段：Although ‘spoon-feeding’, can produce extremely high examination results, these are not always followed by equally impressive life successes. 答案解析：根据impressive grades与extremely high examination results的对应定位到这句话。空前有known as，这种情况下，空上一般都要填专有名词，而且答案在原文中往往会用单引号括起来，由此锁定spoon-feeding。

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