对于很多准备考雅思的同学来说,雅思阅读是比较难的,那么今天就和出国留学网的小编一起来了解一下这篇雅思阅读真题精选。NatureorNurture?AAfewyearsago,inoneofthemostfascinatinganddistu...
对于很多准备考雅思的同学来说,雅思阅读是比较难的,那么今天就和出国留学网的小编一起来了解一下这篇雅思阅读真题精选。
NatureorNurture?
AAfewyearsago,inoneofthemostfascinatinganddisturbingexperimentsinbehaviouralpsychology,StanleyMilgramofYaleUniversitytested40subjectsfromallwalksoflifefortheirwillingnesstoobeyinstructionsgivenbya‘leader’inasituationinwhichthesubjectsmightfeelapersonaldistastefortheactionstheywerecalledupontoperform.SpecificallyMilgramtoldeachvolunteer‘teacher-subject’thattheexperimentwasinthenoblecauseofeducation,andwasdesignedtotestwhetherornotpunishingpupilsfortheirmistakeswouldhaveapositiveeffectonthepupils’abilitytolearn.
BMilgram’sexperimentalset-upinvolvedplacingtheteacher-subjectbeforeapanelofthirtyswitcheswithlabelsrangingfrom‘15voltsofelectricity(slightshock)’to‘450volts(danger—severeshock)’instepsof15voltseach.Theteacher-subjectwastoldthatwheneverthepupilgavethewronganswertoaquestion,ashockwastobeadministered,beginningatthelowestlevelandincreasinginseveritywitheachsuccessivewronganswer.Thesupposed‘pupil’wasinrealityanactorhiredbyMilgramtosimulatereceivingtheshocksbyemittingaspectrumofgroans,screamsandwritingstogetherwithanassortmentofstatementsandexpletivesdenouncingboththeexperimentandtheexperimenter.Milgramtoldtheteacher-subjecttoignorethereactionsofthepupil,andtoadministerwhateverlevelofshockwascalledfor,aspertherulegoverningtheexperimentalsituationofthemoment.
CAstheexperimentunfolded,thepupilwoulddeliberatelygivethewronganswerstoquestionsposedbytheteacher,therebybringingonvariouselectricalpunishments,evenuptothedangerlevelof300voltsandbeyond.Manyoftheteacher-subjectsbalkedatadministeringthehigherlevelsofpunishment,andturnedtoMilgramwithquestioninglooksand/orcomplaintsaboutcontinuingtheexperiment.Inthesesituations,Milgramcalmlyexplainedthattheteacher-subjectwastoignorethepupil’scriesformercyandcarryonwiththeexperiment.Ifthesubjectwasstillreluctanttoproceed,Milgramsaidthatitwasimportantforthesakeoftheexperimentthattheprocedurebefollowedthroughtotheend.Hisfinalargumentwas‘youhavenootherchoice.Youmustgoon’.WhatMilgramwastryingtodiscoverwasthenumberofteacher-subjectswhowouldbewillingtoadministerthehighestlevelsofshock,eveninthefaceofstrongpersonalandmoralrevulsionagainsttherulesandconditionsoftheexperiment.
DPriortocarryingouttheexperiment,Milgramexplainedhisideatoagroupof39psychiatristsandaskedthemtopredicttheaveragepercentageofpeopleinanordinarypopulationwhowouldbewillingtoadministerthehighestshocklevelof450volts.Theoverwhelmingconsensuswasthatvirtuallyalltheteacher-subjectswouldrefusetoobeytheexperimenter.Thepsychiatristsfeltthat‘mostsubjectswouldnotgobeyond150volts’andtheyfurtheranticipatedthatonlyfourpercentwouldgoupto300volts.Furthermore,theythoughtthatonlyalunaticfringeofaboutonein1,000wouldgivethehighestshockof450volts.
EWhatweretheactualresults?Well,over60percentoftheteacher-subjectscontinuedtoobeyMilgramuptothe450-voltlimitinrepetitionsoftheexperimentinothercountries,thepercentageofobedientteacher-subjectswasevenhigher,reaching85percentinonecountry.Howcanwepossiblyaccountforthisvastdiscrepancybetweenwhatcalm,rational,knowledgeablepeoplepredictinthecomfortoftheirstudyandwhatpressured,flustered,butcooperative‘teachers’actuallydointhelaboratoryofreallife?
FOne’sfirstinclinationmightbetoarguethattheremustbesomesortofbuilt-inanimalaggressioninstinctthatwasactivatedbytheexperiment,andthatMilgram’steache-subjectswerejustfollowingageneticneedtodischargethispent-upprimalurgeontothepupilbyadministeringtheelectricalshock.Amodernhard-coresociobiologistmightevengosofarastoclaimthatthisaggressiveinstinctevolvedasanadvantageoustrait,havingbeenofsurvivalvaluetoourancestorsintheirstruggleagainstthehardshipsoflifeontheplainsandinthecaves,ultimatelyfindingitswayintoourgeneticmake-upasaremnantofourancientanimalways.
GAnalternativetothisnotionofgeneticprogrammingistoseetheteacher-subjects’actionsasaresultofthesocialenvironmentunderwhichtheexperimentwascarriedout.AsMilgramhimselfpointedout,‘Mostsubjectsintheexperimentseetheirbehaviourinalargercontextthatisbenevolentandusefultosociety—thepursuitofscientifictruth.Thepsychologicallaboratoryhasastrongclaimtolegitimacyandevokestrustandconfidenceinthosewhoperformthere.Anactionsuchasshockingavictim,whichinisolationappearsevil,acquiresacompletelydifferentmeaningwhenplacedinthissetting.’
HThus,inthisexplanationthesubjectmergeshisuniquepersonalityandpersonalandmoralcodewiththatoflargerinstitutionalstructures,surrenderingindividualpropertieslikeloyalty,self-sacrificeanddisciplinetotheserviceofmalevolentsystemsofauthority.
IHerewehavetworadicallydifferentexplanationsforwhysomanyteacher-subjectswerewillingtoforgotheirsenseofpersonalresponsibilityforthesakeofaninstitutionalauthorityfigure.Theproblemforbiologists,psychologistsandanthropologistsistosortoutwhichofthesetwopolarexplanationsismoreplausible.This,inessence,istheproblemofmodernsociobiology—todiscoverthedegreetowhichhard-wiredgeneticprogrammingdictates,oratleaststronglybiases,theinteractionofanimalsandhumanswiththeirenvironment,thatis,theirbehaviour.Putanotherway,sociobiologyisconcernedwithelucidatingthebiologicalbasisofallbehaviour.
Questions14-19
ReadingPassage2hasnineparagraphs,A-I.
Whichparagraphcontainsthefollowinginformation?
WritethecorrectletterA-Iinboxes14-19onyouranswersheet.
14abiologicalexplanationoftheteacher-subjects’behaviour
15theexplanationMilgramgavetheteacher-subjectsfortheexperiment
16theidentityofthepupils
17theexpectedstatisticaloutcome
18thegeneralaimofsociobiologicalstudy
19thewayMilgrampersuadedtheteacher-subjectstocontinue
Questions20-22
Choosethecorrectletter,A,B,CorD.
Writeyouranswersinboxes20-22onyouranswersheet.
20Theteacher-subjectsweretoldthatweretestingwhether
Aa450-voltshockwasdangerous.
Bpunishmenthelpslearning.
Cthepupilswerehonest.
Dtheyweresuitedtoteaching.
21Theteacher-subjectswereinstructedto
Astopwhenapupilaskedthemto.
Bdenouncepupilswhomademistakes.
Creducetheshocklevelafteracorrectanswer.
Dgivepunishmentaccordingtoarule.
22Beforetheexperimenttookplacethepsychiatrists
Abelievedthatashockof150voltswastoodangerous.
Bfailedtoagreeonhowtheteacher-subjectswouldrespondtoinstructions.
Cunderestimatedtheteacher-subjects’willingnesstocomplywithexperimentalprocedure.
Dthoughtthatmanyoftheteacher-subjectswouldadministerashockof450volts.
Questions23-26
DothefollowingstatementsagreewiththeinformationgiveninReadingPassage2?
Inboxes23-26onyouranswersheet,write
TRUEifthestatementagreeswiththeinformation
FALSEifthestatementcontradictstheinformation
NOTGIVENifthereisnoinformationonthis
23SeveralofthesubjectswerepsychologystudentsatYaleUniversity.
24Somepeoplemaybelievethattheteacher-subjects’behaviourcouldbeexplainedasapositivesurvivalmechanism.
25Inasociologicalexplanation,personalvaluesaremorepowerfulthanauthority.
26Milgram’sexperimentsolvesanimportantquestioninsociobiology.