Magy's English Edu. Club
Cambridge 17 Academic Reading Test Two Passage Three
Insight or evolution?
Choose the correct letter in boxes, A, B, C or D.
27. The purpose of the first paragraph is to
The answer is D. > outline a common assumption
In paragraph one, scientific discovery is popularly believed to result from the sheer genius of such intellectual stars as naturalist Charles Darwin and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Our view of such unique contributions to science often discards the person’s prior experience and the efforts of their lesser-known predecessors.
28. What are the writers doing in the second paragraph?
The answer is A. > criticising an opinion
In paragraph two, there may be limited truth to this view.
29. In the third paragraph, what do the writers suggest about Darwin and Einstein?
The answer is A. > they represent an exception to a general rule.
In paragraph three, setting aside such greats as Darwin and Einstein, we suggest that innovation is more of a process of trial and error, where two steps forward may sometimes come with one step back, as well as more steps to the right or to the left.
30. John Nicholson is an example of a person whose idea
The answer is C. > laid the foundations for someone else’s breakthrough
In paragraph four, yet, amid his often fanciful theories and wild speculations, Nicholson also proposed a novel theory about the structure of atoms. Niels Bohr, the Nobel prize-winning father of modern atomic theory, jumped off from this interesting idea to conceive his now-famous model of the atom.
31. What is the key point of interest about the ‘ace-deucy’ stirrup placement?
The answer is A. > the simple reason why it was invented
In paragraph six, had he foreseen the speed advantage that would be conferred by riding ace-deucy? No. He suffered a leg injury, which left him unable to fully bend his left knee. His modification just happened to coincide with enhanced left-hand turning performance.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
Write YES, NO, or NOT GIVEN.
32. Acknowledging people such as Plato da Vinci as geniuses will help us understand the process by which great minds create new ideas.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph eight, the notion of insight, creativity and genius are often invoked, but they remain vague and of doubtful scientific utility, especially when one considers the diverse and enduring contributions of individuals such as Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Beethoven, Galileo, Newton, Kleper, Curie, Pasteur and Edison. These notions merely label rather than explain the evolution of human innovations. We need another approach, and there is a promising candidate.
33. The Law of Effect was discovered at a time when psychologists were seeking a scientific reason why creativity occurs.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph nine, the Law of Effect was advanced by psychologist Edward Thorndike in 1898, some 40 years after Charles Darwin published his groundbreaking work on biological evolution, On the Origin of Species.
34. The Law of Effect states that no planning is involved in the behavior of organisms.
The answer is YES.
In paragraph nine, just like Darwin’s Law of Natural Selection, the Law of Effect involves an entirely mechanical process of variation and selection, without any end objective in sight.
35. The Law of Effect sets out clear explanations about the sources of new ideas and behaviors.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph ten, the generation of novel ideas and behaviors may not be entirely random, but constrained by prior successes and failures – of current individuals (such as Bohr) or of predecessors (such as Nicholson)
36. Many scientists are now turning away from the notion of intelligent design and genius.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph eleven, this time seems right for abandoning the naive of intelligent design and genius, and for scientifically exploring the true origins of creative behavior.
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-G.
The origins of creative behavior
37. The traditional view of scientific discovery is that breakthroughs happen when a single great mind has sudden ……..
The answer is F. > inspiration
In paragraph one, conventional wisdom also places great weight on insight in promoting breakthrough scientific achievements, as if ideas spontaneously pop into someone’s head, fully formed and functional.
38. In some cases, this process involves …., such as Nicholdos’s theory about proto-elements.
The answer is D. > mistakes
In paragraph four, these successes are all the more noteworthy given the fact that Nicholson was wrong about the presence of porto-elements.
39. There is also often an element of ……, for example, the coincidence of ideas that led to the invention of the Post-It note.
The answer is E. > luck
In paragraph seven, plenty of other stories show that fresh advances can arise from error, misadventure, and also pure serendipity.
40. With both the Law of Natural Selection and the Law of Effect, there may be no clear ….. involved, but merely a process of variation and selection.
The answer is B. > goals
In paragraph nine, just like Darwin’s Law of Natural Selection, the Law of Effect involves an entirely mechanical process of variation and selection, without any end objective in sight.