Page 12 - LAYOUT

005-014-City Guilds C1-Pr-TEST-1-new_City Guilds B2-Pr-TEST-1-TB new.qxd 2/9/2016 12:55 µµ Page 12

IESOL C1

Part 4

Read the article and answer the questions. Write a maximum of five words for each answer. An example is done
for you.

Intelligence

While showing an impressive growth prenatally, the human brain is not fully formed
at birth. There is considerable brain growth during childhood with dynamic changes
taking place in the human brain throughout life, probably for adaptation to our envi-
ronment.

Defining intelligence is highly problematic. Is there an 'intelligence' that equips us to
solve all kinds of problems and answer all questions, regardless of their nature? Or
are there different intelligences that help us deal with particular problems and solu-
tions? The scientific community is divided on the issue.

One of the main tenets underpinning the idea of a single entity of 'intelligence' is the concept of 'General Intelligence', or 'g'.
Devised by English Psychologist, Charles Spearman, in the early 20th century, 'g' was a statistical measure of performance
across a variety of tests.

Spearman found that the same people who did well in a variety of mental tests tended to use a part in their brains that he
termed 'g'. This 'g' laid the foundation for the notion of a single intelligence, which enables us to undertake everyday mental
tasks.

A recent study seems to endorse Spearman's theory. Research has found that a part of the brain called the 'lateral prefrontal
cortex' is the only area of the brain to increase in blood flow when volunteers tackle complicated puzzles.

Spearman's concept, however, is still highly controversial with many people questioning both the statistical process and the simpli-
stic nature of 'g'. There is also a body of research that states that our mental ability is a function of social factors such as
education and not one's inherent biological make-up.

The early Greeks thought the brain was the seat of your soul, rather than your intellect. They believed that thinking happened
somewhere around the lungs! Not until the seventeenth century was the brain seen as an organ of intelligence and thought,
when the concept of the mind emerged.

There are a number of different methods which purport to measure intelligence, the most famous of which is perhaps the
IQ, or 'Intelligence Quotient' test. The 'Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale' began life in early 20th-century Paris, as part of
Alfred Binet’s efforts to educate children with learning difficulties. Those that obtained a score below their age were consid-
ered "retarded".

IQ is a 'psychometric' test, meaning it measures mental ability. However, defining intelligence is far from simple. There are
two main schools of thought. The first believes in an inherited, genetically determined intellect that can be measured. The
second group of psychologists believe in many intelligences, the development of which may be the result of our social back-
ground. They also think that measuring these intelligences is also problematic. This issue is ongoing and will be studied for
years to come, but for now there is no clear way to truly measure intelligence.

12