Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.

Let’s state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?

In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It’s said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.

A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender(性别) are “really, really smart”. Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn’t take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.

Here’s the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we’re all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors(因素) like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance(毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world”.

1.What does the author think of victors’ standards for joining the genius club?

A They’re unfair.

B They’re conservative.

C They’re objective.

D They’re strict.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据第三段的“It is said that history is written by victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club —women, or people of a different color or belief— they were unacknowledged and rejected by others. (据说历史是由胜利者书写的，而那些胜利者为进入天才俱乐部设定了标准。当俱乐部以外的天才——女性或不同肤色或信仰的人——做出贡献时，他们不会被承认并且被其他人拒绝)”可推知，作者认为那些“胜利者”对进入“天才俱乐部”设置的标准是不公平的，因为女性或者不同肤色或信仰的人做出的成就是得不到承认的。故选A。

2.What can we infer about girls from the study in Science?

A They think themselves smart.

B They look up to great thinkers.

C They see gender differences earlier than boys.

D They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief. Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are“really really smart. (更糟糕的是，研究发现女孩们是按照这个信念行事的。六岁左右，她们开始避免那些据说是“非常非常聪明”的孩子参加的活动)”可推知，女孩容易受到社会信仰的影响，认为自己在六岁左右就不适合做“聪明孩子”做的事情了。故选D。

3.Why are more geniuses known to the public?

A Improved global communication.

B Less discrimination against women.

C Acceptance of victors’ concepts.

D Changes in people’s social positions.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的 “In a wired world with constant global communication, we’re all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear:(在一个全球通讯不断的有线世界里，我们随时随地都能看到天才的闪现)”可知，进步的全球通讯让更多的天才被公众所知道。故选A。

4.What is the best title for the text?

A Geniuses Think Alike.

B Genius Takes Many Forms.

C Genius and Intelligence.

D Genius and Luck.

解析：选B。B 主旨大意题。根据文章的主要内容，结合文章第一段提出的问题“Who is a genius? (谁是天才)”和最后一段中的“As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with ‘intelligence, creativity, perseverance, and simple geniuses, who are able to change the world(正如一位作家所说，未来的天才来自那些具有“智慧、创造力、毅力和那些能够改变世界的简单天才”)”可知，天才不一定是那些有巨大贡献的人，他们也可以是某一方面比较突出的普通人。由此可知B项“天才有多种形式”可以作为本文最佳标题。故选B。