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If you are like most people, your intelligence varies form season to season. You are probably a lot sharper in the spring than you are at any other time of year. A noted scientist, Ellsworth Huntington (1876-1947), concluded from other men’s work and his own among peoples in different climates that climate and temperature have a definite effect on our mental abilities.

He found that cool weather is much more favourable for creative thinking than is summer heat. This does not mean that all people are less intelligent in summer than they are during the rest of the year. It does mean, however, that the mental abilities of large numbers of people tend to be lowest in summer.

Spring appears to be the best period of the year for thinking. One reason may be that in the spring man’s mental abilities are affected by the same factors that bring about great changes in all nature.

Fall is the next-best season, then winter. As for summer, it seems to be a good time to take a long vacation from thinking.

1. According to the passage, man’s intelligence _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

A)     stays the same throughout the year

B)      varies from day to day

C)     changes with the seasons

D)     changes from year to year

2. Ellsworth Huntington decided that climate and temperature have _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

A)     a great effect on everyone’s intelligence

B)      some effect on most people’s intelligence

C)     some effect on a few people’s intelligence

D)     no effect on most people’s intelligence

3. Ellsworth Huntington’s conclusion was based on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

A)     variations of his own mental abilities from season to season

B)      the results of research done by him and other scientists among peoples in different climates

C)     detailed records of temperature changes in different places

D)     detailed records of different ways of thinking among peoples in different climates

4. Why does the author say summer is a good time to take a long vacation from thinking?

A)     Because a long vacation in summer helps to improve people’s mental power.

B)      Because people tend to be less creative during summer.

C)     Because summer is a good time for outdoor activities.

D)     Because mental exertion in the summer heat taxes too much of people’s energy.

5. The central idea of this passage is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

A)     man’s mental abilities change from season to season

B)      man’s intelligence varies from place to place

C)     man should take a long vacation in summer

D)     if you want to do creative thinking, go to a cool place