Whatweknowofprenataldevelopmentmakesallthisattemptmadebyamothertomoldthecharacterofherunbornchildbystudyingpoetry, art, ormathematicsduringpregnancyseemutterlyimpossible. Howcouldsuchextremelycomplexinfluencespassfromthemothertothechild? Thereisnoconnectionbetweentheirnervoussystems. Eventhebloodvesselsofmotherandchilddonotjoindirectly. Anemotionalshocktothemotherwillaffectherchild, becauseitchangestheactivityofherglandsandsothechemistryherblood. Anychemicalchangeinthemother’sbloodwillaffectthechildforbetterorworse. Butwecannotseehowalookingformathematicsorpoeticgeniuscanbedissolvedinbloodandproduceasimilarlikingorgeniusinthechild.
Inourdiscussionofinstinctswesawthattherewasreasontobelievethatwhateverweinheritmustbeofsomeverysimplesortratherthananycomplicatedorverydefinitekindofbehavior. Itiscertainthatnooneinheritsaknowledgeofmathematics. Itmaybe, however, thatchildreninheritmoreorlessofarathergeneralabilitythatwemaycallintelligence. Ifveryintelligentchildrenbecomedeeplyinterestedinmathematics, theywillprobablymakeasuccessofthatstudy.
Asformusicalability, itmaybethatwhatisinheritedisanespeciallysensitiveear, apeculiarstructureofthehandsorthevocalorgansconnectionsbetweennervesandmusclesthatmakeitcomparativelyeasytolearnthemovementsamusicianmustexecute, andparticularlyvigorousemotions. Ifthesefactorsareallorganizedaroundmusic, thechildmaybecomeamusician. Thesamefactors, inothercircumstancemightbeorganizedaboutsomeothercenterofinterest. Therichemotionalequipmentmightfindexpressioninpoetry. Thecapablefingersmightdevelopskillinsurgery. Itisnottheknowledgeofmusicthatisinherited, thennoreventheloveofit, butacertainbodilystructurethatmakesitcomparativelyeasytoacquiremusicalknowledgeandskill. Whetherthatabilityshallbedirectedtowardmusicorsomeotherundertakingmaybedecidedentirelybyforcesintheenvironmentinwhichachildgrowsup.
1. Whichofthefollowingstatementsisnottrue?
A. Somemotherstrytoinfluencetheirunbornchildrenbystudyingartandothersubjectsduringtheirpregnancy.
B. Itisutterlyimpossibleforustolearnanythingaboutprenataldevelopment.
C. Thebloodvesselsofmotherandchilddonotjoindirectly.
D. Therearenoconnectionbetweenmother’snervoussystemsandherunbornchild’s.
2. Amotherwillaffectherunbornbabyontheconditionthat ____.
A. sheisemotionallyshocked
B. shehasagoodknowledgeofinheritance
C. shetakespartinallkindofactivities
D. shestickstostudying
3. Accordingtothepassage, achildmayinherit____.
A. everythingfromhismother
B. aknowledgeofmathematics
C. arathergeneralabilitythatwecallintelligence
D. hermother’smusicalability
4. Ifachildinheritssomethingfromhismother, suchasanespeciallysensitiveear, apeculiarstructureofthehandsorofthevocalorgans, hewill ____.
A. surelybecomemusician
B. mostlybecomeapoet
C. possiblybecomeateacher
D. becomeamusicianontheconditionthatallthesefactorsareorganizedaroundmusic
5. Whichofthefollowingisthebesttitleforthepassage?
A. RoleofInheritance. B. AnUnbornChild.
C. Functionofinstincts. D. InheritedTalents.