(C) There are two factors
which determine an individual’s intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he
is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than
others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will
have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the
second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of environment in which
he is reared. If an individual is handicapped environmentally, it is likely that
his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of
intelligence of which he is capable. The importance of
environment in determining an individual’s intelligence can be demonstrated by
the case of the identical twins, Peter and Mark Being identical, the twins had
identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the
twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in
separate foster homes. Peter was reared by parents of low intelligence in an
isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the
home of well to do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child,
sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated
intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in
their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence.
Mark’s IQ was 125, twenty five points higher than the average and fully forty
points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins,
having identical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level. This selection can best be titled ______.
A. Measuring Your Intelligence.
B. Intelligence and Environment.
C. The Case of Peter and Mark.
D. How the Brain Influences Intelligence.