In the last paragraph of this reading, geneticist Robert Plomin is quoted as saying, The wave of acceptance of genetic influence on behavior is growing into a tidal wave that threatens to engulf the second message of this research. These same data provide the best available evidence for the importance of environmental influences. Which of the following best restates Plomin's meaning?
a. In addition to focusing on the idea that the genes we are born with influence our personalities, psychologists should also keep in mind that our surroundings and experiences can shape our personalities as well.
b. The field of genetics is expanding with the same speed and destructive force as a tidal wave on the natural environment.
c. The primary message of the naturenurture debate is that it is pointless to argue about what influences personality development.
d. Those who believe that our genes influence our personalities are mistaken; the environment alone is the deciding factor in explaining why we are the way we are.
Ques. 2A person might have genes that predispose him or her to depression, but without certain environmental stresses or circumstances, the person will probably never become depressed. We can infer from this passage that
a. a genetic predisposition to an illness means you will always experience it.
b. depression can only be caused by environmental circumstances.
c. it is reasonable to assume that it's all in the genes.
d. not all human behavior is genetically determined.
Ques. 3This DNA used to be called junk DNA' as scientists believed it was not very important, but this belief is changing fast. We can conclude from this statement that
a. junk DNA is not associated with common diseases.
b. junk DNA may also affect the activity of key genes.
c. key genes are not affected by junk DNA.
d. scientists named this DNA junk DNA correctly.
Ques. 4In this section and the next, we will examine the interlaced influences of nature and nurture on personality.
In this sentence, the word interlaced can be replaced by
a. divided. c. untwisted.
b. internal. d. woven together.
Ques. 5What aspects of personality might have an inherited component? In this context, the meaning of the word
inherited is
a. a behavior pattern caused by peers' influences. c. learned from one's neighbors.
b. a characteristic received from one's parents. d. received from one's parents' DNA.
Ques. 6In the first paragraph, the article points out that people often fail to keep their New Year's resolutions to adopt healthier lifestyle. This example supports the paragraph's main idea that
a. any effort to change, including making resolutions you don't end up achieving, can have a positive effect on your future accomplishments.
b. making a New Year's resolution is ineffective if you really want to change your lifestyle.
c. most people are incapable of changing their behavior for longer than a few months.
d. people who set goals in January are more likely to succeed in meeting those goals.
Ques. 7According to this article, what should people expect to occur as a normal part of an effective behavior change process?
a. a fast, successful progression from stage to stage
b. to experience guilt
c. to limit alcohol to one drink per day
d. to repeat earlier stages of the process after relapsing
Ques. 8The article states that goals are easier to reach if they are specific.
Which is the following is not a good example of a specific goal for behavior change?
a. I will achieve a 3.0 grade point average this semester, with no less than a C in any of my four classes.
b. I will eat healthier foods in order to lessen my risk for stroke or heart disease.
c. I will walk on the treadmill at the campus gym for forty minutes every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at noon.
d. To lose weight, I will consume an average of 1150 calories or less per day for the next six weeks.
Ques. 9This article describes action as one of the stages of change. Which of the following is an example of an overweight person in the action stage of change?
a. a college student who is 30 pounds overweight but hasn't thought seriously about trying to lose weight
b. a college student who keeps track of the calories she eats, strives not to go over her calorie limit, and walks daily at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more
c. a retired schoolteacher who suspects he may be overweight and has gone online a few times to read about weight loss
d. an adult woman whose body mass index is within the normal range
Ques. 10Species loss lessens the total amount of biomass on a given parcel, suggesting that the degree of diversity directly impacts the amount of life the planet can support. In this context, the word impacts means
a. has an effect on. c. has no influence on.
b. has no effect on. d. hits on.
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