Topic 16 聪明的人

1. What kinds of people are clever?
That’s a tough question to answer. I guess people who are clever are usually smart. They can look at a problem and create an interesting or unique solution134. They think in unique ways and look at things from different perspectives. Clever people usually have a good sense of humor as well. Other than that135, I think there isn’t a specific type of person136. Anyone can be clever.

2. Which kinds of ways can develop children’s intelligence?
There are lots of different ways to develop a child’s intelligence. One way is having them read books137.Reading helps them develop literacy skills138. It also helps them think critically139. Both of those skills are important. Another way is teaching them lots of different subjects. Teachers can let students do math and different kinds of physical exercises. This can help students think better from the perspective of science.

3. Are cleverer people happier? Why?
Well, to be honest, I don’t think that’s always true140. I mean, clever people can be happier because in general they have more successful careers and higher income than normal people. Being clever can make your life more comfortable. But everyone has challenges141, whether they’re clever or not.Sometimes problems, like family conflicts and emotion struggles, can be harder for clever people to solve. They might end up overthinking the issues142. So I don’t really think that cleverer people are necessarily happier143.

4. Do you think smart people tend to be selfish?
No, I don’t think so. It’s true that smart people get their way a lot easier. In that way, they can be selfish and use their intelligence to help themselves. But I believe lots of smart people are generous to others.It’s not fair to call them all selfish. Lots of famous and genius entrepreneurs are generous, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. They’ve donated most of their wealth to charity.

5. Who do you think plays a more important role in a child’s development, teachers or parents?
I suppose that parents play a more important role. They’re with the child from the day they’re born. So they have a big influence on them for their whole life. Plus, the parents are the ones who raise the child.They affect what the child believes and how they behave. Teachers still have an important role in children’s lives. But I think parents have a bigger role144.

6. How should teachers develop children’s intelligence?
I think teachers should develop children’s intelligence by challenging them in different ways. They should obviously teach them how to read and write. But they should also teach them different skills that involve math and science. If students study a variety of subjects, they can become well-rounded145 and intelligent. Plus, teachers can also give students difficult questions and encourage them to find the answers by themselves. After all, the more you use your brain the better it works.

7. What are the qualities of good teachers?
One quality that I can think of is patience. Good teachers are calm and helpful, even if the student is being difficult or rude. They should always encourage their students to do their best work. It kind of goes without saying146, but good teachers should also be smart and clever. They should be able to teach in different ways. That will help reach as many students as possible147.

8. Has the invention of the computer made people smarter? Or does it make people think less than before?
I believe that computers have been really helpful. They can help us think in different and challenging148 ways because of all the new technologies they have. For example, you can analyze data and learn science easily on a computer. But computers can also make us think less. After all, they give us answers quickly. We don’t have to think that hard. So there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to computers.

134 create an interesting or unique solution: （聪明的人）会想出很有趣或者很独特的解决办法
135 Other than that：除此之外
136 a specific type of person：没有什么固定特性的人（一定是聪明的）
137 having them read books：让他们读书
138 develop literacy skills：培养读写能力
139 think critically：批判性的思考
140 I don’t think that’s always true：我觉得不总是这样的，我觉得不是所有聪明的人都很开心幸福
141 everyone has challenges：每个人的人生中都有挑战
142 end up overthinking the issues：过度思考某些问题
143 necessarily happier：（不是）一定快乐，必然快乐
144 have a bigger role：（老师固然有影响，但家长）影响更大
145 well-rounded：全面发展的
146 It kind of goes without saying：（这件事情）是显而易见的，被大多人认可的一个事实。这里指好的老师要一定要很聪明的。
147 …teach in different ways. That will help reach as many students as possible：老师采用不同的教学方法，才可以尽可能多的适应不同特点的学生
148 challenging：具有挑战性的