雅思阅读真题（Part 2）
爱因斯坦的大脑为何如此聪明
本篇也叫：爱因斯坦大脑、爱因斯坦的脑子、天才大脑、爱因斯坦脑切片、爱因斯坦为什么聪明、爱因斯坦大脑研究
Part 2 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2026.5.23
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 2）《Why was he so smart?》，共 13 题，2026.5.23雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讲述爱因斯坦去世后，病理学家托马斯·哈维经家属同意保存其大脑，拍照并切成240块、制成约2000张显微切片供全球至少18位研究者使用。研究发现爱因斯坦顶叶缺少部分结构、沟回模式异常、神经元密度和胶质细胞比例偏高，但科学家仍无法确切解释这些大脑特征如何造就他的物理天才。
Parts of Albert Einstein`s brain provide us with an insight into his brilliance
A
Albert Einstein was a German-born physicist and Nobel-prize winner who developed the general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement he is widely regarded as a genius, but how did he get that way? Many researchers have assumed that it took a special brain to come up with the theory of relativity and other stunning insights that form the foundation of modern physics. A study of 14 newly-discovered photographs of Einstein`s brain, which was preserved for study after his death, concludes it was indeed unusual in many ways. But researchers still do not know exactly how the brain`s extra folds and convolutions translated into Einstein`s amazing abilities.
B
The story of Einstein`s brain began in 1955 when the Nobel-prize-winning physicist died in New Jersey, at 76. His son Hans Albert gave the examining pathologist Thomas Harvey permission to preserve the brain for scientific study. Harvey photographed the brain and then cut it into 240 blocks, which were embedded in a substance called resin. He cut the blocks into as many as 2000 thin sections for microscopic study and in subsequent years microscopic slides and photographs of the brain were made available to at least 18 researchers around the world. Apart from the slides carried by Harvey himself, no one is sure where all the specimens are now.
C
Harvey noticed immediately that Einstein had no parietal operculum (part of the “lid” of the brain) in either hemisphere. It became immediately clear that Einstein`s brain grew in an interesting way. Despite this, only six peer-reviewed publications resulted from these scattered specimens. Some of these studies did find interesting features in Einstein`s brain, including a greater density of neurons in some parts and a higher-than-usual ratio of the brain`s glia (cells that help neurons to transmit nerve impulses) to neurons. Two studies of the brain`s anatomy, including one published in 2009 by anthropologist Dean Falk of Florida State University in the US, found that Einstein`s parietal lobes - possibly linked to his remarkable ability to conceptualise physics problems - had an unusual pattern of grooves and ridges.
D
But the analysis was based on only a handful of photographs that had been previously made available to Harvey, who died in 2007. In 2010, Harvey`s heirs agreed to transfer all of his specimens to the US Army`s National Museum of Health and Medicine in Maryland, in the hope that future researchers could discover the secrets behind Einstein`s genius. For a new study, published in the journal Brain, Falk and his team worked with Adrianne Noe, director of the museum, to analyse 14 photographs of the whole brain that had never before been made public.
E
Falk`s team analysed Einstein`s brain, and then set the data against studies of 85 other humans already described in the scientific literature, and found that the great physicist did have something special between his ears. Although the brain, weighing 1230 grams, is average in weight, several regions feature additional convolutions and folds. The regions on the left side of the brain that facilitate sensory inputs into, and motor control of, the face and tongue are much larger than normal, and his prefrontal cortex - linked to planning, focused attention and perseverance in the face of challenges - is also greatly expanded.
F
A neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School in Boston in the US, Albert Galaburda, was interested in the paper published in Brain because it documented the anatomy of Einstein`s brain in great detail. However, Galaburda also believes that the study raises very important questions which currently have no answer. Among them are whether Einstein started off with a special brain that predisposed him to be a great physicist, or whether doing great physics caused certain parts of his brain to expand. Einstein`s genius, Galaburda says, was probably due to some combination of a special brain and the environment he lived in, although research has not provided definitive evidence of this.
G
Falk agrees that both nature and nurture were probably involved, pointing out that Einstein`s parents were, in his opinion, very nurturing and encouraged him to be independent and creative, not only in science but also paying for piano and violin lessons. Interestingly, Falk`s 2009 study found that a region linked to creative pursuits such as these was expansive in Einstein`s brain.“I think Einstein programmed his own brain,” Falk says, adding that when the field of physics was ripe for new insights, “he had the right brain in the right place at the right time.”
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答案：outstanding scientific achievements arouse interest in Einstein's brain
原文定位：Albert Einstein was a German-born physicist and Nobel-prize winner;For this achievement he is widely regarded as a genius;Many researchers have assumed that it took a special brain to come up with the theory of relativity;A study of 14 newly-discovered photographs of Einstein’s brain;concludes it was indeed unusual in many ways
答案：material collected from Einstein's brain is prepared and distributed
原文定位：Harvey photographed the brain and then cut it into 240 blocks, which were embedded in a substance called resin. He cut the blocks into as many as 2000 thin sections;and in subsequent years microscopic slides and photographs of the brain were made available to at least 18 researchers around the world
答案：research findings from the initial allocation of material taken from Einstein's brain
原文定位：Some of these studies did find interesting features in Einstein’s brain;Two studies;found that Einstein’s parietal lobes;had an unusual pattern of grooves and ridges
答案：Researchers obtain access to previously unreleased material
原文定位：analyse 14 photographs of the whole brain that had never before been made public
同义替换：「previously unreleased material」↔「had never before been made public」
答案：making comparisons with existing brain analyses
原文定位：Falk`s team analysed Einstein`s brain, and then set the data against studies of 85 other humans already described in the scientific literature
同义替换：「existing brain analyses」↔「scientific literature」
答案：a researcher identifies issues arising from a comprehensive study of Einstein's brain
原文定位：Galaburda also believes that the study raises very important questions which currently have no answer
同义替换：「a researcher」↔「Galaburda」，「identifies issues」↔「raises very important questions」
答案：Einstein's brilliance was partly a result of self-development
原文定位：I think Einstein programmed his own brain
同义替换：「programmed his own brain」↔「self-development」
答案：Albert Galaburda
原文定位：Galaburda also believes that the study raises very important questions which currently have no answer;research has not provided definitive evidence of this
同义替换：「yet to be fully explained」↔「have no answer」
答案：Dean Falk
原文定位：The regions on the left side of the brain;are much larger than normal, and his prefrontal cortex;is also greatly expanded
同义替换：「bigger than usual」↔「much larger than normal」
答案：Thomas Harvey
原文定位：Harvey noticed immediately that Einstein had no parietal operculum (part of the “lid” of the brain) in either hemisphere
同义替换：「lacked」↔「had no」，「a feature typical of most brains」↔「parietal operculum」
答案：Dean Falk
原文定位：Falk`s 2009 study found that a region linked to creative pursuits such as these was expansive in Einstein`s brain
同义替换：「music」↔「piano and violin lessons」，「highly developed」↔「expansive」
答案：resin
原文定位：Harvey photographed the brain and then cut it into 240 blocks, which were embedded in a substance called resin
同义替换：「were put into」↔「were embedded in」，「a material」↔「a substance」，「similar to」↔「called」
答案：planning
原文定位：and his prefrontal cortex - linked to planning, focused attention and perseverance in the face of challenges - is also greatly expanded
同义替换：「concentration」↔「focused attention」，「determination」↔「perseverance」