Unit 4

INTELLIGENCE
I Pre-reading Answer the following questions:
1) When you think of an intelligent person, what do you usually associate him/her
with? In other words, what is your image of a protoypical intelligent person?
2) Would you label someone who
a) is good at maths,
b) can sing beautifully
c) or can solve one's emotional problems rather quickly
as an intelligent person?
3) Would you say that an educated architect from Sweden who speaks several foreign
languages and a member of an African uncivilized tribe who gets along in a forest and
seems to know a lot about the wild animals are both intelligent?
II Reading
Task 1) Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B.
A

a) brilliant

good at learning or understanding things quickly (adj.)

b) wise

a young person who has a great natural ability in a

subject or skill (n.)

c) genius

scientist, writer, student etc who is extremely

intelligent and does very good work (adj.)

d) clever/smart/bright

informal very intelligent and good at studying (adj.)

e) intellectual

someone who is well-educated and interested in art,

science, or literature at a high level (n. or adj.)

f) brainy

person who has a lot of experience and knowledge, and

can give good advice (adj.)

h) prodigy

someone who is extremely intelligent and has great

ideas (n.)

Task 2) Read the text Do We Possess Intelligence or Intelligences? and do the reading
comprehension task below.
DO WE POSSESS INTELLIGENCE OR INTELLIGENCES?

When asked what intelligence means, most people emphasize problem-solving abilities and
knowledge about the world. However, in recent years, psychologists have come to recognize
that intelligence can be viewed as multi-faceted, functional, and culturally defined.
Intelligence is multi-faceted; that is, aspects of it can be expressed in many domains. Most
people are familiar with people who excel in academic and social tasks and are equally adept
at preparing a delicious meal without a cookbook. On the other hand, some people excel in
one area while amazing those around them with their incompetence in other domains, such as
their apparent lack of practical intelligence.
Intelligence is also functional. Intelligent behaviour is always directed toward accomplishing
a task or solving a problem. From an evolutionary perspective, intelligent behaviour finds
solution to the problems of adaptation and hence enables survival and reproduction. From a
cognitive perspective, intelligence refers to applied cognition, that is, the use of cognitive
skills to handle problems or meet desired ends.
In addition, intelligence is culturally defined. If the function of intelligence is to help people
manage the tasks they confront in their lives, then intelligent behaviour is likely to vary crossculturally, because the circumstances people live in differ from one society to the next.
Moreover, the kinds of thinking and behaviour recognized as intelligent may vary
significantly. For example, Western views of intelligence put an emphasis on verbal ability
and mathematical and spatial abilities useful in engineering or manufacturing. Yet, many
African cultures equate intelligence with practical abilities. Westerners have observed that
many members of some African tribes have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of animal
behaviour, which is adaptive for a people whose life is oriented towards hunting and avoiding
dangerous animals.
In short, is intelligence an individual property or is it simply a social construction or value
judgement? Probably not. Some attributes, such as mental quickness or the ability to generate
solutions when faced with novel problems, are valued in any culture; and among cultures at a
more or less similar level of technological development, concepts of intelligence tend to have
many common elements because demands on individuals are similar.
In addition to common approaches to the definition of intelligence (eg. the psychometric
approach, the information-processing approach), in recent years, a very different approach has
challenged the nature of intelligence, expanding the scope of thinking about intelligence.
Some intellectual abilities unquestionably foster success in school. However, can we ignore

practical intelligence (the ability to put plans into action) or emotional intelligence (the ability
to understand other people's emotions and use one's own emotional responses adaptively)?
Another view of intelligence that addresses questions such as these is Howard Gardner's
theory of multiple intelligences. Dissatisfied with the traditional view on the intelligence, he
set out to find more appropriate answers to human intelligence. Here is an excerpt from one of
his articles in which he expressed his critical views on the psychology's orthodoxy about
intelligence. Furthermore, Gardner explains how he came up with the idea of multiple
intelligences and what they encompass.
According to this orthodoxy there is a single intelligence, often callled 'g' for general
intelligence. Individuals are born with a certain intelligence which is difficult to
change and which is possible to assess using short-answer tests, or some other
measures, such as the time it takes to react to a flashing light.
But where is it suggested that intelligence should be determined on the basis of tests?
If the IQ tests in use around the world suddenly disappeared, would we no longer be
able to make judgements of intellect?
Twenty-five years ago, reflecting on these questions, I embarked on a distinctly
different path toward the exploration of intellect. I had been doing research within
two distinctive groups: children who showed talent in one or more art forms; adults
who survived a stroke that compromised some capacities while sparing others. Every
day I encountered people with scattered profiles of strengths and weaknesses; and I
was astonished by the fact that a strength, or a deficit, could coexist comfortably with
various profiles of abilities and disabilities across the variety of age groups. It seemed
to me that the findings of neuropsychology were a reasonable critique of the notion
that there is but a single intelligence.
On the basis of such data, I came across the following: Human beings are better
thought of as possessing a number of relatively independent capacities, rather than as
having a definite amount of intellectual horsepower (or IQ) that can be simply
channeled in one or another direction. I decided to find a better formulation of human
intelligence. A new definition that seemed to me plausible enough was the following:
an intelligence is a psychological potential to process information so as to solve
problems or to fashion products that are valued in at least one cultural context.
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To proceed from an intuition to a definition to a set of human intelligences, I

developed certain criteria which were drawn from several sources: psychology,
observations of unusual individuals, eg. prodigies or idiot savants, anthropology,
cultural studies, and the biological sciences. In 1983, I came up with seven
candidate intelligences that met the criteria sufficietly well: linguistic, logicalmathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.
The theory of multiple intelligences is based on two strong claims. The first claim is
that all human beings have all of these intelligences: what is more, they can be
considered a definition of homo sapiens, cognitevely speaking. The second claim is
that, just as we all look different and have different personalities, we also exhibit
different profiles of intelligences. No two individuals, not even identical twins, have
exactly the same mixture of intelligences, with the same strengths and weaknesses.
The reason for this is because, even if genetic heritage is identical, individuals have
different experiences and also seek to distinguish their profiles from one another.

III Reading comprehension. Circle the letter next to the best answer. Underline the places in
the text which provide the answers.
1) Intelligence has
a) one aspect
b) many aspects
c) one unique and several variable aspects
2) Mental quickness and the abiltiy to solve problems is valued in
a) in Western cultures
b) in some African cultures
c) in all cultures
3) Gardner claims that there is/are
a) single intelligence
b) multiple intelligences
c) two types of intelligence
4) Human beings have
a) releatively independent capacities
b) completelly independent capacities
c) strongly intererelated capacities
5) According to Gardner, human beings
a) exibit all profiles of intelligence
b) exibit different profiles of intelligence
c) exibit the same profiles of intelligence

IV Vocabulary in context
Task 1) Match the words from the box with their definitions given below.

plausible, adj. - scope,n. - multi-faceted, adj. - embark (on), v. - excel (at) sth - foster,v. - adept
(at) sth, adj. hence, adv. - proponent,n.
1. having many different aspects/features

___________________

2. to be better than others/ stand out

___________________

3. therefore/for this reason

___________________

4. very good at sth difficult

__________________

5. skillful/skilled range

__________________

6. encourage/promote

___________________

7. advocate

___________________

8. start/engage in an enterprise

___________________

9. believeable/credible

___________________

Task 2) Fill in the missing gaps with the words from Task 1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

The bishop helped __________ the sense of a community embracing all classes.
Dr George is one of the leading __________ of this view.
Rick has always __________ at foreign languages.
The cost of transport is a major expense for an industry. __________ factory location is an
important consideration.
Let us extend the __________ of the study to examine more factors.
Although his story seemed __________ enough, he found it hard to believe it.
The vast majority of our students go on to university; a few __________ directly on a
career.
How parents help their ESL children learn English is a __________ process in which
parents' attitude to the importance of English language skills is crucial.
Melissa quickly became __________ at predicting his moods.

Task 3) Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions from the text referring to getting to
grips with problems or overcoming problems. Read the text once again, if necessary.
problem-__________________ abilities
to __________________ a task
to _________________ problems
to ______________ desired ends
to generate_________________
faced with _________________ problems
Task 4) Read the paragraph below, underline expressions used to discuss abilities or
capacities that people have (e.g. compromise some capacities) and translate them into
Croatian. Choose three and use them in your own sentences.
Twenty-five years ago, reflecting on these questions, I embarked on a distinctly
different path toward the exploration of intellect. I had been doing research within
two distinctive groups: children who showed talent in one or more art forms; adults
who survived a stroke that compromised some capacities while sparing others. Every
day I encountered people with scattered profiles of strengths and weaknesses; and I
was astonished by the fact that a strength, or a deficit, could coexist comfortably with
various profiles of abilities and disabilities across the variety of age groups. It seemed

to me that the findings of neuropsychology were a reasonable critique of the notion

that there is but a single intelligence.
IV Vocabulary development
Task 1) Here is a short description of the intelligences Gardner proposes. Complete the
following sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets. Compare the answers with
your partner and give arguments for your choice.
Linguistic intelligence refers to __________ (sensitive) to spoken and written language, the
__________ (able) to learn foreign languages, and the __________ (capable) to use language
to fulfill goals. It involves the ability to __________ (effect) use language to express oneself
in rhetorical or poetic way.
Logical-mathematical intelligence includes the capacity to __________ (analysis) problems
logically, perform mathematical operations, and explores issues __________ (science).
According to Howard Gardner, it entails the ability to reason __________ (deduce) and think
logically.
Musical intelligence involves skill in the __________ (perform), composition, and
__________ (appreciate) of musical patterns. It is the capacity to recognize and compose
musical pitches and rhythms.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence ___________ (entailment) the potential of using our body or
parts of the body to solve problems. It refers to the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate
bodily movements.
Spatial intelligence refers to the potential to ___________ (recognition) and use the patterns
of wide space or more confined areas.
Interpersonal intelligence involves the __________ (capable) to understand the other
people's intentions, motivations and desires.
Intrapersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand oneself and respect
one's feelings, fears or motivations. It involves having an effective working model of
ourselves which enables us to use it to __________ (regulation) our lives.
Naturalist intelligence refers to the full recognition of flora and fauna, making other
important ___________ (distinctive) in the nature, and using this ability to productive
purposes, such as in hunting or agriculture.
Apart from these eight intelligences Gardner also speaks about an additional possible
intelligence, namely:

Existential inelligence which entails capacity to ____________ (contemplation) issues such

as meaning of life and death.
adapted from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.

Task 2) Using the vocabulary covered in previos tasks, translate the following paragraph into
English.
Inteligencija je mentalna karakteristika koja se sastoji od sposobnosti za uenje iz iskustva,
prilagodbe na nove situacije, razumijevanja i koritenja apstraktnih pojmova, i koritenja
znanja za snalaenje u novoj okolini u kojima ne pomae stereotipno nagonsko ponaanje, a
niti uenjem steene navike, vjetine i znanja. Iako se definicije inteligencije razlikuju,
teoretiari se slau da je inteligencija potencijal, a ne potpuno razvijena sposobnost. Smatra se
da je inteligencija kombinacija uroenih karakteristika ivanog sustava i razvojne
inteligencije, oblikovane iskustvom i uenjem. Visoka inteligencija ne osigurava osobni ili
drutveni uspjeh. Iako je dokazana vrsta veza izmeu uspjeha u osnovnoj koli i
inteligencije, nakon toga nije vie mogue predvidjeti uspjeh pojedinaca na temelju
inteligencije.
(adapted from http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inteligencija)
VI Speaking. Discuss the questions below. Use the expressions for formulating opinions
given below.
1. According to the text, the definitions of intelligence are culturally-based. Can you
provide your own examples to support this statement?
2. Do you share Gardner's view the definitions of intelligence seem to express what
people value in a human being? Given the facts stated above, would you still say that
a person who can sing nicely or has excellent motoric abilities is intelligent or rather
talented?
3. Based on your experience, to what extent are schools in Croatia oriented towards
the development of students' individual abilities?
4. What is a far-reaching implication of the recognition that the primary importance of
the school is to allow people develop their unique strengths?
5. Do you share the view that logical-mathematical thinking is given the dominant role in
the schools of Western world?
FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE: EXPRESSING OPINIONS

I must say that

From my point of view

I feel that

My perspective is

I believe because

The way I see it

I know that , so

The way I see it...

As far as I'm concerned...

I suppose...

I'm pretty sure that...

I strongly believe that...

VII Writing: Sentence Connectors Contrast

Coherence in text means that ideas expressed within and between the sentences are logically
connected. This logical connection can be achieved by the use of sentence connectors,
discourse markers or transitional expressions. They can denote various logical relationships,
such as contrast, cause and effect, addition, etc. We use them when we want to put a greater
emphasis on the type of connection expressed by the two sentences.
Task 1) Which sentence connector is used to connect the ideas in these two sentences and
what type of relationship does it express? Can you think of any other connector that would
express the same meaning?
Western views of intelligence put an emphasis on verbal ability and mathematical
and spatial abilities useful in engineering or manufacturing. On the other hand,
many African cultures equate intelligence with practical abilities.

Task 2) Study the typical sentence connectors for expressing contrast and find the example
sentences in the text on intelligence. Translate the sentences snd check their Croatian
equivalents.
Contrasting Sentence Connectors: however, nevertheless, in contrast, by contrast, instead,
on the contrary, on the other hand, even so, rather
Task 3) Circle the most appropriate sentence connector in the sentences below.
1. The horrors of the Holocaust went undiscussed in his childhood. Nevertheless/Additionally,
these events had long-lasting effects on his life and a way of thinking.

2. Some methods are typical features of specific disciplines. As a result/On the other hand,
others are shared by two or more disciplines.
3. Once admitted to a job, people who eventually become highly successful, have other
traits as well. They are hard-working, well-connected and energetic. However/Thus,
intelligence does more to get you into a profession, that is through school or training, than
it does to make you successful, once there.
4. The committee has rejected our proposal. Instead/Therefore, they have brought forward an
alternative plan
5. The risk of infection hasnt diminished. Consequently/On the contrary, it has increased.
Task 4) In addition to sentence connectors, contrast can also be expressed by contrasting
conjunctions. Study the examples below.
Contrasting Conjunctions: while, whereas, but, although, though, even though, yet
Punctuation
The punctuation rules are the same as with the use of other sentence connectors or
conjunctions. Study the following sentences and complete the punctuation rules below.
1) It is a difficult exam. Nevertheless, 90% of the students managed to pass it.
2) Although people tend to like others who share their values and attitudes, they often
prefer being with people whose resources, needs, or behavioral styles complement
their own.
3) Like public institutions, however, they can not afford to disregard budgetary reality.
4) The differences seem minor, but they still need further investigation.

When used in the initial position, the sentence connectors are followed by a
____________.

When connectors take the __________ position, they are both preceded and followed
by a comma.

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When the ______________ are used in the initial positions, a comma is used to
separate the main and the subordinate clauses.

When the conjunctions are used in the mid positions, they are _____________ by a
comma.1

Task 5) Fill in the missing gaps with the most appropriate sentence connector or conjunction
to express contrast.
1. If we look at the size of brain from evolutionary perspective, we observe a positive
correlation between brain size and intelligence. There is, ____________, an exceptionCro-Magnon.
2. Tests of intelligence such as the WAIS-III have very high reliability. _____________,
IQ testing has drawn criticism and evoked controversy for many years.
3. When experimentally forced into bad mood, individuals with high self-esteem, tend to
solve problems and think positive thoughts. ____________, people with low selfesteem tend to respond to bad moods with negative thoughts.
4. ______________ everyone engages in behaviours to maintain or enhance their selfesteem, some are more inclined to do so than others.
5. Some studies have found that women have higher self-esteem than men,
____________ other studies have found the opposite.
6. Few of us reflect on the blessings that we have on a regular basis. We tend to take
these things for granted, and __________, all too often focus on the negative things in
our life.
Task 6) Read the text below and fill in the missing gaps with the most appropriate
sentence connector or conjunction for expressing contrast.
Gardner acknowledges that one can never develop a single universally acceptable list of
human intelligences. ______________, on what basis, did he choose each of the eight
intelligences? One criterion is whether intelligence can be isolated neuropscyhologically?
1

Remember to check the type of connection expressed by the conjunction because the type of
connection determines the punctuation. (e.g. It's an old car, but it's very reliable. (contrast);
I'd like to go but I'm too busy. (reason or explanation))

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According to Gardner's view, people have multiple intelligences because they have
multiple neural modules which have their own modes of representation and system of
memory. In other words, ____________ brain damage may impair one system, it may not
necessarily damage others. The modularity of intelligences also means that ____________
a person may have ability in one area, this does not predict ability in another.
Another criterion is existence of prodigies with talents in specific domains. Prodigies are
people with extraordinary genius in one area. ____________, they have perfectly normal
abilities in others. Prodigies, particularly, child prodigies have always been a topic of
curiosity for most people. ____________ most people think of child prodigies as
possessing extraordinary amounts of intelligence, David Feldman, one of the leading
researches in this field, has suggested that high IQ alone does not account for being a
prodigy. ____________, rather than displaying remarkable abilities across situations,
prodigies tend to display abilities that are highly specialized.
adapted from Psychology 6 Edition (John
Wiley & Sons, 2002)

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