GED Reading: The Book of Evolution
Hola! I’m not so good at science in the first place, but sometimes science can be interesting. Like the theory of evolution. It says that we all evolved from the fish or something like that. I don’t know a lot about it, but I can’t imagine my great great great bisabuela having fins or gills. Or being some sort of bacteria. A lot of people have debates about whether or not we evolved from something else, or if certain theories about the beginning of the world, like in the bible, are correct.
It’s all interesting stuff, but sometimes if we want to know more about it, we gotta read science books, like On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. He’s the guy who came up with this idea of evolution. I don’t know if he thought we all came from some sorta primordial soup though. I think he just mostly noticed that animals can change to fit their environment, and that eventually all of that species changes too. Here’s a paragraph from his book:
If we suppose any habitual action to become inherited—and I think it can be shown that this does sometimes happen—then the resemblance between what originally was a habit and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished. If Mozart, instead of playing the pianoforte at three years old with wonderfully little practice, had played a tune with no practice at all, he might truly be said to have done so instinctively. But it would be the most serious error to suppose that the greater number of instincts have been acquired by habit in one generation, and then transmitted by inheritance to succeeding generations. It can be clearly shown that the most wonderful instincts with which we are acquainted, namely, those of the hive-bee and of many ants, could not possibly have been thus acquired.
What point is the author trying to make in this passage?
1. Talented people inherit their abilities.
2. It is difficult to know the difference between a learned habit and an inherited one.
3. Learned habits and inherited habits are the same thing.
4. Animals can not learn.
5. People do not have instincts.
Ay, I had to read this several times to understand it all. Immediately, I understood about Mozart. I know about him, he was a famous composer. Darwin says that he could play piano when he was tres años. That’s impressive, but it doesn’t mean he was born being able to play piano, right? He had to practice a little. So I guess Darwin’s trying to make a point about what you’re born with, and what you’re not born with. Like he says about what instincts get acquired by habit. So if you play piano a lot, then you eventually can play it just like it was an instinct. But it’s not an instinct you were born with, so you don’t necessarily pass it down to your children, like a basic instinct to find food.
That means number one isn’t right, because Darwin says right in the Mozart part that “it would be the most serious error” to guess that someone could inherit their talent just because their father or mother could do it. There’s a possibility that maybe they could inherit it, but that’s not what the author is saying here.
I think number two is right. Darwin says something really similar at the beginning: “If we suppose any habitual action to become inherited—and I think it can be shown that this does sometimes happen—then the resemblance between what originally was a habit and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished.” Look at the last part. “…so as not to be distinguished.” That means they’re almost the same, so you can’t tell the difference. If you can’t tell the difference, then it would be hard to know which is one and which is the other. That’s exactly what number two says!
Number three is really close to number two. How do we know that Darwin isn’t just saying that there’s no difference at all? Well, He says that it would be wrong to say that instincts developed by habit in one generation are transmitted down to their children through inheritance. That’s making a strong point that they’re not the same. Otherwise it wouldn’t matter if your parents developed something from habit or from inheritance themselves. You’d have an equal possibility of inheriting either.
Number four and five are both wrong. It doesn’t say anything about either of these. Though, I think it’s important to realize that they’re wrong because the passage doesn’t talk about them. I know that animals can learn. People teach dogs tricks all the time! And I’m pretty sure everyone has instincts. That’s how we survive! But the question doesn’t ask about what’s true and what’s not true. It asks about what the author is saying. But here, we can see that he doesn’t say anything about that. He mostly talks about the difference between instincts and whether they’re developed in your life or inherited from your parents. That’s why I’m pretty sure that number two is right.
This was a really challenging question. If you could answer it right, you’re doing really well! Challenging yourself with difficult readings can make the kind of things you normally read a lot easier! It’s like running a little extra sometimes so that when it’s time for the big race, you know you can do it and more!
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