# Sorry - who are you? - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 1） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：2025.12.4西北工业大学 - 题目数：13 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/f5904bff-86c3-4eb1-b166-cdbe452266d9（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 Prosopagnosia is a medical condition that stops people from recognizing faces. But how common is it and why does it happen? A It was Jacob Hodes' first day at college. He can still recall spending an enjoyable afternoon being shown around campus by a second-year student named Daniel Byrne, who happened to be from his hometown. Jacob then spent the rest of the year ignoring him. "I never saw him again," he says. "Well, I'm sure I walked past him plenty of times, but I just didn't see him." This behavior wasn't intentional. Jacob just couldn't recollect what his fellow student looked like. He had had the same trouble all his life. Friends and relatives would greet him, and he would have no idea who they were. B It wasn't until five years ago that it all made sense. That was when Hodes was diagnosed with prosopagnosia, a condition that means he is unable to recognize faces. According to researchers, he is far from alone. In fact, the condition is not that uncommon, but until a few years ago, only a few dozen cases had ever been described, and all of these had been caused by brain injury. Recently, though, researchers identified a second form of face blindness—developmental prosopagnosia, which is either present from birth or develops very early in life. C In May, a team from Harvard University in the US and University College London (UCL) announced the results of a web survey of 1,600 people, suggesting that up to 2 percent of people have some degree of face blindness. Then in August, Martina Gruter and colleagues at the Institute for Human Genetics in Münster, Germany, similarly reported that 2.5 percent of 700 secondary school pupils they had tested had trouble recognizing faces. The results of the survey took everyone by surprise. D It seems that if you have never known what it is to recognize a face, you don't necessarily know that you are supposed to be able to. "Prosopagnosics almost always know that they have trouble recognizing people, but they often don't realize that other people have better recognition skills than they do," says Brad Duchaine, a researcher at UCL. E Despite these issues, the majority of developmental prosopagnosics possess strategies that allow them to get around their difficulty. For instance, they recognize hair, clothing, or a person's way of speaking. So, unless they see a familiar person out of context, with a new hairstyle or in different clothes, they can recognize people just fine. Even so, the discovery of developmental prosopagnosia has attracted attention from neuroscientists keen to discover what is different about the brain of face-blind people. This difference, they believe, could help solve the problem of how the brain deals with information in general—not just visual data. In other words, it may show whether the brain has specialized parts for specific tasks or is more of a general-purpose information processor. F One issue, however, that will present challenges for researchers is that no two prosopagnosics are the same. Some have problems only with faces, while others have trouble with ordinary everyday objects and, so it turns out, animals, which would normally be familiar as well. Some prosopagnosics can train themselves to recognize specific faces; others can't even recognize their own in a mirror. When some have been tested, they could identify the emotion conveyed on another's face, even though the face itself seemed unfamiliar, while for other subjects, this was an impossibility. Some cannot recognize the faces of old friends or fellow students but have no trouble telling whether a particular face from such groups would be attractive to most people. Because of this diversity, working out the cause of prosopagnosia will not be easy. G In Martina Gruter's study, the prosopagnosics who agreed to have their parents and relatives tested reported at least one with the condition. Having looked at 38 cases in seven families, the German team believes they have good evidence that a single gene could be responsible. Duchaine also has some evidence that face blindness could be inherited but thinks other factors might be more significant. He refers to studies of babies born with a condition that means the eye's lens is not clear, and when it's the left one, being unable to see through this eye during the first two months of life is a major risk factor for prosopagnosia. H Whatever the cause, what most prosopagnosics want to know is whether they can do anything to improve their face recognition skills. Joseph Degutis, a graduate student at the University of California, recently reported successfully training a severe developmental prosopagnosic to recognize faces during tests carried out in the laboratory. The subject also reported that recognizing faces in everyday life became easier due to the training. Duchaine now plans to attempt to train sufferers to recognize the five people that they most need to know—maybe their immediate family, for example, and essential colleagues. I However, Martina Gruter's husband, who also works on her team, is not convinced it will work. "I don't know how you can have more training than you have already had," he says. "Humans already spend all day looking at faces." He also points out that cheating is a possibility during tests and provides an example: one person they studied said that when she was doing the face-recognition test, she memorized the distance between the nose and upper lip. She wasn't the only one. "So, you can perform well in the test and not do so well in real life." ## 题目与答案 ### 1. 1 Before attending college, Jacob was capable of recognizing people he knew well. 1 Before attending college, Jacob was capable of recognizing people he knew well. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：FALSE 原文定位：He had had the same trouble all his life. Friends and relatives would greet him, and he would have no idea who they were ### 10. Causes of prosopagnosia ·10 Prosopagnosia may be caused by just one _____ Causes of prosopagnosia ·10 Prosopagnosia may be caused by just one _____ **答案**：gene 原文定位：Having looked at 38 cases in seven families, the German team believes they have good evidence that a single gene could be responsible ### 11. 11 a defect in the _____ . 11 a defect in the _____ . **答案**：left 原文定位：He refers to studies of babies born with a condition that means the eye's lens is not clear, and when it's the left one, being unable to see through this eye during the first two months of life is a major risk factor for prosopagnosia ### 12. Treatment for prosopagnosia ·According to Martina Gruter Eye according to Brad Duchaine 12 Joseph Degutis' patent proved he had been successfully trained to recognize faces inside the _____ and in the outside world. Duchaine's training may allow prosopagnosics to recognize faces belonging to family and workmates. Treatment for prosopagnosia ·According to Martina Gruter Eye according to Brad Duchaine 12 Joseph Degutis' patent proved he had been successfully trained to recognize faces inside the _____ and in the outside world. Duchaine's training may allow prosopagnosics to recognize faces belonging to family and workmates. **答案**：laboratory 原文定位：Joseph Degutis, a graduate student at the University of California, recently reported successfully training a severe developmental prosopagnosic to recognize faces during tests carried out in the laboratory ### 13. ·13 Thomas Gruter doubts that training will work and mentions that _____ subjects can affect research results by some. ·13 Thomas Gruter doubts that training will work and mentions that _____ subjects can affect research results by some. **答案**：cheating 原文定位：He also points out that cheating is a possibility during tests and provides an example: one person they studied said that when she was doing the face-recognition test, she memorized the distance between the nose and upper lip ### 2. 2 Researchers believe that prosopagnosia may be a growing problem. 2 Researchers believe that prosopagnosia may be a growing problem. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：In fact, the condition is not that uncommon, but until a few years ago, only a few dozen cases had ever been described, and all of these had been caused by brain injury. Recently, though, researchers identified a second form of face blindness—developmental prosopagnosia, which is either present from birth or develops very early in life ### 3. 3 It is harder to identify developmental prosopagnosia in babies than in young children. 3 It is harder to identify developmental prosopagnosia in babies than in young children. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NOT GIVEN ### 4. 4 A German study seems to support the Harvard and UCL research findings. 4 A German study seems to support the Harvard and UCL research findings. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：In May, a team from Harvard University in the US and University College London (UCL) announced the results of a web survey of 1,600 people, suggesting that up to 2 percent of people have some degree of face blindness. Then in August, Martina Gruter and colleagues at the Institute for Human Genetics in Münster, Germany, similarly reported that 2.5 percent of 700 secondary school pupils they had tested had trouble recognizing faces ### 5. 5 In general, prosopagnosics are aware that other people can recognize faces more easily than they can. 5 In general, prosopagnosics are aware that other people can recognize faces more easily than they can. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：FALSE 原文定位：Prosopagnosics almost always know that they have trouble recognizing people, but they often don't realize that other people have better recognition skills than they do ### 6. 6 In most cases, prosopagnosics have developed ways to deal with their problem. 6 In most cases, prosopagnosics have developed ways to deal with their problem. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：Despite these issues, the majority of developmental prosopagnosics possess strategies that allow them to get around their difficulty ### 7. 7 The study of prosopagnosia may help neuroscientists to treat different kinds of brain injury. 7 The study of prosopagnosia may help neuroscientists to treat different kinds of brain injury. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NOT GIVEN ### 8. Differences in prosopagnosis ·The challenges for prosopagnosia researchers 8 As well as being unable to recognize facial features, prosopagnosics may also have problems recognizing commonly seen _____ . Differences in prosopagnosis ·The challenges for prosopagnosia researchers 8 As well as being unable to recognize facial features, prosopagnosics may also have problems recognizing commonly seen _____ . **答案**：animals 原文定位：Some have problems only with faces, while others have trouble with ordinary everyday objects and, so it turns out, animals, which would normally be familiar as well ### 9. 9 The _____ and objects on someone else's face. ·Some prosopagnosics can recognize that people are regarded as attractive by others. 9 The _____ and objects on someone else's face. ·Some prosopagnosics can recognize that people are regarded as attractive by others. **答案**：emotion 原文定位：When some have been tested, they could identify the emotion conveyed on another's face, even though the face itself seemed unfamiliar, while for other subjects, this was an impossibility --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。