IQ(intelligence quotient) is a score that shows a person's level of intelligence(智力). People used to believe that some people are born with a high IQ and some aren't. However, a study by scientists at University College London has challenged this idea. According to an article, scientists are beginning to think that our IQ is a changing score.
The scientists tested 33 healthy young people in 2004 between the ages of 12 and 16. Then they did the tests again four years later, when the same people were between 16 and 20.
Scientists found big changes in the IQ scores between 2008 and 2004. Some rose and some fell by as many as 21 points.
To test whether these scores were meaningful, the scientists compared them with results from brain scans. They found that the IQ changes matched changes in the structure(结构) of the subjects' brains.
"A change in 20 points is a huge difference," said Professor Cathy Price, who led the research. He said it could mean the difference between a common person and a talented person.
____ However, they say it is possible that education plays a role in changing IQ. "Here we have shown that children's intelligence is probably still developing," says Price. "We have to be careful to help poorer performers at an early age. In fact, their IQ may improve in a few more years."