American researchers found females are the more talkative sex because of a special “language protein(蛋白质)” in the brain.
The study, conducted by neuroscientists （神经学家）and psychologist from the University of Maryland, concluded that women talked more because they had more of the Foxp2 protein. The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that higher levels were found among humans that were women but in rats that were males. Their findings came after it was previously claimed that ladies speak about 20,000 words a day – over 13,000 more than men. "This study is one of the first to report a sex difference in the expression of a language-associated protein in humans or animals,” said Prof Margaret McCarthy, who led the study. In their study, the researchers attempted to determine what might make male rats more vocal than their female friends.
They separated four-day-old rats from their mothers and then counted the number of times they cried out in the “ultrasonic range”, the frequencies higher than humans can hear, over five minutes. While both sexes called out hundreds of cries, the males called out twice as often, they found. But when the pups were returned to their mother’s cage, she fussed over her sons first. Tests conducted on the parts of the brain known to be associated with vocalcalls showed the male pups have up to twice as much Foxp2 protein as the females. The researchers then increased the production in the brains of female pups and reduced it in males. This led to the female rats crying out more often and their mothers showing more interest to them. In contrast, males became less “talkative”.
The researchers then tested samples from ten children, aged between three and five, which showed that females had up to 30 per cent more of the Foxp2 protein than males, in a brain area key to language in humans.
“Based on our observations, we assume higher levels of Foxp2 in girls and higher levels of Foxp2 in male rats is an indication that Foxp2 protein levels are associated with the more communicative sex,” said Prof McCarthy.
"Our results imply Foxp2 as a component of the neurobiological basis of sex differences in vocal communication in mammals."
1.From the second paragraph, we can learn that ________.
A．women always speak more words than men
B．men and male rats have low levels of language protein
C．women and male rats have similar levels of Foxp2
D．McCarthy isn’t the first to find females more talkative
2.The underlined phrase “fussed over” in the third paragraph probably means______.
A．paid attention to B．related to C．put pressure on D．counted on
3.The researchers carried out the experiments on rats in order to _______.
A．test which part of the brain is key to language in rats and humans
B．prove the levels of Foxp2 protein in humans and rats are different
C．determine the reason why female rats are more talkative than male rats
D．discover the association between Foxp2protein and vocal communication
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage ?
A．Tests on humans and rats B．Why women are the talkative sex
C．Sex differences in Foxp2 protein D．Foxp2 protein determines oral ability
Historically, the term “fair trade” has meant many things. The Fair Trade League was 1 in Britain in 1881 to restrict 2 from foreign countries. In the United States, businesses and labor unions 3 “fair trade” laws to construct what economist Joseph Stiglitz calls “barriers to imports.” These so called “anti-dumping(反倾销)” laws allow a company that 4 a foreign one of selling a product below cost to request that the government charge special taxes to protect it from “unfair” 5 .
Such dark protectionist thoughts are far from the 6 of the organizers of the United Kingdom’s annual “Fairtrade Fortnight”. Their 7 aim is to raise the price paid to developing-country farmers for their 8 by cutting out the inflated profits of the middlemen on whom they 9 for getting their goods to distant markets. Fair-trade products 10 cocoa, coffee, tea, and bananas do not compete with domestic European production, and 11 do not have a protectionist motive(动机).
This is how it works: In 12 for being paid a guaranteed price and meeting “agreed labor and environmental standards” (minimum wages, no farm chemicals ), poor-country farming cooperatives(合作社) receive a FAIRTRADE mark for their products, given 13 by the FAIRTRADE Labeling Organization. This mark 14 supermarkets and other businesses to sell the products at a higher than 15 price . Third-world farmers get their income increased , 16 first-world consumers get to feel virtuous: a marriage made in heaven.
The fair-trade movement, 17 in the 1980’s, has been growing rapidly. In a significant breakthrough in 1997, the British House of Commons 18 to serve only fair-trade coffee. By the end of 2007, more than 600 producers’ organizations, 19 1.4 million farmers in 58 countries, were selling fair-trade products. Today, a quarter of all bananas in UK supermarkets are sold under a FAIRTRADE mark. But FAIRTRADE-labeled products still represent a very 20 share – typically less than 1% – of global sales of cocoa, tea, coffee, etc.
1. A．discovered B．founded C．encouraged D．promoted
2. A．imports B．exports C．output D．trade
3. A．disobey B．break C．use D．study
4. A．suspects B．needs C．wants D．advertises
5. A．agreement B．contract C．game D．competition
6. A．worries B．minds C．comments D．projects
7. A．educational B．political C．worthy D．immediate
8. A．favour B．benefit C．interest D．produce
9. A．depend B．spend C．look D．apply
10. A．as B．like C．with D．for
11. A．instead B．otherwise C．therefore D．anyhow
12. A．fear B．store C．preparation D．exchange
13. A．secretly B．publicly C．officially D．successfully
14. A．urges B．enables C．orders D．forces
15. A．normal B．potential C．lowest D．best
16. A．when B．while C．as D．but
17. A．launched B．arranged C．invented D．developed
18. A．wanted B．refused C．had D．decided
19. A．telling B．representing C．Choosing D．receiving
20. A．small B．little C．good D．large
—Well Toby, I remember that you had a very …how should I say … relaxed attitude toward work at the book store.
—______! I was a model worker!
A．No way B．No doubt C．No wonder D．No problem
It is difficult to tell exactly ____ the saying began, but it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry.
A．where B．when C．why D．that
—Can you get me some of the novels ?
—By all means. All but one of them ____ in our company.
A．published B．was published C．were published D．had been published
—Why are so many northern Chinese visiting Southeast Asia countries recently ?
—They are trying to get a ___shelter from the cold weather in winter.
A．magic B．reliable C．permanent D．Temporary
