英语听力文摘 English Digest 715 如何构建更强的大脑

Building Bigger Brains

We humans pride ourselves on having large, supple¹ brains. But while our brains are larger than those of most other animals, it appears that over time our presence can result in smaller-brained animals having cerebral² growth spurts³.

Growth Both Urban And Rural

Scientists have found that certain small mammals — including some species of shrew, vole, bat, gopher, mouse and squirrel — have larger brains when they live near or around people in both urban and rural areas.

For example, one study found that the brains of urban-dwelling⁴ white-footed mice and meadow voles are about six percent larger than their rural cousins.

Meanwhile, as habitats have become developed, rural dwelling shrews and bats have also evolved larger brains over the past century.

Human Selection Pressure

Scientists speculate that the larger brains of some city living animals are due to those critters having to adapt to and survive in places populated by lots of people. After all, it stands to reason that raising baby mice and voles in busy urban and suburban⁵ places requires as much brain power as possible.

As for the rural animals whose brains have grown, it could be that human development in rural areas has forced animals such as bats and shrews to forage⁶ farther afield, and that patrolling larger hunting grounds requires more brain power.

An important underlying⁷ point of this research is that even an organ as complex as the brain is capable of significant evolution over relatively⁸ short periods of time.

如何构建更强的大脑

我们人类以拥有大而灵活的大脑而自豪。但是，虽然我们的大脑比大多数其他动物的大脑都大，但随着时间的推移，我们的存在似乎会导致大脑较小的动物出现脑生长激增。

城市和农村的增长

科学家发现，某些小型哺乳动物——包括一些种类的鼩、田鼠、蝙蝠、地鼠、老鼠和松鼠——在城市和农村地区生活在人附近或周围时，大脑会更大。

例如，一项研究发现，居住在城市的白脚鼠和草地田鼠的大脑比它们的农村近亲大大约6%。

与此同时，随着栖息地的发展，在过去的一个世纪里，居住在农村的泼妇和蝙蝠也进化出了更大的大脑。

人类选择压力

科学家推测，一些城市生活动物的大脑变大是因为这些动物必须适应并在人口众多的地方生存。毕竟，在繁忙的城市和郊区饲养小老鼠和田鼠需要尽可能多的脑力，这是有道理的。

至于那些大脑已经长大的农村动物，可能是因为农村地区的人类发展迫使蝙蝠和泼妇等动物到更远的地方觅食，而巡视更大的狩猎场需要更多的脑力。

这项研究的一个重要基础点是，即使是像大脑这样复杂的器官，也能够在相对较短的时间内进行显著的进化。

1 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

2 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

3 spurts   

短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起

参考例句：

• Great spurts of gas shoot out of the sun. 太阳气体射出形成大爆发。
• Spurts of warm rain blew fitfully against their faces. 阵阵温热的雨点拍打在他们脸上。

4 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

5 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

6 forage   

n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻

参考例句：

• They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
• Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。

7 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

8 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。