英语听力精选进阶版 7296

美国科学家们发现黑猩猩会因自己做出了错误的决定而感到无比沮丧。来自杜克大学的研究人员和黑猩猩做了几个有赏游戏，结果发现输了游戏的猩猩都会发脾气。

The Duke University team designed two games - one to test patience and the other assessing risk-taking.

The second was a sort of gambling¹ game where the forty chimps³ and bonobos the team studied were offered a choice between a safe option - six peanuts hidden under a bowl - or a risky⁴ option. The second bowl concealed⁵ either a slice of cucumber or a much tastier piece of banana, and that prize wasn't revealed until the ape had made its choice.

When one chimp², named Timi, gambled and got the cucumber, he threw what looked and sounded very much like a tantrum. Although some were more stoic⁶ than Timi, many of the animals involved showed an emotional response to a bad decision - anxiously scratching themselves or calling out.

The study, the scientists say, suggests that emotions like frustration⁷ and regret - so fundamental to our own decisions - are not uniquely human, but are an important and ancient part of ape society.

Quiz 听力测验

What were the two games trying to test?

The chimpanzees' patience and risk-taking.

What word means 'hidden'?

Concealed.

True or false? The chimpanzees reacted badly when they made the wrong decision.

True. The chimpanzees appeared to throw tantrums, scratched themselves or called out.

What does the study say about feelings of frustration and regret?

That they are not unique to humans but are also present in ape society.

Glossary 词汇表

patience 耐心

risk-taking 冒险精神

a safe option 保险的选择

concealed 盖住的、遮住的

revealed 揭开，使显露

a tantrum 发脾气

frustration 挫败，沮丧

regret 悔恨，惋惜

fundamental 不可缺少的，重要的

uniquely 独有的

1 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

2 chimp   

n.黑猩猩

参考例句：

• In fact,the color of gorilla and chimp are light-color.其实大猩猩和黑猩猩的肤色是较为浅的。
• The chimp is the champ.猩猩是冠军。

3 chimps   

（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
• And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

4 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

5 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

6 stoic   

n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者

参考例句：

• A stoic person responds to hardship with imperturbation.坚忍克己之人经受苦难仍能泰然自若。
• On Rajiv's death a stoic journey began for Mrs Gandhi,supported by her husband's friends.拉吉夫死后，索尼亚在丈夫友人的支持下开始了一段坚忍的历程。

7 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。