英语听力精选进阶版 14374

Facebook allows gender¹ choices

Summary

14 February 2014

American users on the social network Facebook can now choose a variety of different terms to define their gender other than just male or female. The company said it wanted its users to feel comfortable being their true selves.

Reporter:

Alastair Leithead

Report

Up until now, Facebook's 1.2 billion or so users have had only two choices to define themselves: male or female, but now social networkers, initially² just in the US, have a wider range of options. 

The company said it worked with gay and transgender advocacy groups to select around 50 terms, including "transsexual", "bi-gender" and "androgynous". Users can also choose whether to be referred to as "he", "she" or "they." 

One of Facebook's software engineers who worked on the project is going through a male to female sex change. Brielle Harrison said while it won't mean much to a lot of people, "for the few it does impact, it will mean the world".

It reflects the growing influence of the transgender rights movement in the US, which is demanding similar civil rights to the gay community. 

Facebook's move has been welcomed by activists³ who said they "applaud Facebook for making it possible for people to be their authentic⁴ selves online."

1 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

2 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。