The problem with big brains 聪明大脑所带来的问题
<p>随身英语<span word="The">The</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="brains">brains</span> 聪明大脑所带来的问题</p><p><span word="Play">Play</span> <span word="audio">audio</span> <span word="file">file</span>研究显示，有一个体积较大的大脑可能是造成一些大型哺乳动物灭绝的原因之一。这是因为大脑工作时需要消耗许多能量，再加上大脑体积大的动物通常有着较长的妊娠期，这也就意味着它们繁殖得很慢。本期《随身英语》探讨大体积大脑所引起的困扰。</p><p>课文内容 词汇: 生物</p><p><span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="clever">clever</span>? <span word="Could">Could</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="brain">brain</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dangerous">dangerous</span> <span word="asset">asset</span>?</p><p><span word="Whilst">Whilst</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brainy">brainy</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="strength">strength</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="strength">strength</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="abundance">abundance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="grey">grey</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="directly">directly</span> <span word="increases">increases</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="risk">risk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="extinction">extinction</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="mammal">mammal</span> <span word="cousins">cousins</span>.</p><p><span word="Biologist">Biologist</span> <span word="Manuela">Manuela</span> <span word="Gonzalez">Gonzalez</span>-<span word="Suarez">Suarez</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Reading">Reading</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="brains">brains</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="downside">downside</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="high">high</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="BBC">BBC</span> <span word="Future">Future</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="require">require</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="maintain">maintain</span>. <span word="Large">Large</span>-<span word="brained">brained</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="gestational">gestational</span> <span word="periods">periods</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="fewer">fewer</span> <span word="offspring">offspring</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="parental">parental</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="independent">independent</span>.</p><p><span word="These">These</span> <span word="traits">traits</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> "<span word="populations">populations</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="fast">fast</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="compensate">compensate</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="additional">additional</span> <span word="mortality">mortality</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="says">says</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="big">big</span> <span word="brains">brains</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="investment">investment</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="afford">afford</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="precarious">precarious</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="worse">worse</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="mammals">mammals</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="target">target</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="poaching">poaching</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="threatened">threatened</span> <span word="habitats">habitats</span>.</p>
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