為什麼有些人會吸引我們？而我們對另一些人卻毫無感覺，沒有興趣呢？專家說，容貌、性格甚至氣味都會影響人們對可選擇對象的感覺和喜愛程度。本期《隨身英語》探討影響人們在尋找伴侶時的多種因素。
詞彙:愛情
I'm sure we all remember a time when we fell in love. For some it was a gradual realisation that the person you knew was actually amazing. For others, it was love at first sight – an instant lightning-bolt moment that you knew you'd met your perfect match.
What is it that makes someone instantly love someone? Physical attraction is an obvious answer but there are other reasons that can create affection for someone; compatibility, personality and a good sense of humour to name just a few.
But according to one expert, there is a more scientific explanation. Dr Anna Machin, an Evolutionary Anthropologist at the University of Oxford says men look for signs of fertility and good health in a partner "and the major indicator of that in women is the waist-hip ratio… the absolute ideal." This is believed to be 0.7 which is "really your classic hourglass figure." And what do women look for in men? Well other experts have discovered they look for men who are taller, with broad shoulders and a relatively narrow waist – so a 'V' shaped torso.
If you're worried your figure isn't the perfect shape, there could be other factors that will cause someone to fall head over heels in love with you – people also use their sense of smell to sniff out their ideal mate. Apparently, we can detect whether people are genetically different to us by the way they smell.
Even if a potential partner's smell is a passion-killer, their facial expressions might make you infatuated with them. According to Professor David Perrett, at the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews University, "we can change our faces by interacting with others and doing so in a pleasant manner, and that will aid our attractiveness and make others interested in us."
So it's good to know there are many reasons why we might be smitten with someone, but there is a problem; will the feeling be mutual and if it is, how long will it last? Nothing is guaranteed and, we know from Shakespeare, the course of true love never ran smoothly!
fell in love 墜入愛河，相愛了
love at first sight 一見鍾情
lightning-bolt moment 電閃雷鳴的一刻，突然間
perfect match 完美的另一半，天生絕配
physical attraction 身體、外表吸引力
affection 喜愛，愛慕之情
a good sense of humour 有很好的幽默感
waist-hip ratio 腰臀比
hourglass figure 蜂腰體形，沙漏形身材
torso 軀幹，身軀
to fall head over heels in love 墜入愛河，愛得神魂顛倒
mate （名詞）配偶
a passion-killer （俗語）激情殺手，令人喪失激情的事物
infatuated 迷戀的，著迷的
smitten 著了迷的，突然愛上的
mutual 相互的，彼此共同的
the course of true love never ran smoothly 真愛之路永遠充滿坎坷
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. Give one reason, mentioned in the article, which might make us fall instantly in love with someone.
2. True or false? Experts say men think a woman with an hourglass figure are likely to be to healthier and more fertile.
3. What can smell help us detect in a possible partner?
4. Which word means 'certain to happen or exist'?
5. If we fall in love with someone, what are we not sure of?
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. I prefer dogs to cats because they show me a lot of ______.
affliction affection addiction affections
2. Wildlife experts have discovered male pipistrelle bats 'sing' to attract a ______.
passion-killer smitten mate infatuation
3. What I liked about Helen is that we had ______ interests.
lightning-bolt smitten mutual a good sense of humour
4. We met at a party and instantly ______.
fell in love falled in love fallen in love fell on love
5. My husband wears his socks in bed and it's a real ______.
perfect match lightning-bolt moment physical attraction passion-killer
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. Give one reason, mentioned in the article, which might make us fall instantly in love with someone.
Physical attractiveness, compatibility, personality, a good sense of humour.
2. True or false? Experts say men think a woman with an hourglass figure are likely to be to healthier and more fertile.
True. Men look for signs of fertility and good health in a partner and the major indicator of that in women is the waist-hip ratio. ("Really your classic hourglass figure.").
3. What can smell help us detect in a possible partner?
We can detect whether people are genetically different to us by the way they smell.
4. Which word means 'certain to happen or exist'?
Guaranteed.
5. If we fall in love with someone, what are we not sure of?
That someone will fall in love with you!
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. I prefer dogs to cats because they show me a lot of affection.
2. Wildlife experts have discovered male pipistrelle bats 'sing' to attract a mate.
3. What I liked about Helen is that we had mutual interests.
4. We met at a party and instantly fell in love.
5. My husband wears his socks in bed and it's a real passion-killer.