時文閱讀|雌性哺乳動物更為長壽的秘密
在人類社會，女性的平均壽命普遍要比男性長，一種說法是因為男性的新陳代謝速度要比女性快。如今，科學
家們在野生哺乳動物身上也發現了相同的現象，即雌性動物的壽命普遍比雄性動物長，這又是因為什麼呢？
閱讀短文並回答問題
An international team of scientists studying lifespans（壽命）of wild mammals have found that, just
like humans, females tend to live significantly longer than their male counterparts.
The researchers looked at the lifespans of 101 different species, from sheep to elephants, and found
that females lived an average of 18% longer than males for more than 60% of the species studies. In
humans, females tend to live around 7.8% longer.
The study, led by scientists at University Lyon 1 and published in the journal, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, found this was not due to the sexes aging at different rates but that females
had an average lower risk of mortality（死亡率）
in adulthood than males. It was unclear from the data as to
why females survive longer than males, however, the authors suggest that it could be due to complex
interactions between the local environmental conditions and sex-specific costs of reproduction.
Professor Tamás Székely, from the University of Bath, was one of the authors of the study. He said,
「We』ve known for a long time that women generally live longer than men, but were surprised to find that
the differences in lifespan between the sexes was even more pronounced in wild mammals than in humans.
This could be either because females are naturally able to live longer, or that female mortality drops
compared with males.」
For example, lionesses live at least 50% longer in the wild than male lions. Female lions live together
in a pride, where sisters, mothers and daughters hunt together and look after each other, while adult male
lions often live alone or with their brother and therefore don’t have the same support network.
Another possible explanation for the sex difference is that female survival increases when males
provide some or all of the parental care. This is also true in birds. Giving birth and caring for young
becomes a significant health cost for females and so this cost is reduced if both parents work together to
bring up their offspring（後代）.
1. What do the numbers in paragraph 2 show?
A. The result of the study.
B. The impact of the study.
C. The process of the study.
D. The purpose of the study.
2. What makes females live longer according to the study?
A. Males are not born to live longer.
B. Males have higher risk of mortality.
C. Females age more slowly than males.
D. Females are easier to adapt to environment.
3. Why do male lions live shorter than females?
A. Male lions are not welcomed by their family.
B. Female lions don’t need to feed their children.
C.Male lions have to look after the whole family.
D. Female lions get more support from their family.
4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A. The explanation of parental care.
B. The significance of sex difference.
C. The breeding ways of birds.
D. The health cost of females.
【參考答案】ABDC
單詞學習
1. counterpart n. 對應的人或物
The Foreign Minister held talks with his Chinese counterpart. 外交部長與中國外交部長舉行了會談。
2. lioness n. 母獅
3. parental care 親代撫育
4. bring up 養育
She was brought up in a small village. 她在一個小村莊被撫養大。
長難句分析
Another possible explanation for the sex difference is that female survival increases when males provide some or all of the
parental care.
【分析】「that female survival increases when males provide some or all of the parental care」為表語從句，其中「when
males provide some or all of the parental care」為時間狀語從句。
【翻譯】性別差異另一個可能的解釋是，當男性提供部分或全部的親代撫育時，女性的存活率就會增加。
知識拓展
1. University Lyon 1 裡昂第一大學，即裡昂克羅德·貝爾那大學，是法國東南部大城市裡昂的最大高等學府。這所
以自然科學、技術科學和保健科學為主的綜合性國立大學是法國最重要的大學之一。
2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 《美國國家科學院院刊》，通常簡稱為 PNAS，是美國國家科學
院的官方科學周刊雜誌，創刊於 1915 年。院刊出版前沿研究報告、述評、綜述、前瞻、論文等，覆蓋了生物學、
物理學、數學和社會科學領域，與《自然》和《科學》一樣，是世界上最負盛名的基礎科學領域的學術雜誌之一。
3. University of Bath 巴斯大學，成立於 1966 年，位於英國英格蘭埃文郡小城巴斯，是一所以科研為導向的英國著
名公立研究型大學，學術實力被評定為世界領先。