If a woman has an extra piece of cake, don’t blame it on greed, blame it on her brain.
Scientists have found that women’s brains react to food very differently—and much more strongly—than men’s. Academics found that decades of dieting pressure on women and advertising have programmed certain parts of the female brain to react strongly when faced with any kinds of food. Men, on the other hand, are not usually as obsessive about what they eat.
Dr. Rudolf Uher and his colleagues at the Institution of Psychiatry in King’s College London used brain scanning(扫描) technology, known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (f MRI), to look at the brains of eighteen men and women.
The volunteers were given images of food to look at, as well as food to taste. Their brain reactions were observed by the scientists.
They found that the female brains reacted much more strongly than those of males.
The same reaction did not happen when they were shown non-food images. The team believe this means women think more about food than men tend to do.
Dr. Uher said, “This could be related to biological differences between men and women. But the more likely explanation is that women have a more complicated reaction to food because of social pressure.”
Professor Carey Cooper, psychology and health professor at Lancaster University, said, “For centuries women have had a providing role—preparing and cooking food for their families. And it’s part of that role to make sure the food is safe. They will therefore be much more sensitive(敏感的) to food than men are, and I would not be surprised if that was now built into their DNA. If the female brain reacts to food because it historically has developed neural(神经的)pathways to do this, then food will be the way they express their stress. Food actually, is a comfort for women.”
But other experts have said that more research must be done before the results can be proved. American scientist Angelo del Parigi of the John B. Pierce Laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut, said, “ Looking at an fMRI alone cannot make sure whether the stronger reaction in women is due to innate(天生的) differences or a learned process.”
32. Dr. Uher and his colleagues carried out the research by comparing_______.
A. fMRI’s effectiveness on women and men
B. women’s and men’s reaction to different images
C. volunteer’s reaction to food before and after meals
D. volunteer’s reaction to different kinds of food
33. In Dr. Uher’s opinion, women react more strongly to food than men most probably because they are_______.
A. told to do so for a long time.
B. influenced by advertisements
C. forced by powerful social influences
D. born to do so due to biological reasons
34. According to Professor Carey Cooper, women_______.
A. turn to food when they feel sad
B. are stressed because of food safety
C. accept their social role from the heart
D. are satisfied with preparing food for their families
35. What was Angelo del Parigi’s attitude towards the research result?
A. Surprised. B. Doubtful. C. Uninterested. D. Curious.
BCAB
A. Profits enlarging B. Technology developing C. Education investing D. Benefits transferring E. Dominance disappearing F. A nation rising |
The following is an imaginary diary entry written by US president. This diary is part of Global Trends 2025, which was written by the US National Intelligence Council
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The
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Global wealth and economic power will shift from West to East.
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The transition from old fuels to new will be slow, as will the development of new technologies that present feasible alternatives to fossil fuels or help eliminate food and water problems. All current technologies are inadequate, and new ones will probably not be commercially possible by 2025