Living with your parents has its benefits at least when it comes to raising your kids― their grandkids. Two new studies add to the evidence that grandmothers can enhance the survival of grandchildren. That is, unless grandma's too old or lives too far away.
Humans are unusual in that the females live long past the age at which they stop having babies. Patrick Bergeron, professor of biology at Bishop's University in Quebec, said that most of the organisms will reproduce up to their very last moment. This increase is often explained by the so-called "grandmother effect". He thinks there could still be a benefit for women who stop having babies to increase their genetic footprint by helping their daughters to raise larger families.
To explore the "grandmother effect" hypothesis （假设），Bergeron and his colleagues examined nearly 200 years' worth of French-Canadian population records from the 17th and 18th centuries. "At the time, life was tough. In some years, a third o£ the kids were not even making it to one year of age.” But the researchers found that having a grandmother still alive was a definite plus."Families with grandmothers alive were larger by about two and the survival of these grandchildren to age 15 was much improved."
This beneficial effect was only seen when the matriarchs （女家长）lived nearby. That role is tougher for them to fulfills as they get older in poor health, which brings us to the second study. The researchers found that the benefits associated with having a grandmother on hand depended on her age. Once manna hit 75, the grandchild survival benefit disappeared. This was almost certainly due to some form of indirect resource competition, though, rather than wickedness （邪恶）on the part of co- resident grandmothers.
So a healthy grandma helps make for a healthy grandchild. If ',over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house" isn't too long a trip.
12. What's the second paragraph mainly about?
A. Differences between animals and human beings.
B. Disadvantages of living with grandmas
C. Grandmothers' influence on the kids.
D. What's called“grandmother effect”.
13. How does the writer describe about the French-Canadian population more than three hundred years ago?
A. By voicing opinions. B. By providing facts.
C. By giving examples. D. By telling stories.
14. What can we infer from the second study?
A. Society should be concerned about the old women.
B. Grandmothers over 75 years old are unwilling to help.
C. Some grandmothers may occupy kids' relative recourses.
D. Some grandmothers are getting wicked after they are old.
15. Which of the following can be the most helpful grandmother according to the passage?
A. A healthy one living nearby. ,
B. A healthy one living abroad.
C. An old one living in a nursing home.
D. A knowledgeable one living together.
答案
Humans are unusual in that the females live long past the age at which they stop having babies. Patrick Bergeron, professor of biology at Bishop's University in Quebec, said that most of the organisms will reproduce up to their very last moment. This increase is often explained by the so-called "grandmother effect". He thinks there could still be a benefit for women who stop having babies to increase their genetic footprint by helping their daughters to raise larger families.
To explore the "grandmother effect" hypothesis （假设），Bergeron and his colleagues examined nearly 200 years' worth of French-Canadian population records from the 17th and 18th centuries. "At the time, life was tough. In some years, a third o£ the kids were not even making it to one year of age.” But the researchers found that having a grandmother still alive was a definite plus."Families with grandmothers alive were larger by about two and the survival of these grandchildren to age 15 was much improved."
This beneficial effect was only seen when the matriarchs （女家长）lived nearby. That role is tougher for them to fulfills as they get older in poor health, which brings us to the second study. The researchers found that the benefits associated with having a grandmother on hand depended on her age. Once manna hit 75, the grandchild survival benefit disappeared. This was almost certainly due to some form of indirect resource competition, though, rather than wickedness （邪恶）on the part of co- resident grandmothers.
So a healthy grandma helps make for a healthy grandchild. If ',over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house" isn't too long a trip.
12. What's the second paragraph mainly about?
A. Differences between animals and human beings.
B. Disadvantages of living with grandmas
C. Grandmothers' influence on the kids.
D. What's called“grandmother effect”.
13. How does the writer describe about the French-Canadian population more than three hundred years ago?
A. By voicing opinions. B. By providing facts.
C. By giving examples. D. By telling stories.
14. What can we infer from the second study?
A. Society should be concerned about the old women.
B. Grandmothers over 75 years old are unwilling to help.
C. Some grandmothers may occupy kids' relative recourses.
D. Some grandmothers are getting wicked after they are old.
15. Which of the following can be the most helpful grandmother according to the passage?
A. A healthy one living nearby. ,
B. A healthy one living abroad.
C. An old one living in a nursing home.
D. A knowledgeable one living together.
答案
苏19057182-3号