2. 外语
  3. Our tale begins two decades ago, when a group of Dutch women set out to find an explanation for the antisocial behavior of the m

Our tale begins two decades ago, when a group of Dutch women set out to find an explanation for the antisocial behavior of the m

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问题     Our tale begins two decades ago, when a group of Dutch women set out to find an explanation for the antisocial behavior of the males in their family. As well as having learning difficulties, these men and boys were prone to outbursts of aggression and were racking up a list of serious offences, including attempted rape and murder. Suspecting that the behavior might be hereditary, the women approached geneticist Hans Brunner at the University Hospital in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Eventually, in 1993, he tracked down the crime: a dead variant of a gene called monoamine oxidase A(单胺氧化酶A)(MAOA), located on the X chromosome.
    Understandably, the announcement created a sensation. It was the first time a gene had been linked to human aggression—and MAOA seemed to be responsible for a history of violence stretching back five generations.
    In the following years, evidence poured in to bolster the connection between MAOA and aggression. Then, in 2004, journalist Ann Gibbons sealed the link by giving MAOA the headline-friendly label "warrior gene". The nickname stuck, raising the profile of MAOA, and at the same time making misconceptions about how our behavior is affected by our genetic make-up.
    Explaining the interaction between genes and behavior is one of the toughest tasks in biology. The publication of the entire human genetic code, a decade ago, dispelled any illusions that having the genetic blueprint of our species would give a clear insight into our nature. Instead, what became clear is that we have far fewer genes than anyone imagined, and that understanding how these shape us as individuals is going to be a huge task.
    Genes simply make proteins. So for behavioral geneticists the question is how, when and why they influence our behavior. Clearly, this involves a complex tango(探戈舞)between genes and environments. Working out the exact steps is extremely difficult, and conveying the findings to those without a scientific background is just as problematic.
What is the main idea of this passage?
选项 A、Men are more likely to break laws than women.
B、There may be some links between our behavior and genes.
C、MAOA has an immense influence on our characteristics.
D、The entire human genetic code can deal with all the genetic problems.
答案B
解析 主旨大意题。本文以一群荷兰妇女寻找家庭男性攻击性行为的原因开篇，随后又列举遗传学家的观点，主要简述了基因和行为之间的联系，故B)为正确答案。
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大学英语四级

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