Turning to crime is in the genes, according to new research carried out in the US. A study of young men and women who had b

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问题     Turning to crime is in the genes, according to new research carried out in the US.

    A study of young men and women who had been adopted as children found they were up to four and a half more times to have been in trouble with the police if one of their natural parents had a criminal record.
    The fact that their natural parents are having such a huge effect on their behaviour despite having little or no input in their upbringing clearly shows the influence of genetics. And it suggests that while criminals can be bred, they can also be born. More than 250 young men and women were first questioned when in High School and then periodically interviewed for the next 13 years. When they reached their mid-20s and early-30s, they were asked if their natural parents had any sort of criminal record and if they had ever been in trouble with the law themselves.
    The Florida State University study found that young men and women who had a biological parent who had been arrested at some point were up to 4. 5 times more likely to have been arrested themselves than those whose natural parents were law-abiding.
    The influence of genetics did not end there. A jailed biological parent also dramatically raised the risk of the child having spent time in prison or a young offenders institution. And the more times the biological parent was in trouble with the law, the more problematic the child was likely to be, according to the journal Biological Psychiatry. Dr Kevin Beaver, the study’s author and a criminologist(刑事学家), concluded, "Adoptees who have a biological father or a biological mother who have been arrested previously are significantly more likely to be arrested. "
    Genes implicated in violence anti-social behaviour include one called MAO-A which makes an enzyme(酶)which breaks down chemicals in the brain linked to aggression. Rogue versions of MAO-A and other similar genes have previously been found to have the strongest effect when paired with a problematic upbringing.
    With repeat offenders responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime and heartache, the findings have important implications. For instance with genes only thought to be responsible for 50 to 80 per cent of a person’s propensity towards anti-social behaviour, the research raises the possibility that adoptees whose birth parents have a criminal past could attend classes aimed at staving off problems later in life.
    The science also raises the possibility of genetic testing being used to single out future criminals, potentially allowing them to be arrested before they break the law. But the involvement of hundreds, or even thousands, of genes in behavior, means that such a test will remain in the realms of fiction for years to come, says Dr. Beaver.
What can we know about Mao-A and other similar genes?

选项 A、The levels of them run 4. 5 times in young offenders’ bodies than others’.
B、They control anti-social chemicals in the brain.
C、They are totally responsible for a person’s tendency to criminal behavior.
D、They exert a stronger influence on the children than on their parents.

答案B

解析 推理判断题。第五段指出与暴力反社会行为相关的基因包括一个名为MAO.A的基因,这种基因能产生一种酶,这种酶能在大脑中分解成与暴力行为相关的化学物质,故[B]项正确。第六段指出人的反社会行为倾向有50%到80%由基因决定,[C]项错误,排除。第六段最后一句指出当MAO—A的流氓变异体和之前研究发现的其他类似基因遇见养育问题时发挥的作用最强,并未比较对子女和他们父母的影响大小,故[D]项正确。
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