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高中英语科技论文翻译练习题20题答案解析1. The development of new technologies has greatly improved our lives.学生翻译：新技术的发展已经很大地提高了我们的生活。
正确翻译：新技术的发展极大地改善了我们的生活。
解析：“improve”翻译为“改善”比“提高”更准确，“lives”是“生活”的复数形式，在这里表示人们的生活状态。
这个句子的结构是主谓宾，主语是“The development of new technologies”，谓语是“has greatly improved”，宾语是“our lives”。
2. Advanced scientific research requires a lot of time and effort.学生翻译：先进的科学研究需要许多时间和努力。
正确翻译：高级科学研究需要大量的时间和精力。
解析：“a lot of”可以翻译为“大量的”，“effort”翻译为“精力”更符合科技论文的语境。
句子结构为主谓宾，主语是“Advanced scientific research”，谓语是“requires”，宾语是“a lot of time and effort”。
3. The application of artificial intelligence is becoming more and more widespread.学生翻译：人工智能的应用正在变得越来越广泛。
正确翻译：人工智能的应用正变得越来越广泛。
解析：这个句子比较简单，主要考查学生对“application”“artificial intelligence”“widespread”等词汇的掌握。
句子结构是主谓，主语是“The application of artificial intelligence”，谓语是“is becoming more and more widespread”。
基因编辑英语句型练习40题1. The discovery of a new method for gene editing ______ a breakthrough in medical science.A.isB.areC.wasD.were答案：A。
本题考查主谓一致。
“The discovery”是单数名词，作主语时，谓语动词用单数形式，且根据语境，句子是一般现在时，所以用“is”。
选项B“are”用于复数主语；选项C“was”是过去式，时态不符；选项D“were”也是过去式且用于复数主语。
2. Scientists are working hard to improve the technology of gene editing ______ more diseases can be treated.A.so thatB.even thoughC.as soon asD.in order to答案：A。
本题考查连词的用法。
“so that”表示目的，引导目的状语从句，意为“以便，为了”，符合句意。
选项B“even though”表示让步，“即使”；选项C“as soon as”表示“一……就……”；选项D“in order to”后接动词原形，不是从句。
3. Gene editing has the potential ______ many genetic disorders.A.to cureB.curingC.cureD.cured答案：A。
本题考查固定搭配“have the potential to do sth.”，意为“有做某事的潜力”，所以用“to cure”。
选项B“curing”是动名词形式；选项C“cure”是动词原形，不符合搭配；选项D“cured”是过去式或过去分词。
4. The process of gene editing ______ very complex.A.isB.areC.wasD.were答案：A。
中考英语生物工程的前沿技术单选题40题1. Gene editing technology in medicine can ____ many incurable diseases.A. treatB. preventC. causeD. ignore答案解析：A。
本题考查动词的词义辨析。
选项A“treat”有治疗的意思，基因编辑技术在医学上可以用来治疗很多不治之症，符合语境。
选项B“prevent”是预防，基因编辑技术主要是对已有的疾病进行处理而不是预防，所以该选项错误。
选项C“cause”是导致，与基因编辑技术在医疗中的积极作用相悖，错误。
选项D“ignore”是忽视，不符合基因编辑技术在医疗中的功能，这里主要考查词汇的理解。
2. In agricultural gene editing, which of the following is a possible benefit?A. Reducing the yieldB. Increasing the resistance to pestsC. Making plants more sensitive to diseasesD. Decreasing the nutritional value答案解析：B。
本题考查农业方面基因编辑的好处。
选项B“增加对害虫的抵抗力”是基因编辑在农业方面可能带来的好处。
选项A“减少产量”不是好处，不符合题意。
选项C“使植物对疾病更敏感”是负面的，不是好处。
选项D“降低营养价值”也是负面的，不符合基因编辑在农业中的积极意义，这里主要考查词汇和对基因编辑在农业应用的理解。
3. The gene - editing tool CRISPR is known for its ____.A. complexityB. inaccuracyC. high costD. simplicity and efficiency答案解析：D。
【含答案解析】人教版高三英语科学前沿动态练习题50题1. Scientists have made a breakthrough in gene editing. They can now ____ genes more precisely than ever before.A. modifyB. identifyC. createD. observe答案：A解析：本题考查动词词义辨析。
A选项modify表示修改、调整，在基因编辑语境下，能够更精确地修改基因符合题意；B选项identify意为识别，基因编辑重点不是识别基因，而是对其进行改变，所以该选项不符合；C选项create是创造，这里说的是对已有的基因进行编辑，不是创造基因，故该选项错误；D选项observe是观察，与更精确地做某事不匹配，不符合基因编辑这一语境。
2. With the development of artificial intelligence, machines can ____ complex tasks that were once only possible for humans.A. carry outB. make upC. look intoD. set off答案：A解析：A选项carry out有执行、开展的意思，人工智能发展后机器能够执行复杂任务，符合语境；B选项make up是组成、编造等意思，与执行任务无关，不符合题意；C选项look into是调查、研究，不能用来描述机器对任务的操作，所以该选项错误；D选项set off出发、动身或者引发，不能表示执行任务，不符合句子语义。
3. In the field of space exploration, scientists are trying to ____ a new planet that might be suitable for human habitation.A. discoverB. inventC. imagineD. expect答案：A解析：A选项discover表示发现，在太空探索领域科学家试图发现新的适合人类居住的星球，这是合理的；B选项invent是发明，星球是客观存在的，不能被发明，所以该选项错误；C选项imagine是想象，科学家的目的不是想象一个星球，而是找到实际存在的星球，不符合题意；D选项expect是期望，与发现星球这一动作不匹配。
高三英语询问科学单选题50题1. Recent research has found that some bacteria can form a complex community structure called a biofilm. In a biofilm, bacteria are surrounded by a self - produced matrix. Which of the following is a major component of this matrix?A. DNAB. ProteinC. LipidD. Carbohydrate答案：D。
解析：在生物膜的基质中，碳水化合物是主要成分之一。
选项A，DNA虽然存在于细胞中，但不是生物膜基质的主要成分。
选项B，蛋白质是生物膜的组成部分，但不是基质的主要成分。
选项C，脂质主要参与细胞膜结构构建，而非生物膜基质的主要部分。
本题主要考查生物科学知识，语法上是一般现在时的陈述语句。
2. The mitochondria are known as the "powerhouses" of the cell. Which process mainly occurs in mitochondria?A. PhotosynthesisB. GlycolysisC. Cellular respirationD. Protein synthesis答案：C。
解析：线粒体中主要发生的过程是细胞呼吸，这是其重要功能。
选项A，光合作用主要发生在叶绿体中。
选项B，糖酵解发生在细胞质中。
选项D，蛋白质合成主要发生在核糖体上。
从语法来看，这是一个考查一般现在时和生物知识结合的题目。
3. In the process of evolution, some animals have developed unique adaptations. The giraffe's long neck is an example. Which theory best explains the evolution of the giraffe's long neck?A. Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristicsB. Darwin's theory of natural selectionC. Mendel's law of inheritanceD. The theory of punctuated equilibrium答案：B。
托福考试前很多考生通过TPO练习来提高自己的托福解答能力，目前TPO也已经更新到54了，今天上海学校托福小编给为大家分享TPO54听力原文及题目答案解析，方便大家做考前练习!托福暑期班已上线，报暑期优惠多多!托福TPO听力54原文及题目:STORY THEATER_故事剧院Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor of her theaterclass.Student:So, Professor Baker, about our next assignment you talked about inclass.Professor:Yes, this time you'll be in groups of three, each of you willhave a chance to direct the other two in a short scene from a play you've chosenyourself.Student:Right, and, well, I've been reading about story theater, and…Professor:Ah, story theater, tell me about what you've read.Student:Well, it's a form of theater where folk or fairy tales are actedout.It was…eh, introduced, by the director Paul Sills in the 1960s.In Sills'sapproach, an actor both narrates, and acts out a tale.So, like someone willappear on stage, and then will start narrating a tale, about…say a king, andthen the same person will immediately switch to and start acting out the role ofthe king, with no props or scenery.Professor:Sills, you know I actually saw his first story theater productionin 1968, he did the fairy tale ‘the blue light'.Student:Really, so whatever gave him the idea to produce that?Professor:Well, as you know, back in the late 1960s, lots of people in theUnited States were disillusioned with the government.Sills was grappling withhow to produce theater that was relevant in such times.Then he happened to read‘the blue light', and he realized that it had just the message he wanted. See, in the story, a man has lost all hope as a result of the unfortunate events in his life, completely turns his life around, with the help of a magical blue light. So,the blue light in the story symbolizes a way out of seemingly unsolvable human problems.And for Sills, that light symbolized an answer to the political turmoil in the US.Student:But weren't you…um, audiences bother that the actors wereperforming on a bare stage?Professor:Well, story theater is a departure from traditionaldramatictheater with its realistic elaborate props and scenery, but Sills could make us see, say a big tall mountain through the facial expressions and body movements of the actors, and they're telling of the story.We were all swept up, energized by such an innovative approach to theater, even if one or two of the critics weren't as enthusiastic.Student:Cool, so, anyway.What I really wanted to ask, I'd love to try doing story theater for my project instead of just a scene from a traditionalplay.Professor:Um, that's possible.A short tale can be about the same length asa single thing.Which fairy tale would you do?Student:Actually, I was reading about another director of story theater,Rack Stevenson.You know, he produces plays based on folk tales as well.Maybe I could direct one of those.Professor:Okay, yes, Rack Stevenson.Now, Stevenson's style's story theateris a little different from Sills's.He'll use simple props, a chair will represent a mountain, but the significant difference is with the narrator.The narrator will play only that role.Let's talk about why.题目：1.Why does the student go to see the professor?A. To learn about the background of a director who was discussed inclassB. To ask permission to use a specific type of theater for her class assignmentC. To discuss the symbolism in a play she wants to use for herassignmentD. To find out what scenery she is allowed to use in presenting her assignment2.Why does the professor discuss the political environment in the United States in the 1960s?A. To compare events at that time to events that occurred in one of Stephenson’s playsB. To suggest that the woman do additional research on that period ofUnited States historyC. To point out why political themes are common in folk and fairy talesD. To explain Sills's inspiration for his first story theatreproduction3.According to the professor, what does the blue light in the fairy tale called "The Blue Light" represent?A. A plan that is impossible to followB. A conflict between two opposing forcesC. A solution to complex problemsD. A question that has no clear answer4.What is the professor's opinion about Sills's production of The BlueLight?A. He thinks that it was an inventive and powerful performance.B. He believes that the use of some props would have enhanced theperformance.C. He thinks that the theme is even more relevant today than it was in the1960s.D. He believes that it was less effective stylistically than some ofStephenson's plays.5.According to the professor, what is the most important difference betweenStephenson's and Sills's style of story theatre?A. The actor who plays the role of the narrator plays only that role inStephenson's productions.B. The actors wear elaborate costumes in Stephenson's productions.C. The stage settings are realistic in Stephenson's productions.D. Political themes are avoided in Stephenson's productions.(由于篇幅太长，答案和解析我们将以pdf提供给大家下载)索取“托福TPO听力54原文+题目+答案解析”PDF电子版，请加COCO老师微信(shnc_2018)，发送暗号“优化+TPO54”托福TPO听力54原文+题目:Migration of Zooplankton浮游动物的迁移Listen to part of the lecture in the marine biology class.And the sea is teaming with tiny organisms, but they don't get as muchpopular attention as say, whales.Microscopic algae just aren't as exciting I suppose.And yet those organisms are the foundation of the bulk of the marine food chain.Without plankton which is the global term for these tiny organisms, there will be no whales.Plankton is found both in fresh water and marine environments.Again it's a term we use for any small organisms that float along with the current, either because they are too small or weak to swim against it, or because they don't have any capacity at all to move by themselves.Plants and plant-like plankton are called phytoplankton while animals and animal-like plankton are called zooplankton.For over a century now, researchers have been trying to solve the mystery about zooplankton.You see some species of zooplankton migrate are……um…… not the way birds do when the seasons change.But daily, in the phenomenon we call Diel Vertical Migration or DVM, in the Diel Vertical Migration, sole plankton swim up near the surface of the water during the night and swim down to deeper water during the day.Depending on the species and region, this can be a round trip of between 100 and 400 meters.For a tiny microscopic organism, that's a huge distance. Remember now, zooplankton can't swim very well and DVM requires a lot of energy.So there must be an important benefit to these daily up-and-down commuting.We're not exactly sure what this benefit is.Though there are several compelling theories.I'll talk about them in a moment, but first I want to talk about what we do know or rather what we are pretty sure we know.So researchers generally agree that the stimulus for zooplankton DVM islight.Zooplankton tend to swim away from sunlight into deeper water where the sun's rays barely penetrate.At night, when the sun no longer illuminates shallower water, zooplankton head back toward the surface.Now why would light cause zooplankton to expend all that energy inmigrate?One popular theory is that zooplankton are hiding during the day fromvisual predators, eh……those animals that hunt by sight, the darkness provides safety during the day.Then at night after migrating upward, they have an opportunity to feed on phytoplankton that float at the surface.Make sense, doesn't it?But what do we do with the data showing that many kinds of zooplanktondon't dive deep enough during the day to become invisible to predators or that others dive deeper than it's necessary to escape hunters' eyes.And some zooplankton are bioluminescent, which means they have special organs that ligh up and make them visible even at great depth.Well, despite all these, we believe predator avoidance is a possible explanation because of studies done in fresh water lakes.It turns out there is a correlation between the presence or absence of vertical migration, and the presence or absence of fish that find their prey by sight.But what are some other possible explanations?Some researchers suggest that zooplankton migrate to avoid the sun'sultra-violet light.That would explain why some zooplankton are found at such great depth.Visible light may not penetrate very far down, but ultra-violet light can.And we know that some zooplankton have special pigments that protect them from the damage ultra-violet light can cause.That could be why some zooplankton are able to stay closer to the surface during daylight hours.And there is a third theory.Although it takes a lot of energy for the zooplankton to migrate, they conserve energy while floating in deeper colder water.So while they're not feeding, they are quietly digesting in cooler water.But remember, zooplankton consist of any number of different organisms.From microscopic worms to crab larvae to tiny fish, and they are found in a large range of marine habitats, cold water, warm water, shallow water, deep water. So there may be different reasons for different species.题目：1.What does the professor mainly discuss?A. The importance of zooplankton in the marine food chainB. The interdependence of two types of tiny marine organismsC. A physical feature of zooplankton that makes them well adapted for swimmingD. A phenomenon observed in some species of zooplankton2.Why does the professor conclude that zooplankton must derive an important benefit from diel vertical migration?A. Diel vertical migration uses up a lot of energy.B. Diel vertical migration exposes zooplankton to predators.C. Diel vertical migration prevents zooplankton from being able to digest phytoplankton.D. Diel vertical migration forces zooplankton populations to livepermanently in cold water.3.What does the professor imply about bioluminescent zooplankton?A. Their food source is different from that of other zooplankton.B. They probably do not rely on diel vertical migration to avoidpredation.C. They migrate deeper than other zooplankton species do.D. Most species are found in very cold water.4.Why does the professor mention fish that live in freshwater lakes?A. To point out that many aquatic species exhibit diel verticalmigrationB. To give an example of a species of fish that feeds on bioluminescent zooplanktonC. To make a comparison between fish and zooplanktonD. To support one of the theories explaining why zooplankton migrate5.Avoiding predators is one possible explanation for why zooplankton diveso deeply in the ocean. What two other explanations for this phenomenon does the professor offer?Click on 2 answersA. To avoid ultraviolet lightB. To avoid strong ocean currentsC. To digest in colder watersD. To find abundant food sources6.What does the professor imply about the reasons for diel verticalmigration in zooplankton?A. No single explanation for all species can account for thisphenomenon.B. Researchers have not been able to propose plausible theories to explain this phenomenon.C. All individual organisms have several reasons for migrating.D. Researchers were able to agree on an explanation for this phenomenonafter many years of investigation.托福TPO听力54原文:Benefits of Muon Detectors介子探测器的好处Listen to part of a lecture in an archaeology class.Professor: A popular misconception about archaeology, some people imaginewe just go out into the field with a shovel and start digging, hoping to find something significant.Well, while there is an element of luck involved, we have an array ofhigh-tech tools to help us figure out where to concentrate our efforts.One of the newer tools actually relies on particle physics, talk aboutinter-disciplinary.Here is a machine that brings together two very different sciences.This machine is called a muon detector.Muons are subatomic particles that result from cosmic rays.OK, let me start over.Cosmic rays aren't actually rays.They are basically protons zipping through outer space at close to light speed.And, when they collide with the atoms in earth's atmosphere, they break up into smaller particles -- muons.Now these muons are still highly energized, so they can easily pass on downto the earth's surface.In fact, they can pass through solid matter, so they can also penetrate deep into the surface.And it's this property of muons that archaeologists are taking advantage of.Let me explain, with the right kind of equipment, scientists can use muonsto create a kind of picture of the structures they are studying.Let's say we are studying a Mayan pyramid in central America.And we are interested in finding out if there are burial chambers or other roomsinside.Well, a muon detector will show a greater number of muons passing through the less dense areas inside the pyramid.Yes, Andrew?Andrew: Um…I'm not sure I get how this muon detector works exactly. Professor: Well, muons lose energy as they pass through dense material,like the stone walls of the Mayan pyramid.So more muons and more energetic muons will be passing through empty spaces.The muon detector can differentiate the areas where more muons are passing through -- the empty spaces, as well as where there are fewer muons, the walls and dense areas.These empty spaces will show up as darker, so we wind up with a kind ofpicture of the pyramid, and its internal structure.Andrew: A picture?Professor: Sort of like an X-ray image.Andrew: Ok, so if we see darker areas inside the pyramid, we assume it's an empty space with more muons.Professor: Exactly, with this technology, we can see what's inside the structure before we dig, so we know exactly where to explore and we can minimize the damage excavation can cause.Even a little damage could result in us losing vital informationforever.Now, muon detectors have been around for some time, but they have been improved upon since archaeologists started using them.In 1967 a physicist placed a muon detector beneath the base of one of the Egyptian pyramids of Giza.And he was looking for burial chambers.Now it happened that the muon detector found none.But he did demonstrate that the technique worked.Unfortunately the machine he used was so big that many archaeologistsdoubted muon detection could be practical.How could they get a massive piece of equipment into, say, the jungle of Belize?Then there was the issue of range.The machine used in 1967 could only scan for muons directly above it, notfrom the sides.So it actually had to be put underneath the pyramid, so it could look up.That meant if you wanted to find out what was inside an ancient structure, you first had to bury the detector beneath it.There's been a lot of work on these machines since then.And these problemshave been solved by and large.That's not to say the technology is perfect, it would be nice for example, to have a system that didn't take 6 months to produce an image.I suppose that's better than the year it took for the 1967 study to get results.But still...well, there is good reason to believe that with better equipment, we're going to see muon detectors used much more frequently.They are already being used in other areas of science, for example Japanese scientists studying the interior of volcanoes, and there are plenty of archaeologists who would love to use this technology.托福TPO听力54题目：1.What is the lecture mainly about?A. Misconceptions about muon detectorsB. An investigation of an Egyptian pyramid using a muon detectorC. The collaboration between physicists and archaeologists in thedevelopment of the muon detectorD. Benefits that muon detectors can provide to archaeologists2.What aspect of muons is most useful to archaeologists?A. Their ability to carry information from outer spaceB. Their ability to break down cosmic rays into smaller particlesC. Their ability to pass through solid matterD. Their ability to change the color of some surfaces3.According to the professor, what information can a muon detector provide about an ancient structure?A. The internal temperature of the structureB. The location of rooms within the structureC. The age of the structureD. The materials used to build the structure4.Why does the professor discuss damage to archaeological sites?A. To indicate a benefit of using muon detectors in archaeologicalresearchB. To describe an accident with a muon detector during a pyramidexcavationC. To explain how muon detectors are useful in reconstructing damagedsitesD. To explain why muon detectors were not often used in the past5.In what ways are modern muon detectors different from muon detectors used in 1967?Click on 3 answersA. Modern detectors are less expensive.B. Modern detectors use less energy.C. Modern detectors are not as large.D. Modern detectors take less time to produce an image.E. Modern detectors can scan in more than one direction.6.What is the professor's opinion about the newer muon detectors?A. She appreciates the help they provide despite the time they take to produce images.B. She fears that many archaeologists will be unwilling to learn to use them.C. She feels that they have greater potential in areas of science otherthan archaeology.D. They provide more accurate information about the age of objects thanolder detectors did.(由于篇幅太长，答案和解析我们将以pdf格式提供给大家下载)索取“托福TPO听力54原文+题目+答案解析”PDF电子版，请加COCO老师微信(shnc_2018)，发送暗号“优化+TPO54”托福TPO听力54原文+题目:Finding Historical Material寻找历史材料Listen to a conversation between a student and an employee in theuniversity's historical library.Employee: Morning, what can I help you find?Student: Well, I saw the internet that the university library has menus andthings from local restaurants, like the Springfield Eatery?Employee: Right, a lot of local businesses have donated materials to ourcollection, including that restaurant.I'm pretty sure we have ten or fifteenboxes of materials from there.Student: Good, I thought you were located in the main library, so I wentthere first and they sent me here.I haven't realized the university has aseparate historical library.I think what you're doing is great，collecting localdocuments and photos, keeping a record of the region.Employee: I'm glad you see the value of it.We've been collecting materialsfor going on seventy years st year we had an exhibition that showcase howthe town square has changed over the past fifty years.So, that got the word out a little, but you're right.A lot of studentsdon't know we exist.Well, unless the major of new history.So, you're looking forsomething for class?Student: Not exactly.My grandmother went to this university, and while shewas here, she worked as a waitress.Employee: At the Springfield Eatery?Student: Yes, and that's where she met my grandfather.So, they'recelebrating their fiftieth anniversary this year.And I noticed online that you have old menus from some of the restaurants.I was thinking I could find one from the year they met and print a copy for them.Employee: What a unique idea!What year you are looking for?Student: Um, 1954.Employee: I know we have a few menus from the 1950s, but you'll have to check.There are some gaps, some years we didn't receive any new materials, and sometimes restaurants go a while without changing their menus.Student: Oh no, I really want to give them something special.Employee: Well, how about this? We also have a lot of photos, so maybe you could find one of your grandmother, or maybe even one with both your grandparents.Student: That would be awesome.Employee: The only thing is most of our materials are still in boxes.Noone's ever taken the time to organize them.So, it …it might require a fair amount of sifting.Student: Um, I have a couple of tests coming up, but I can take a quicklook, if that's okay.I know some libraries have special rules for handling delicate or old materials.Employee: Well, these aren't particularly old.Just the usual rules apply, no food or drinks.Student: Okay, thanks for your help.托福TPO听力54题目：1.Why does the man go to see the woman?A. To ask the woman if she has photographs of local businessesB. To conduct research for a history classC. To try to find a gift for his grandparentsD. To find out how long a local restaurant has been in business2.What does the woman say about an exhibition the library held lastyearA. It was in honor of the town's seventieth anniversary.B. It helped increase awareness of the collection.C. It was arranged by students who study history.D. It mostly included photographs from the 1950s.3.What does the woman imply about the menus?A. Most of the menus in the collection are from the Springfield Eatery.B. All of the menus in the collection are carefully organized in boxes.C. The menu the man is looking for is probably in the main library.D. The man might not find the menu he is looking for.4.What does the woman suggest that the man consider doing?A. Look for a photo of his grandparentsB. Frame a photograph of a menu from a different yearC. Call the restaurant to ask whether they have what he is looking forD. Take a picture of the restaurant5.Why does the man say this:A. To inform the woman that he has handled old materials in the pastB. To inquire whether the library has regulations for handling historicaldocumentsC. To imply that the library should do a better job protecting historicaldocumentsD. To argue that special precautions are not necessary in this case托福TPO听力54原文+题目:William Wheatley and Broadway Theaters威廉?惠特利和百老汇Listen to part of a lecture in a theater history class.One of the things New York city is known for is its Broadway theaters，theproductions of elaborate musicals.A lot of money goes into producing a musicalwith the actors, costumes, scenery and so on.The shows are designed to appeal tolarge audiences, to make the production financially viable.But theater didn’talways appeal to the masses.In the middle of the 19th century, with mostlywealthy residents who were going to Broadway, they would see an opera that wasprobably written and produced in Europe before making its way all over to NewYork.It was a scene for, well, the socially prominent, the upper class, whoattended these functions, perhaps, because they felt obligated rather thanbecause of a genuine interesting theater.But, in the 1860s, something else started to occur.The middle-classpopulation began to grow, and they were looking for a source ofentertainment.Keep that in mind while I talk about the theater owner named William Wigley.In 1866, Willian Wigley had this show, um, and it was different from most shows on Broadway at the time because it wasn’t an opera.And, it was developed right here in the United States, in English, unlike the operas which were typically Italian or French.Wigley also decided to incorporate some fancy production techniques, stage effects.The show also included music to make it more entertaining.And, through a stroke of luck, a world-renown ballet troop became available just as weekly show was about to open.So, he didn’t hesitate to include the ballet dancers in his production.Along the lines of those special affects I mentioned, Wigley redesign the entire stage for the show.Every floor board on the stage could be lifted up or pushed down.They were all moveable.This allowed for trap doors to be placed anywhere on the stage.So, pieces of the set, of the scenery, could easily be stored beneath the stage.And these trap doors also gave performers another less traditional way to enter in exit of the stage.Well, today, we might not think much of it, things like this are standard nowadays，the concept was quite novel at the time of Wigley show.And was one of the things that made the show a hit with audiences.Another innovative element in the show was a scene called the‘transformation scene’, during this scene, the audience watched in amazement that a setting on stage changed from a moonlit cave to a throne room in a palace.Normally to have this type of major scene change, the curtains were closed, the stage crew would remove the previous set and replaced it with the new one, and then, the curtains would open again.In this instance though, the transformation to place in front of the audience using simple machinery.And thisaffect would have the lasting impression on everyone who saw Wigley’sproduction.In fact, those people were probably disappointed when they saw another show that didn’t contain something is, well, as elaborate or exciting.So, look, when it premiered, Wigley show took audiences by surprise, it appealed to largecrowds including the growing middle-class, the show ran for almost two years straight in New York city, and achievement unheard of at the time whenproductions typically lasted weeks or months, not years.It also went on tour visiting different cities across the United States for over 25 years.So, the show was quite a success.And with all that in mind, some people call Wigley show the first musicalon Broadway.Now our current definition of a musical is that it tells a storythrough dialogue and song.In Wigley show the musical sections, well, they didn’tnecessarily integrate well with the story.Giving an overall impression ofsomething more like a variety show, yes, everything was loosely focused aroundthe central scene, so maybe it’s fair to say then that the show gave audiences ahint of a new form of musical theater， that would ultimately appear on Broadway in the decades to follow.题目：1.What is the main purpose of the lecture?A. To describe the influence of opera on Broadway productionsB. To explain how new technology allowed for enhancements to BroadwayproductionsC. To evaluate financial decisions made by theater owner WilliamWheatleyD. To examine elements that set a particular theatrical production apart from earlier ones2.What was typical of theatrical productions in the United States before the 1860s?Click on 2 answersA. The productions originated outside of the United States.B. Only a limited segment of society attended the productions.C. People attended the productions because they were interested in the plots.D. The themes of the productions were typically related to the upperclass3.According to the professor, what was a reason for a change in theatrical productions in the United States during the 1860s?A. A growing middle class was in need of entertainment.B. Wealthy theater advocates provided additional funding for new productions.C. The interest of theatergoers shifted from opera to ballet.D. A new artistic movement was founded by a group of actors4.Why does the professor mention moveable floorboards on the stage in Wheatley's production?A. To explain the reason for an unexpected technical problemB. To highlight one of the production’s innovative features。
大学英语四级分类模拟题474(总分178.5, 做题时间90分钟)Part Ⅰ Writing1.Adequate Preparation Should Be Given to Exams1．如今不少大学生在考试前不做充分的准备2．出现这种现象的原因是…3．为了改变这种状况，我认为…SSS_TEXT_QUSTI该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 16.5Adequate Preparation Should Be Given to ExamsAs is known to all, quite some college students seldom take exams with adequate preparation, which leads to low marks or even failurein the exams.The reasons for this phenomenon lie in many aspects. In the first place, college students nowadays attach less importance to marks and exams. Second, college students are occupied by so many activities that they can just spare little time for exam preparation. In addition, some teachers fail to be strict with the students, which encourages students to .neglect the exams.To solve this problem, I think both students and teachers should play their parts. On the one hand, students should have a proper attitude towards exam preparation, through which they can have a **mand of the knowledge. On the other hand, teachers ought to control the exams more strictly.Part Ⅱ Reading ComprehensionPassage OneThe contribution genes make to intelligence increases as children grow older. This goes against the notion most people hold that as we age, environmental influences gradually overpower the genetic legacy we are born with — and may have implications for education. "People assume the genetic influence goes down with age because the environmental differences between people pile up in life," says Robert Plomin. "What we found was quite amazing, and goes in the other direction."Previous studies have shown variations in intelligence are at least partly due to genetics. To find out whether this genetic contribution varies with age, Plomin"s team pooled data from six separate studies carried out in the US, the UK, Australia and the Netherlands, involving a total of 11,000 pairs of twins.In these studies, the researchers tested twins on reasoning, logic and arithmetic to measure a quantity called general cognitiveability, or "g". Each study also included both identical twins, with same genes, and fraternal twins, sharing about half their genes, making it possible to disentangle (分清) the contributions of genes and environment to their "g" scores.Plomin"s team calculated that in childhood, genes account for about 41 percent of the variation in intelligence. In adolescence, this rose to 55 percent; by young adulthood, it was 66 percent.No one knows why the influence from genes should increase with age, but Plomin suggests that as children get older; they become better at exploiting and manipulating their environment to suit their genetic needs, and says "Kids with high "g" will use their environment to foster their cognitive ability and choose friends who are like-minded." Children with medium to low "g" may choose less challenging pastimes and activities, further emphasising their genetic legacy. Is there any way to interfere with the pattern? Perhaps. "The evidence of strong heritability doesn"t mean at all that there"s nothing you can do about it," says Susanne Jaeggi. "From our own work, the ones that started off with lower IQ scores had higher gains after training."Plomin suggests that genetic differences may be more emphasised ifall children share an identical curriculum instead of it being tailored to children"s natural abilities. "My inclination (倾向) would be to give everyone a good education, but put more effort into the lower end," he says.Intelligence researcher Paul Thompson agrees, "It shows that educators need to steer kids towards things drawing out their natural talents."SSS_SINGLE_SEL1.Most people think the intelligence increases ______.A are affected more by environment than the genetic legacy with ageB should be attributed more to the contribution that genes make with ageC are closely connected with the genetic legacy with ageD go against the implication of the education with age该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 14.2答案:A[解析] 根据题干中的most people和intelligence increases将本题出处定位于第1段前两句。
漫滴州演漏市慢寨学校必修二 Unit 2 Wish you werehere检测评价A卷Ⅰ.单项填空1．(2019·南京模拟)Sometimes tests are needed ________ doctors discover exactly what's wrong with your body.A．since B．beforeC．although D．if解析：选B 句意：有时在医生准确发现你的身体出了什么问题之前做检查是必要的。
since“因为，由于”；before“在……之前”；although“虽然，尽管”；if“如果”。
根据前后句的关系，可以判断出检查应在医生诊断之前，故选B。
2．My friend Miriam felt it was out of ________ question for her to visit China without going to see the terracotta warriors, so I helped her arrange ________ tour to Xi'an.A．/; the B．the; aC．/; a D．the; /解析：选B 句意：我的朋友Miriam认为没有去看兵马俑来中国就毫无意义，所以我帮她安排了去西安的观光游。
out of the question“不可能；根本谈不上”，out of question“毫无疑问”；tour是可数名词，这里指一次观光。
故选B项。
3．They are college students and don't realize ________ to start and run a company.A．what takes it B．what they takeC．what it takes D．what takes them解析：选 C 考查宾语从句。
高二英语生物分类单选题50题1. Which of the following belongs to the phylum Arthropoda?A. EarthwormB. StarfishC. ButterflyD. Sponge答案：C。
解析：节肢动物门（Arthropoda）的典型特征包括具有分节的附肢等。
蝴蝶（Butterfly）属于节肢动物门。
蚯蚓（Earthworm）属于环节动物门 Annelida）。
海星 Starfish）属于棘皮动物门Echinodermata）。
海绵 Sponge）属于多孔动物门 Porifera）。
2. The organism which is classified in the class Mammalia should have the following feature:A. Gills for breathingB. Feathers on the bodyC. Hair or fur and produce milk to feed their youngD. Scales on the body答案：C。
解析：哺乳纲（Mammalia）的生物具有毛发或皮毛并且能够产奶哺育幼崽。
用鳃呼吸（Gills for breathing）是鱼类等水生生物的特征，它们属于鱼纲等，不属于哺乳纲。
身上有羽毛（Feathers on the body）是鸟类的特征，鸟类属于鸟纲（Aves）。
身上有鳞片（Scales on the body）是爬行动物等的特征，爬行动物属于爬行纲（Reptilia）。
3. Which kingdom does the mushroom belong to?A. AnimaliaB. PlantaeC. FungiD. Protista答案：C。
解析：蘑菇属于真菌界（Fungi）。
动物界（Animalia）的生物具有能运动、异养等特点。
英语科技文献翻译50题1. The discovery of a new species of bacteria has significant implications for biotechnology. 下列翻译正确的是：A. 一种新的细菌物种的发现对生物技术有重要影响。
B. 一种新细菌物种的发现对生物科技有重要的意思。
C. 一个新物种的细菌的发现对生物技术有重大暗示。
D. 新的一种细菌物种的发现对生物科技有重要的含义。
答案：A。
解析：“implication”常见释义为“影响；暗示；牵连”，在此句中取“影响”之意。
“significant”表示“重要的；显著的”。
整句翻译要注意语序和词汇的准确选择。
2. Genetic engineering has the potential to revolutionize medicine. 以下翻译恰当的是：A. 基因工程有潜力去革命化医学。
B. 基因工程具有彻底改变医学的潜力。
C. 基因工程有革命医学的可能性。
D. 基因工程有使医学革命化的可能。
答案：B。
解析：“potential”意为“潜力；可能性”，“revolutionize”表示“彻底改变；使发生革命性变革”。
翻译时要体现出准确的逻辑和含义。
3. The research on stem cells offers promising prospects for treating various diseases. 正确的翻译是：A. 关于干细胞的研究为治疗各种各样的疾病提供有希望的前景。
B. 干细胞的研究提供了治疗各种疾病的有希望的前景。
C. 对干细胞的研究为治疗各种疾病提供了有希望的前景。
D. 关于干细胞的研究给治疗不同的疾病提供了有前景的希望。
答案：C。
解析：“prospect”意为“前景；可能性”，“various”表示“各种各样的；不同的”。
注意“on”表示“关于”，翻译要符合中文表达习惯。
ORIGINAL PAPERNew Evidence of Genetic Factors Influencing Sexual Orientationin Men:Female Fecundity Increase in the Maternal LineFrancesca Iemmola ÆAndrea Camperio CianiReceived:18April 2007/Revised:11March 2008/Accepted:6April 2008/Published online:17June 2008ÓSpringer Science+Business Media,LLC 2008Abstract There is a long-standing debate on the role of gen-etic factors influencing homosexuality because the presence ofthese factors contradicts the Darwinian prediction accordingto which natural selection should progressively eliminate thefactors that reduce individual fecundity and fitness.Recently,however,Camperio Ciani,Corna,and Capiluppi (Proceedingsof the Royal Society of London,Series B:Biological Sciences,271,2217–2221,2004),comparing the family trees of homo-sexuals with heterosexuals,reported a significant increase infecundity in the females related to the homosexual probandsfrom the maternal line but not in those related from the paternalone.This suggested that genetic factors that are partly linked tothe X-chromosome and that influence homosexual orientationin males are not selected against because they increase fecun-dity in female carriers,thus offering a solution to the Dar-winian paradox and an explanation of why natural selectiondoes not progressively eliminate homosexuals.Since then,new data have emerged suggesting not only an increase in mat-ernal fecundity but also larger paternal family sizes for homo-sexuals.These results are partly conflicting and indicate theneed for a replication on a wider sample with a larger geo-graphic distribution.This study examined the family trees of250male probands,of which 152were homosexuals.Theresults confirmed the study of Camperio Ciani et al.(2004).We observed a significant fecundity increase even in primip-arous mothers,which was not evident in the previous study.No evidence of increased paternal fecundity was found;thus,our data confirmed a sexually antagonistic inheritance partlylinked to the X-chromosome that promotes fecundity in fem-ales and a homosexual sexual orientation in males.Keywords Male homosexuality ÁFecundity ÁEvolution ÁSexually antagonistic genetic model ÁBirth order Introduction At present,various research avenues suggest the presence of genetic factors as partly associated with male homosexuality.One line of evidence comes from the familiality of homo-sexuality.Family studies of biological brothers,adoptive brothers,and monozygotic twins have found that homosexu-ality is more common in brothers of homosexual probands (Bailey &Pillard,1991).Hamer,Hu,Magnuson,Hu,and Pattattucci (1993)studying homosexual brothers with DNA linkage analysis found an increased rate of homosexuality in the maternal line.Hamer et al.(1993)hypothesized a putative genetic factor located on the long arm of the X-chromosome in the q28region (Hu et al.,1995).This finding has been difficult to replicate,but new genetic findings have been suggested (Bailey et al.,1999;DuPree,Mustanski,Bocklandt,Niever-gelt,&Hamer,2004;Rice,Anderson,Risch,&Ebers,1999).A second independent avenue of research,not incompatible with genetic hypotheses,comes from studies that suggest a role of maternal immune reactions when the fetus is male.This hypothesis suggests that the immune system of the mother could activate an immune reaction against the H-Y antigen produced by the male fetus at an early stage during pregnan-cies,acting against a male differentiation of the brain.This response would increase in the mother with every subsequent pregnancy with a male fetus.Thus,the immunological conflict between mother and male offspring increases the probability of developing a homosexual orientation in later-born boys with older brothers (Blanchard &Klassen,1997).This happens only in biological brothers,confirming prenatal causes rather than postnatal ones (Bogaert,2006).F.Iemmola ÁA.Camperio Ciani (&)Department of General Psychology (LIRIPAC),Universityof Padova,via Belzoni 80,35121Padova,Italye-mail:andrea.camperio@unipd.it 123Arch Sex Behav (2009)38:393–399DOI 10.1007/s10508-008-9381-6In the evolutionary literature,there is a long debate on the role of genetic factors influencing homosexuality,because the presence of these factors contradicts the Darwinian prediction that natural selection should progressively eliminate the factors that reduce individual fecundity andfitness,and there is unani-mous agreement that homosexuals reproduce significantly less than heterosexuals(Bell&Weinberg,1978;Moran,1972). This Darwinian paradox has been the central theme of several studies.An intriguing hypothesis suggests that male-male bonds might help survival in social-living non-human primates (Vasey,1995),but this has never been shown in humans.Wilson(1975),in an effort to solve the Darwinian paradox, suggested a hypothesis based on kin selection.He suggested that homosexuals would have an adaptive role as helpers in their families,through affectionate or economic means or both, promoting thefitness in their close kin,and thus balancing their own directfitness loss.Recently,however,various researchers have failed to confirm the kin selection hypothesis.In fact,they found that homosexuals do not contribute in presence or in eco-nomic and affective terms more than heterosexuals(Bobrow& Bailey,2001;Muscarella,2000;Rahman&Hull,2005;Vasey, Pocock,&VanderLaan,2007).Lastly,in a recent study,Camperio Ciani,Corna,and Capi-luppi(2004)found that ascending females in the maternal line of homosexual probands were significantly more fecund(they produced approximately33%more offspring)than females in the maternal line of heterosexuals.(The term‘‘ascending fem-ales’’is used here to denote females born in generations before the subject’s generation).Camperio Ciani et al.(2004)could notfind significant differences,however,when comparing ascending females from the paternal line.This effect applied both to homosexuals and bisexuals in the same way(Camperio Ciani,Iemmola,&Blecher,2008).The results of this research strongly confirm the existence of biological factors previously suggested to partly explain male homosexuality.These results, if confirmed,would provide thefinal solution to the Darwinian paradox by showing that there are reproductive advantages that balance thefitness loss of male homosexuals.The idea is a sexually antagonistic genetic model that promotes fecundity in females and homosexual orientation in males.Thefirst indirect confirmations are coming.An interesting study confirmed that homosexual families are significantly larger,compared with those of heterosexuals,but this applies only in white families and not black families(Q.Rahman,per-sonal communication,2006;Rahman et al.,2008).King et al. (2005)showed that homosexuals have larger families com-pared with heterosexuals irrespective of the paternal line and maternal line.The fecundity increase of homosexual’s mothers is further confirmed in a non-Western society(Vasey& VanderLaan2007).Furthermore,a number of studies have found that homosexuals have more older brothers than het-erosexuals(Blanchard,2004;Blanchard&Klassen,1997).As suggested by the results of Blanchard and Lippa(2007), the study by Camperio Ciani et al.(2004)needs replication on a wider sample with a larger geographic distribution tofind if the higher fecundity in homosexual’s female relatives really exists and if it is unique to the maternal line,or is found in both lines,as hypothesized by King et al.(2005).MethodParticipantsWe recruited250probands,according to the following inclu-sion criteria:male sex,age over18years,and not adopted.In this study,we used the same sampling method and the same questionnaires and data analysis as in the previous study by Camperio Ciani et al.(2004).There were98heterosexual probands and152homosexual probands.Participants were recruited in the following locations:of the152homosexual probands,40were recruited at beaches and seaside resorts,25among working hotel employees and vacationers,39in bars and night clubs,28in gay clubs,15at university institutes,and5in gyms;of the98heterosexual participants,20were recruited in beaches and seaside resorts, 15among working hotel employees and vacationers,11in bars and night clubs,25in football clubs,25at university institutes,and2in gyms.Since many participants were rec-ruited in holiday locations,the participants came from all over Italy,although with a majority from Northern Italy.All social and demographic variables in the two groups had very similar values:the minimum age was18and maximum age was63years old for both groups.The98heterosexual probands had an average age of32.51years(SD=8.85), and the152homosexual probands had an average age of 32.34years(SD=9.56).Homosexuals were more frequently not married(90%) compared with heterosexuals(58%).Most participants from both groups came from central north Italy:Veneto(44%), Toscana(13%),Lombardia(10%),and Liguria(9%).The most common academic degree was high school(heterosexuals, 62%;homosexuals,56%),followed by college(heterosexuals, 23%;homosexuals,32%).Most participants in both groups were either students or employed workers.ProcedureConsidering the locations of recruitment and in order to reduce the probability of refusal,in beaches and seaside resorts,in bars and night clubs,university,and gyms,the approach was generally made towards participants caught in moments of temporary inactivity and relaxation.Once the availability of the participant was confirmed, the questionnaire and a pen were personally handed over123with the instruction to complete every part of it within approximately ten minutes(time estimated to be sufficient for its completion),at the end of which the questionnaire was collected.The same procedure was used for participants contacted in clubs or recruited at work(employees,etc.). Responses from probands were considered reliable for the following reasons.Questions were identical to the previous study by Camperio Ciani et al.(2004),which was validated through a pre-test.All questions were simple,only regarding close relatives(parents,grandparents,number of brothers, sisters,uncles,aunts,and cousins)and questions were again tested for their intelligibility through a pre-test in the present study.To further increase comprehension,researchers expl-ained personally all the details of the questionnaire and were always present nearby ready to clarify any doubt. MeasureThe investigation tool used was the self-administrated ques-tionnaire.This included a cover letter with general informa-tion on the purposes of the research and a brief presentation of the following sections of the questionnaire.There were three sections:1.Biographical information(seven questions):age,regionof birth,region of actual domicile,highest academic degree,profession,marital status,and birth order.2.The Kinsey scale(Kinsey,Pomeroy,&Martin,1948),torecord the self-identification of the proband on a7-point scale(0=exclusively heterosexual to6=exclusively homosexual),and all four other classic sexual orienta-tion questions on a7-point scale,included in the Kinsey questionnaire(Table1).3.In the last section,we investigated fecundity as number oflive-born offspring ever produced.There werefive ques-tions that investigated quantitatively the number and fecundity of the maternal and paternal relatives of the pro-band as parents,grandparents,uncles,aunts,brothers, sisters,and cousins.Half of the probands were asked informationfirst about the maternal line and the other half were askedfirst about paternal lineage,in order to avoid sequential systematic errors.Classification of ProbandsEach proband answered each of four questionnaire items about their sexual orientation by endorsing one of seven ordered response options(maximally heterosexual to max-imally homosexual)modelled on the Kinsey scale(Kinsey et al.,1948).Each proband was rated according to the score obtained by averaging his responses to these four items. Sexual orientation is a continuum;however,for our research purposes we had to classify probands into two classes, homosexuals and heterosexuals.We defined as heterosex-uals all those probands with average Kinsey scores between 0and1.We defined as homosexuals all those probands with average Kinsey scores between2and6(in this study,we did not differentiate between possible bisexuals and exclusive homosexual).These two classes were then subject to sta-tistical analysis.After determining that the two groups did not differ on any social or demographic variable,we then calculated the average fecundity of all classes of relatives included in three ascending generations for each proband. ResultsFecundityWhen we compared fecundity between the heterosexual and homosexual probands,a significant difference appeared. The heterosexuals had an average of0.58children(SD= 0.91)and the homosexuals had an average of0.12children (SD=0.49),p\.01,Mann–Whitney test.Table2presents the results of this study.It shows that the increase of fecundity in the maternal line of the homosexual males was confirmed.The p-values reported in this table were computed with the Mann–Whitney test,in order to make the Table1Kinsey scale definitions and related key questions0Completely heterosexual1Predominantly heterosexual but occasionally(rarely)attracted to other men2Heterosexual but also attracted by men more than occasionally3Completely bisexual,interested both in men and women4Homosexual but also attracted by women more than occasionally 5Predominantly homosexual but occasionally(rarely)attracted to women6Completely homosexual(1)How would you define yourselfaccording to the Kinsey scale,shown above0123456Answer the following questions by choosing a score between0and6 where0is‘‘always and only women’’and6is‘‘always and only men’’(2)If,at a party,you were to desirea sexual relationship,which sexof partner would you choose?0123456(3)When you fantasize sexualintercourse,what is the sex ofyour partner?0123456(4)In the last year,what was the sexof your sexual partners?0123456(5)In the lastfive years of your life,what was the sex of your sexualpartners?0123456123present results directly comparable to those of Camperio Ciani et al.(2004).Our data showed that the fecundity of mothers, includingfirstborn mothers,maternal aunts,and also the cumulated fecundity(of mothers,aunts and uncles in the maternal line)was significantly greater than that found for the corresponding maternal heterosexual classes.The fecundity of the father was excluded from the paternal line because it overlaps with that of the mother.This protocol replicates the previous one where Camperio Ciani et al.(2004)were searching for possible fecundity effects of the X-chromosome. In sons,this chromosome is transmitted by the mother and not by the father.The difference in fecundity in maternal grand-parents in this study was marginally significant(p=.09). Most importantly,the significant fecundity increase was found again only in the maternal line.All paternal line dif-ferences between homosexuals and heterosexuals were not significant,except for the fecundity of uncles,which was opposite in direction to the general trend,being lower in homosexuals than in heterosexuals,p\.05.Birth OrderIn this study,we once again confirmed an excess of older brothers compared with older sisters in the sibships of homo-sexual men[observed:97older brothers,69older sisters; expected(based on the known human sex ratio of106males for every100females born):85.4older brothers and80.6 older sisters,p\.04,one-tailed binomial test].Furthermore,the homosexuals had a significant greater number of older brothers(M=0.64,SD=0.85)compared with the heterosexuals(M=0.27,SD=0.55),t(248)= 3.82,p\.001,two-tailed.Mean numbers of older sisters,younger brothers,and younger sisters did not differ between the homosexuals and the heterosexuals.DiscussionThis study used a new,larger,and more representative sample.The probands had a nationwide distribution,and not a regional one like the previous study by Camperio Ciani et al.(2004).Furthermore,the probands were recruited in more diverse locations and situations,allowing a much larger variety of homosexuals to be recruited.The results reconfirmed the thesis of genetic factors that,in terms of inclusivefitness,would produce a balance between the low directfitness of male homosexuals and the increase of fitness in their maternal female relatives,as expected in a partially sexually antagonistic genetic model of inheritance.Our data showed that the homosexuals had sired,at this stage of their reproductive lives,about onefifth of the off-spring produced by the heterosexuals,thus confirming a strongly reducedfitness as previous described by Moran (1972)and Bell and Weinberg(1978).It should be noted this result was particularly significant because our heterosexual sample was especially low in fertility.One reason is that the heterosexuals were still young(although the homosexuals had the same average age).The second and most important reason is the constraint imposed by our sampling strategy.We needed to recruit the heterosexual controls in exactly the same manner as the homosexual probands;we never recruited homosexuals in family environments;therefore,we never recruited het-erosexuals in family environments either.Thus,we over-sampled not yet married heterosexuals.Table2Maternal line and paternal line fecundity comparison between the two sexual orientation groupsClass of relatives Likelihood of sharingX-chromosome Homosexuals HeterosexualsN AveragefecunditySD N AveragefecunditySD pMothers1152 2.73 1.4698 2.07 1.08.001 Mothers offirst borns155 1.780.6956 1.540.81.02 Maternal aunts0.75121 1.96 1.0662 1.430.98.001 Maternal uncles0.2588 1.900.9866 1.770.78n.s. Maternal grandparents0.5149 3.62 1.5797 3.28 1.65.09 Sons and daughters of maternal grandparents a0.25–1361 2.190.91226 1.720.69.001 Paternal aunts096 1.860.9359 1.74 1.06n.s Paternal uncles085 1.75 1.2049 2.000.93.05 Paternal grandparents0146 3.16 1.5295 2.85 1.25n.s. Sons and daughters of paternal grandparents(excluding father)b0181 1.780.85108 1.840.84n.s.a Cumulated fecundity of mothers,maternal aunts,and maternal unclesb Cumulated fecundity of paternal aunts and paternal uncles123In this study,a clear difference emerged in the average fecundity of the female relatives in the maternal line of homo-sexuals,a difference that was even more marked and signifi-cant than in the previous one.In particular,we found not only differences in mothers and maternal aunts,but also in the cumu-lated fecundity of maternal females and in the mothers offirst-borns.Thesefindings in Camperio Ciani et al.(2004)were not so clear.These results confirm once again that fecundity was sig-nificantly higher only in the maternal line.This is somehow in conflict with the study of King et al.(2005),who found larger family size in homosexuals,irrespective of the paternal or maternal line.This requires some comment.The results of King et al.(2005)were based on a rather large sample;how-ever,sampling procedures are particularly delicate and need special attention.We have discussed elsewhere the possibility that homosexuals might appear more frequently in large families,as a sampling artefact(Camperio Ciani et al.,2004). That is because the families included in sexual orientation studies derive from selected probands,in this case with the homosexual trait,and homosexuality is a relatively rare trait compared to heterosexuality.This might favor the overrepre-sentation of large families for the rarest trait population(homo-sexuals).This phenomenon is referred to as‘‘small population sampling bias.’’This bias is avoided by comparing groups who face equal obstacles in entering the study(Camperio Ciani et al.,2004;Spreen&Marius,1992;Watters&Biernacki, 1989).However,this bias does not account for why the high fecundity was limited to the maternal line and not in the pat-ernal one,as in our case.In our study,the paternal relatives of homosexuals and heterosexuals showed no differences in fecundity with only one exception(the lower fecundity in the paternal uncles of the homosexual group),and that result was contrary to thefindings of King et al.(2005).A possible reason why the pattern of results obtained by King et al.(2005)differs from that obta-ined by the present writers relates to how paternal and maternal family size was calculated in King et al.(2005).Furthermore, in our work we followed the protocol of tracking fecundity effects linked to the X-chromosome by limiting comparisons to classes of relatives who were homogeneous in their prob-ability of sharing the X-chromosome with the proband.In con-trast,King et al.(2005)compared classes of relatives of mixed sexes without distinguishing the X-chromosome provenance. As an example,King et al.(2005)included brothers and sisters both in paternal and maternal family sizes.These classes how-ever,received the X-chromosome only from the maternal line and not from the paternal one.Hence,these classes should not be included in the paternal line,otherwise they might overes-timate paternal contribution.Excluding family size,King et al.(2005)reported just a marginally higher number of pater-nal cousins of homosexuals compared with heterosexuals(M= 6.0,SD=6.3vs.M=5.1,SD=6.0)and a significantly higher number of paternal uncles and aunts of homosexuals (M=3.0,SD=2.3vs.M=2.6,SD=2.3).Neither of these results,which would falsify our hypothe-sis,was confirmed in our completed studies(Camperio Ciani et al.,2004;the present study)or in forthcoming studies (Camperio Ciani,Cermelli,&Zanzotto,2008;Camperio Ciani,Iemmola,&Lombardi,2008).Further studies will definitively clarify this crucial point,because our data support a sexually antagonistic hypothesis partly connected to the X-chromosome,whereas the data of King et al.(2005)sug-gest an over-dominance hypothesis,whereby autosomal factors that promote fecundity might result in promoting homosexuality if overrepresented(Gavrilets&Rice,2006). Only testing the prediction of the two different genetic models against the empirical data collected to date will definitively resolve who gave the correct interpretation.A higher fecundity in homosexuals’mothers is also indi-rectly suggested by the immunological hypothesis of Blan-chard,which predicts a higher number of older brothers in the sibships of homosexuals.Indirectly,because Blanchard never suggested it,but in an extremely low fecundity population such as the Italian one the fact of having at least an older brother is already an indication of having a larger family than average(Blanchard,1997,2004;Blanchard&Lippa,2007). Blanchard’s predictions were also confirmed in our study:we found that the homosexuals had an excess of older brothers compared with their own number of older sisters and com-pared with the heterosexuals’number of older brothers.The homosexual and heterosexual groups did not differ with regard to the other three classes of siblings.Our study found something more,however,because Blan-chard’s hypothesis predicts neither an increase of fecundity in maternal aunts of homosexual probands(who,by the way,only occasionally have homosexual sons;Camperio Ciani et al., 2004)nor an increased fecundity in mothers who have a homosexual son as theirfirstborn child(and who,by definition, can produce only younger brothers and younger sisters of the homosexual son).These facts can be explained only by the hypothesis of genetic factors transmitted in the maternal line (at least partly through the X-chromosome).These factors show different effects in their carriers:when present in a female,they would promote fecundity;when present in a male, they would influence sexual orientation toward homosexual-ity.However,homosexuality is not only influenced by these, yet unidentified,factors that promote fecundity in mothers and maternal aunts,but it is also definitely facilitated by the birth of older brothers,as found by Blanchard(1997,2004).Gavrilets and Rice(2006)analyzed a number of genetic models to understand the location of candidate genes pro-moting homosexuality.They compared single locus models based on sexually antagonistic selection,over-dominance, maternal effect,and genomic imprinting with a series of empirical researches(Blanchard,2004;Camperio Ciani et al.,1232004;King et al.,2005;Mustansky et al.,2005).The results showed that under the random mating assumption a few single locus models are virtually possible,but highly unstable.This means that with small variation of female or male fecundity, the genetic factors promoting male homosexuality can rapidly disappear or reach completefixation in the population.Such results were reviewed by Savolainen and Lehmann(2007)and widely quoted in the press,which suggested that in the near future male bisexuality might rapidly grow in the population. We believe,on the contrary,that these single locus models are inadequate,and the instability they show is the consequence of this fact.Homosexuality has always been present in practically all human populations,under extremely variable fecundity and social conditions,always at relative low frequency.We do not see why it should just now explode or disappear.We hence believe that a multilocus model might be much more adequate to explain the transmission of male homosexuality,and our laboratory is working on this(Camperio Ciani et al.,2008).In conclusion,if these results can be replicated elsewhere, perhaps in a non-Italian sample,this will suggest the existence of genetic factors transmitted through the maternal line that both increase the probability of becoming homosexual in males and promote fecundity in females(sexually antago-nistic selection).The genetic one is not,however,the only explanation for sexual orientation variety;other physiological and environ-mental effects contribute.As in most aspects of human nature, the behavioral phenotype of homosexual orientation should be the result of the interactions of innate factors and experience before and during the lifetime(Churchill,1967;Enquist, Ghirlanda,Wachtmeister,&Lundqvist,2002). 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