一项研究或许已经重现了接吻在进化史上的起源。并不只有人类会互相接吻，这个行为在动物界十分常见，但其中的原因对科学家们来说却颇为神秘，因为这个行为对进化并没有明显的益处。

Humans do it, chimpanzees do it, even polar bears do it. And now a study has shown that kissing likely evolved about 21 and a half million years ago.

人类会接吻，黑猩猩也会接吻，甚至北极熊都会接吻。而如今，一项研究表明，接吻很可能是 2150 万年前出现的。

The mouth-on-mouth kiss is actually something of a biological puzzle, with no obvious survival or reproductive benefits, so the Oxford University-led team gathered evidence of animals that kiss each other on the mouth and worked out their evolutionary relationship to each other and to humans. This revealed that kissing probably evolved in the last common ape ancestor of humans, chimps and bonobos.

嘴对嘴的接吻其实是一个生物学谜题，这个行为对生存和繁殖并没有明显的益处。所以，一个由牛津大学主导的团队收集了动物互相之间会亲吻嘴部的证据，然后找到了它们彼此之间以及和人类之间的进化关系。这一研究发现接吻很可能是在人类、黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩的最后一个共同猿类祖先身上进化出来的。

The study suggested that Neanderthals probably kissed too, and that they may have smooched with modern humans when the two species lived alongside each other. The researchers hope that the insight will encourage more scientists to gather data that could finally help solve the evolutionary mystery of why we and many other animals kiss.

这项研究认为尼安德特人很可能也会接吻，并且他们和现代人类在共同生活的时候可能接吻过。研究人员希望这个发现能鼓励更多科学家收集资料并最终解开为什么我们和许多其它动物会接吻这个进化谜题。

词汇表

biological puzzle 生物学谜题
reproductive 繁殖的
ancestor 祖先
Neanderthals 尼安德特人
smooched 亲吻，拥吻
insight 发现，洞察

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. What did the study find?

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. Scientists are certain kissing evolved 21 and a half million years ago.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. Why is the mouth-on-mouth kiss a biological puzzle?
a. It is not obvious how animals do it.
b. It is not obvious why animals do it.
c. It is not obvious when animals do it.

3. Kissing evolved so that animals could bond with each other. 
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. Kissing evolved after Neanderthals existed.  
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

5. Neanderthals and modern humans may have kissed while living _______ each other.
a. through
b. alongside
c. against

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Humans do it, chimpanzees do it, ________________ polar bears do it.

2. And now a study has shown that kissing likely evolved about 21 ________________ million years ago.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. What did the study find?

The study found that kissing probably evolved in the last common ape ancestor of humans, chimps and bonobos, and that Neanderthals probably kissed too.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. b. False. And now a study has shown that kissing likely evolved about 21 and a half million years ago.

2. b. The mouth-on-mouth kiss is actually something of a biological puzzle, with no obvious survival or reproductive benefits.

3. c. Not given. Why animals kiss is not mentioned.

4. b. False. The study suggested that Neanderthals probably kissed too, and that they may have smooched with modern humans when the two species lived alongside each other.

5. Neanderthals and modern humans may have kissed while living alongside each other.

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Humans do it, chimpanzees do it, even polar bears do it.

2. And now a study has shown that kissing likely evolved about 21 and a half million years ago.