As sure as(1) honey attracts bees(2), Valentine’s Day(3) attracts scientific reports(4) on human relations. For example, in early(5) February, researchers(6) announced new findings(7) about online dating(8) sites.
Many of these popular sites say they have a special formula to find(9) the perfect partner(10). But the researchers say these claims(11) are unsupported(12) and likely(13) false.
Lead(14) author Eli Finkel at Northwestern University in Illinois said online dating is a great addition(15) to the ways(16) for singles(17) to look for(18) love. But the study found(19) that so far(20) there is no scientific evidence that any(21) formula or “matching(22) algorithm” actually works(23).
The study is being published(24) in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Now here is a different question(25): When do you suppose(26) a female voice(27) is most unappealing(28) to a man?
Researchers measured(29) men’s reactions to women’s voices at different points during(30) their monthly cycle(31). The study found that generally(32) a woman’s voice is most unattractive to men during her period(33).
All the experiments found that men can detect small changes(34) in women’s voices at different points in the menstrual cycle. About(35) two hundred college-age(36) males(37) took part(38) in the study.
Ten young women provided(39) voice recordings(40) from four points in their cycles. These included the times(41) of highest(42) and lowest(43) fertility. The highest is during ovulation, when the body releases(44) an egg(45) for fertilization.
The lowest is during a woman’s period.The men had a twenty-five percent chance of guessing(46) which recordings were made(47) during menstruation. But they chose(48) correctly at least(49) thirty-four percent of the time. Finally, one group of men had to choose the voice they found most unattractive(50).
Again(51), thirty-four percent of the time they chose the so-called(52) menstrual voice. Nathan Pipitone of Adams State College in Colorado led(53) the study, published in the journal Ethology. He points out(54) that in other primates, it is often(55) easy to recognize(56) when females are most fertile.
But in humans the effects of hormonal changes are often difficult to recognize. Dr. Pipitone says evolution may have(57) reduced the effects in humans in order to(58) support(59) relationships(60) with just one partner.
As he put(61) it: “I think this reflects the shift(62) in the minimization of these cues(63) across the menstrual cycle to lead to one of our most prominent(64) mating strategies — monogamy.
Having drastic shifts in females attitudes and behaviors(66) does not bode well(67) for a pair-bonding(68) relationship.” For VOA Special English, I’m Alex Villarreal.(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 15Feb2012)
Vocabulary
- As sure as = tão certo quanto
- Bees = abelhas
- Valentine’s Day = dia dos namorados
- Reports = relatórios
- Early = início
- Researchers = pesquisadores
- Findings = descobertas
- Dating = namoro
- Find = encontrar
- Partner = parceiro
- Claims = afirmações, alegações
- Unsupported = não confirmado
- Likely = provavelmente
- Lead = chefe
- Addition = acréscimo
- Ways = formas
- Singles = solteiros
- look for = procurer
- found = descobriu
- so far = até agora
- any = qualquer
- matching = correspondente, de combinação
- actually works = realmente funciona
- is being published = está sendo publicado
- question = pergunta
- suppose = supõe
- female voice = voz feminine
- unappealing = não atraente
- measured = mediram
- during = durante
- monthly cycle = ciclo mensal
- generally = geralmente
- period = period menstrual
- small changes = pequenas mudanças
- About = aproximadamente
- college-age = idade universitária
- males = homens, do sexo masculine
- took part = participaram
- provided = forneceram
- recordings = gravações
- times = épocas
- highest = mais alto(a)
- lowest = mais baixo(a)
- releases = libera
- egg = óvulo
- chance of guessing = chance de adivinhar
- made = feito(a)
- chose = escolheram
- at least = pelo menos
- unattractive = não atraente
- Again = novamente
- so-called = assim chamados, conhecido como
- led = liderou
- points out = salient
- often = frequentemente
- recognize = reconhecer
- may have = pode ter
- in order to = a fim de
- support = apoiar
- relationships = relacionamentos
- put = colocou
- shift = alteração
- cues = pistas
- prominent = proeminente, importante
- mating = acasalamento
- behaviors = comportamentos
- bode well = ser de bom presságio
- pair-bonding = ajustamento de casal