美国科学60秒 SSS 2015-01-28
时间：2018-12-24 作者：英语课 分类：2015年Scientific American(一)月
英语课
Winter is high time for humidifiers because dry air can irritate your throat. But a new study finds that arid 1 conditions might have an influence on the development of the very languages that some people speak.
Extensive research on human physiology 2 suggests that really dry air makes it hard for us to use our vocal 3 cords, very precisely 4. ? an anthropological 5 linguistic 6 professor at the university of Miami. He and his colleagues recently investigated that dry throat phenomenon in regards to complex tonal languages like cantonese, where various combinations of rising and falling tones can actually change the meaning of a word, as opposed to non- tonal languages like English or Italian. In the non-toner, the fundamental meaning is the same whether I say word, word or word. By mapping the distribution of more than thirty-seven tonal and non-tonal languages, Everge and his colleagues found that tonal languages tend to cluster in warm and humid areas, and they are ten times less prevelent in dry sub-freezing climate like Syberia compared with non-tonal languages. The study is in the proceedings 7 of the National Academy of Sciences. Of course it's physically 8 possible they speak tonal languages in a cold place.
Obviously the speakers of contanese, for instance, can communicate in Siberia and in other dry places.
The big picture, Everest says, is that languages evolve in relation to where it's spoken.
Language does not evolve in vacuum. It is not impervious 9 to the effects of the environment. This is ecologies impact human behavior and adaptive processes of human cultures in myriad 10 ways. They seem to also influence the ways which the language develops
1 arid
adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的
- These trees will shield off arid winds and protect the fields.这些树能挡住旱风,保护农田。
- There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
2 physiology
n.生理学，生理机能
- He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
- He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。
3 vocal
adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目
- The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
- Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
4 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
5 anthropological
adj.人类学的
- These facts of responsibility are an anthropological datums- varied and multiform. 这些道德事实是一种人类学资料——性质不同，形式各异。 来自哲学部分
- It is the most difficult of all anthropological data on which to "draw" the old Negro. 在所有的人类学资料中，最困难的事莫过于“刻划”古代的黑人。 来自辞典例句
6 linguistic
adj.语言的，语言学的
- She is pursuing her linguistic researches.她在从事语言学的研究。
- The ability to write is a supreme test of linguistic competence.写作能力是对语言能力的最高形式的测试。
7 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
- He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
- to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
8 physically
adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律
- He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
- Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
9 impervious
adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的
- He was completely impervious to criticism.他对批评毫不在乎。
- This material is impervious to gases and liquids.气体和液体都透不过这种物质。