|
Scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about why most ginger cats are male. Researchers from Kyushu University in Japan found that a mutation in the X chromosome causes the "orange gene" responsible for the ginger fur color.
Male cats have one X and one Y chromosome; if their X chromosome carries this mutation, they become ginger. Female cats have two X chromosomes, so the mutation must appear on both to have ginger fur, which is less common.
The study analyzed the DNA of 18 cats, 10 of which had ginger fur. All ginger cats had a gene mutation called ARHGAP36, while non-ginger cats did not.
Dr. Hiroyuki Sasaki, leading the research, said identifying this gene was a long-time dream and a joyful achievement. He also mentioned that many cat owners believe fur color relates to personality, but science hasn’t confirmed this yet.
1. Scientists have solved a mystery that surfaced earlier this year.
答案: False (F)
新闻未提到今年才出现的谜题，是长期的科学问题。
2. The orange colour of ginger cats comes from a gene mutation.
答案: True (T)
科学家发现了导致橘色毛发的基因突变。
3. A geneticist said the gene cracked, and that brought him joy.
答案: True (T)
Dr. Sasaki说识别出这个基因是一件令人高兴的事。
4. If female cat has a gene mutation in two X chromosomes, it'll be ginger.
答案: True (T)
女性猫需要两个X染色体都有突变才会是橘色。
5. The study has been published in a journal called "Current Biology".
答案: True (T)
研究发表在《Current Biology》期刊上。
6. All of the ginger cats in a study had the gene mutation.
答案: True (T)
研究中的所有橘色猫都有突变基因。
7. Cat lovers believe fur colour is related to cats' personalities.
答案: True (T)
许多猫主相信毛色与性格有关。
8. There's a lot of research about cats' fur colour and personality.
答案: False (F)
目前没有科学证据支持这种联系，研究较少。
当你跟朋友谈论新闻时，可以用这些口语表达来介绍内容：
"Scientists have finally figured out why most ginger cats are male." —— 科学家终于弄清楚为什么大多数橘猫是雄性的。
"It turns out the reason lies in a gene mutation on the X chromosome." —— 原因是X染色体上的基因突变。
"Male cats only have one X chromosome, so if it's mutated, they're ginger." —— 雄猫只有一个X染色体，只要那个变异了，它们就是橘色。
"Female cats need the mutation on both their X chromosomes to be ginger, which is pretty rare." —— 雌猫需要两个X染色体都变异才会是橘色，这比较罕见。
"Some cat owners think fur color affects personality, but scientists haven't proved it yet." —— 有些猫主认为毛色影响性格，但科学还没证实。
