Man, so the truism goes, lives increasingly in a man-made environment. This places a special burden on human immaturity, for it is plain that adapting to such variable conditions must depend very heavily on opportunities for learning, or whatever the processes are that are operative (luring immaturity. It must also mean that during immaturity man must master knowledge and skills that are either stored in the gene pool or learned by direct encounter, but which are contained in the culture pool-- knowledge about values and history, skills as varied as an obligatory natural language or an optional mathematical one, as mute as levers or as articulate as myth telling.
Yet, it would be a mistake to leap to the conclusion that because human immaturity makes possible high flexibility, therefore anything is possible for the species. Human traits were selected for their survival value over a four--to five-million-year period with a great acceleration of the selection process during the last half of that period. There were crucial, irreversible changes during that final man-making period: recession of formidable dentition, 50 percent increase in brain volume, the obstetrical paradox--bipedalism and strong pelvic girdle, larger brain through a smaller birth canal immature brain at birth, and creation of what Washburn has called a "technical-social way of life, involving tool and symbol use.
Note, however, that hominidization consisted principally of adaptations to conditions in the Pleistocene. These preadaptations, shaped in response to earlier habitat demands, are part of man's evolutionary inheritance. This is not to say that close beneath the skin of man is a naked ape, that civilization is only a veneer. The technical-social way of life is a deep feature of the species adaptation. But we would .err if we assumed a priori that man's inheritance placed no constraint on his power to adapt. Some of the preadaptations can be shown to be presently maladaptive. Man's inordinate fondness for fats and sweets no longer serves his individual survival well. And the human obsession with sexuality is plainly not fitted for survival of the species now, however well it might have served to population the upper Pliocene and the Pleistocene. Nevertheless, note that the species responds typically to these challenges by technical innovation rather than by morphological or behavioral change. Contraception dissociates sexuality from reproduction. We do not, of course, know what kinds and what range of stresses are produced by successive rounds of such technical innovation. Dissociating sexuality and reproduction, for example, surely produces changes in the structure of the family, which in turn redefine the role of women, which in turn alters the authority pattern affecting the child, etc. continuing and possible acceleration change seems inherent in such adaptation. And this, of course, places and enormous pressure on man's uses of immaturity, preparing the young for unforeseeable change--the more so if there are severe restraints imposed by human preadaptations to earlier conditions of life.
It can be inferred that the obstetrical paradox is puzzling because______.
A. it occurred very late during the evolution of the species
B. evolutionary forces seemed to work at cross purposes to each other
C. technological innovations have made the process of birth easier
D. an increase in brain size is not an ordinary evolutionary event
听力原文:W: Hi, Ralf, how are you doing?
M: Hi, Samantha, I'm fine, but I am not happy about the new 15% increase in bus transportation fares. I don't think it is fair to students, poor people, and old people on fixed incomes. Transportation is now a major consideration in my budget.
W: You know how to get the student discount, don't you, Ralf?
M: What student discount, Samantha?
W: It's only for full-time students. Are you full time?
M: Yes, I am a full-time student.
W: Well then, you would qualify. Take your student card to the Derbyshire Building on Johnson Road. The Metro Pass is available there to all students from our university. The Student Union made a deal with them last year—I think part of our student union dues may be involved,but I am not sure. Anyway,you can get a monthly student pass that gives you unlimited,all zone access to public transit anywhere in the greater regional district for half price—$50 a month.
M: Really? Only 50 dollars? why didn't I know about that?
W: There was a page on it in “the Information for New Student Packet” that the Student Union sends welcoming to all students.
M: Oh, I remember that package. It included a welcome letter and a bunch of advertisements.
W: Yes,but one of the ads was from City Metro,explaining it all.
M: I just threw the whole envelope out. I am so sick of looking at advertisements. It annoys me that so much paper is wasted on material that is of no interest to me.
W: Well, I am sure if you go to the Derbyshire Building, there will be lots of information there. How many zones do you travel?
M: I have to go 3 zones. It takes me over an hour to get home.
W: Well, this pass would be especially good for you. It has the same cost regardless of how many zones you travel. I use it on weekends sometimes to visit my grandparents—they are 5 zones from my place so it's really cheap.
M: I am so glad you told me about this. I have been so worried about all my expenses since starting college that I hardly ever have a doughnut with my coffee. I think I will celebrate this news this afternoon. and buy a doughnut with my coffee. Can I invite you to join me? This tip you gave me is worth a lot,I'd like to buy you a coffee.
W: That is very nice of you, but no need. I am glad I could help. I am going swimming after class today. I'm trying out for the college swim team. The coach is excellent.
M: Yes, I have heard that. Well, thank you so much, Samantha. I shall head over to the Derbyshire Building right now.
W: I forgot to mention this pass is only good until the end of the term,then you have to renew and the line-ups can get quite long. During the summer, it is not available. Also, when you pay, they don't take personal checks. I made that mistake when I went the first time—they accept credit cards and cash only. I doubt there will be any line-up today.
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At Citibank.
B. At a metro station.
C. At the Student Union Building.
D. At the Derbyshire Building.
A.Workers are not satisfied with working on one small duty day after day.B.Few people
A. Workers are not satisfied with working on one small duty day after day.
B. Few people understand all aspects of a whole operation.
C. Workers earn more money.
D. Few people know how to produce an entire car.