Question

Do you have good friends? Do you sometimes feel so close to them that they are like family to you?

It turns out that this isn’t just an expression. A study by Yale University has found that you and your friends have more genes(基因) in common than strangers do. Researchers looked at the genes of 1, 932 people and compared them in pairs of unrelated friends and strangers. They found that friends have 1% of genes that match.

“1% of genes may not sound like much to the layperson(外行), but to geneticists(遺傳學(xué)家) it is a larger number,” Professor Nicholas Christakis of Yale University told Discovery News. In fact, this is the same amount of genes you share with your fourth cousins, those who have the same great-great-great grandparents as you.

So do you happen to become friends with people who share your genes? Not at all. In fact, it is evolution(進(jìn)化) that brings you together.

People who share certain genes also share skills and have similar likes and dislikes, researchers said. In ancient times, it was important that people who were alike stayed together. For example, people who had a similar susceptibility(易感性) to the cold were more likely to help each other build a fire, giving them a better chance to stay alive.

Researchers also found that among all the genes studied, those producing a change in sense of smell were the most similar in friends. This is probably because people who smell things in the same way are more easily drawn to similar environments. For example, people who like the smell of coffee may hang out at cafes(咖啡館) more often and as a result are more likely to meet and become friends with each other.

With their findings, the team has developed an interesting test called the “friendship score”. It can help tell how big the chances are that two people will be friends by studying their genes.

So, here is a question for you: would you like to take this test and know in advance(提前) who your friends are going to be, or would you still prefer to learn about it by yourself and let time be the judge?

1.From the passage, we know that friends ________.

A.look like our cousin B.share 1% of genes with us C.feel close to our family D.can help us when we feel cold

2.According to the passage, the writer probably agrees ________.

A.we develop our friendship by chance B.our genes decide who we can make friends with

C.everyone should take the test called “friendship score” D.people sharing certain genes have skills and interests in common

3.The writer takes the example of ancient people in Paragraph 5 to ________.

A.study how ancient people dealt with the cold B.predict that similar environments lead to friendship

C.prove that it is evolution that brings friends together D.explain why ancient people gave each other chance to keep alive

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.Friendship: Its Influence on People and Behavior B.Friendship: Its Benefits to Teens and Decision Making

C.Friendship: Is It Necessary to Be Judged by Time? D.Friendship: Is It Possible to Be Influenced by Genes?

Answer 1