レッスンを予約する
Step 1
Read the Article
Read the article to understand the main idea.
記事を読んで、おおよその内容をつかみましょう。
First kiss was 20 million years ago by early primates, scientists say
Kissing did not begin with human lovers but with the primate ancestors of great apes around 20 million years ago, according to a study published Nov. 19.
Researchers from Oxford University and the Florida Institute of Technology wanted to examine when kissing began, given that from an evolutionary standpoint it has no obvious survival benefit. Yet humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas all kiss, which strongly suggests the habit was inherited from a shared ancestor.
Scientists combined observations of primate behavior with data on evolutionary relationships to try to date the first kiss. “Using these two key pieces of information, we employed a modeling approach that allowed us to simulate different evolutionary scenarios,” said lead author Matilda Brindle of Oxford’s biology department. Running the model millions of times gave a date of 21.5-16.9 million years ago. The findings were published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
(Reuters)
Step 2
Check the Vocabulary and Phrases
Check the following vocabulary and phrases.
以下の単語やフレーズの発音、意味、使い方を確認しましょう。
primate
霊長類
any animal that belongs to the group of mammals that includes humans, apes, and monkeys
Scientists study primates to learn more about human behavior.
科学者たちは、人間の行動をより深く学ぶために霊長類を研究している。
ancestor
先祖
a person, animal, or plant from the past from which a living being has developed.
Scientists study fossils to learn about our ancient ancestors.
科学者たちは、私たちの昔の祖先について知るために化石を研究します。
evolutionary
進化の
connected with the way in which plants, animals, and humans develop and change over time
She watched a video about evolutionary theory.
彼女は進化論に関する動画を見ました。
standpoint
観点
a set of beliefs and ideas from which opinions and decisions are formed
From a learning standpoint, group work is helpful.
学習の観点からは、グループワークは役に立ちます。
inherit
受け継ぐ
to receive a quality, characteristic or behavior from an ancestor through evolution or genetics
He inherited musical talent from his family.
彼は家族から音楽の才能を受け継ぎました。
Step 3
Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions based on the article.
理解度問題に挑戦しましょう。
What pieces of information did scientists combine in order to estimate the timing of the first kiss?
What method did the scientists use to explore different evolutionary possibilities?
Step 4
Discussion
Share your opinions on the following questions.
以下の質問について、自分の考えを述べてみましょう。
Many animals show different kinds of social behavior. What animal behavior do you find most interesting?
Do you think animals can feel emotions similar to humans? Why or why not?
In some countries, people kiss on the cheek to say hello. In your country, do people greet each other with a kiss, or do they prefer a different type of greeting?
Scientists work for a long time on one topic. What kind of topic would you like to study deeply if you were a researcher? Why?
Which period in the history of evolution are you most interested in, and why?