Have you ever felt like you would do just about anything to satisfy your hunger?
你有没有想过要做些事情来满足你的饥饿感?
A new study in mice may help to explain why hunger can feel like such a powerful motivating force.
一项在老鼠身上进行的新研究可能有助于解释为什么饥饿感觉起来像一股强大的推动力。
In the study, researchers found that hunger outweighed other physical drives; including fear, thirst and social needs.
在这项研究中,研究人员发现饥饿超过了其他身体驱动力;包括恐惧、口渴和社会需求。
To determine which feeling won out, the researchers did a series of experiments.
为了确定哪种感觉胜出,研究人员做了一系列实验。
In one experiment, the mice were both hungry and thirsty.
在一个实验中,老鼠们又饿又渴。
When given the choice of either eating food or drinking water, the mice went for the food, the researchers found.
研究人员发现,当让老鼠选择吃东西还是喝水时,它们会选择食物。
However, when the mice were well-fed but thirsty, they opted to drink, according to the study.
然而,根据这项研究,当老鼠吃得很饱但是很渴的时候,它们会选择喝水。
In the second experiment meant to pit the mice's hunger against their fear, hungry mice were placed in a cage that had certain "fox-scented" areas and other places that smelled safer (in other words, not like an animal that could eat them) but also had food.
在第二个实验中,饥饿的老鼠被放在一个笼子里,笼子里有一些“狐狸气味”区域和其他气味更安全的地方(换句话说,不像能吃它们的动物),但也有食物。
It turned out that, when the mice were hungry, they ventured into the unsafe areas for food.
事实证明,当老鼠饿了的时候,它们会冒险进入不安全的区域觅食。
But when the mice were well-fed, they stayed in areas of the cage that were considered "safe."
但当老鼠吃得很饱时,它们会呆在笼子里被认为“安全”的地方。
Hunger also outweighed the mice's social needs, the researchers found.
研究人员发现,饥饿也超过了老鼠的社会需求。
Mice are usually social animals and prefer to be in the company of other mice, according to the study.
根据这项研究,老鼠通常是群居动物,喜欢和其他老鼠在一起。
When the mice were hungry, they opted to leave the company of other mice to go get food.
当老鼠饿了的时候,它们选择离开其他老鼠的同伴去找食物。
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
请根据你刚刚听到的文章回答问题16至问题18。
Question 16.What is the researchers' purpose in carrying out the series of experiments with mice?
问题16:研究人员在小鼠身上进行这一系列实验的目的是什么?
Question 17. In what circumstances, do mice venture into unsafe areas?
问题17:在什么情况下,小鼠会冒险进入不安全的区域?
Question 18. What is said about mice at the end of the passage?
问题18:关于文章结尾的老鼠是怎么说的?