強大基因! 非洲民族的自然「捲」 The Uniqueness of African Hair
The Uniqueness of African Hair
12/16 解析英語
作者 Niall Longobardi
閱讀時間 9分鐘
聽講解 聽朗讀 本圖文出處: MP3:
強大基因! 非洲民族的自然「捲」 The Uniqueness of African Hair
非裔血統的人其中一個決定性的特徵就是一頭豐厚的濃密捲髮。
目錄 / More to Learn / Grammar Tips / 中文翻譯(& 答案)
閱讀測驗
Human hair comes in various sizes, lengths, colors, and textures. Some people grow long, straight hair, while others have hair that is curly and short. However, there is one group of people known for having hair that shares particular characteristics.
A defining trait of people with African ancestry is having a head of thick hair that grows in tight coils. While features such as curls or thickness are found in people all around the world, it is the combination of these two traits that makes Africans relatively unique. However, thick and curly hair is actually quite fragile. The scalp produces natural oil called sebum, which keeps our hair healthy. The tight curls on African people’s hair make it hard for the oil to spread evenly. Thus, hair strands become dry and more brittle.
You might be wondering why people of African descent have such unique hair. The answer to this is all related to the hair follicle. A hair follicle is a tube-like structure (pore) in the top two layers of the skin that hair grows out of. The size, shape, and texture of a person’s hair are wholly determined by their hair follicles. For example, the larger the hair follicles, the thicker a person’s hair. Hair follicles with perfectly round openings produce straight hair. The more oblong the openings of the hair follicles are, the curlier the hair will be. Thus, African people tend to have large hair follicles with very flat, elliptical openings.
Regardless of whether a person has hair that’s short, long, curly, or straight, we can all admire the beauty in the diversity of hair around the world.
1. Which are the hair characteristics associated with people of African descent?
(A) Long and thin hair.
(B) Thick and curly hair.
(C) Thin and light-colored hair.
(D) Long and dark-colored hair.
2. According to the passage, what are hair follicles?
(A) They are oils that coat hair.
(B) They are the pores that cause hair to grow.
(C) They are the organs that hair grows out of on the skin.
(D) They are the hormones that determine the color of hair.
3. What type of hair would a person with small oval-shaped hair follicles have?
(A) Fine and curly hair.
(B) Thick and curly hair.
(C) Fine and straight hair.
(D) Thick and straight hair.
4. What can we infer about hair characteristics from the passage?
(A) The amount of sebum the scalp produces depends on the diameter
(B) It is the flat follicles that make African people’s hair delicate.
(C) Straight hair allows sebum to spread more evenly.
(D) Hair follicles play a vital role in protecting hair.
答案 1.B 2.C 3.A 4.B
Words in Use
●
thin [θɪn]
adj. 薄的；瘦的；稀的；稀疏的
●
determined [dɪˋtɝmɪnd]
a. 有決心的
●
combination [͵kɑmbəˋneʃən]
n. 結合，聯合
●
diameter [daɪˋæmətɚ]
n. 直徑
●
texture [ˋtɛkstʃɚ]
n. （料子、紡織物的）質地，觸感；（食物、飲品的）口感
vt. 形成（不平滑、粗糙的）紋理
●
characteristic [͵kærəktəˋrɪstɪk]
a. 典型的（皆與介詞 of 並用）
n. 特徵
●
delicate [ˋdɛləkət]
a. 脆弱的；精緻的
●
fragile [ˋfrædʒəl]
n. 優先考慮的事（可數）；優先權（不可數）
●
oval [ˋov!]
a. 卵形的，橢圓形的
n. 橢圓
●
curl [kɝl]
n. （一根）捲髮
vt. 使捲曲
●
diversity [daɪˋvɝsətɪ]
n. 多樣性；差異
●
trait [tret]
n. 特質，特點
●
strand [strænd]
n. 一股 / 縷 (線、頭髮)
vt. 使擱淺
●
hormone [ˋhɔrmon]
n. 荷爾蒙
●
descent [dɪˋsɛnt]
n. . 下降；血統
●
opening [ˋopənɪŋ]
n. 孔洞
●
scalp [skælp]
n. 頭皮
●
defining [dɪˈfɑɪnɪŋ]
adj. 關鍵的，決定性的
●
curly [ˋkɝlɪ]
a. 捲曲的
●
evenly [ˋivənlɪ]
adv. 均勻地；平均地
●
ancestry [ˋænsɛstrɪ]
n. 血統；祖先（總稱）
●
coil [kɔɪl]
n. 線圈（本文指像線圈般密集的捲髮）
●
sebum [ˋsibəm]
n. 皮脂
●
brittle [ˋbrɪt!]
a. 脆的，易碎的
●
follicle [ˋfɑlɪk!]
n. 毛囊
●
pore [por]
n. 毛孔
●
oblong [ˋɑbloŋ]
a. 橢圓形的
●
elliptical [ɪˋlɪptɪk!]
a. 橢圓（形）的
Practical Phrases
●
regardless of... 不論……
Everyone is required to attend the meeting
regardless of the typhoon.
儘管有颱風，每個人還是被要求出席會議。
●
某物 + come in + 顏色∕尺寸等 某物有⋯⋯的顏色／尺寸
The shirt comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large.
這款襯衫有三種尺寸：小、中和大。
●
make it + N/Adj. + for sb/sth + to V 使（做）⋯⋯對某人／某物而言變得⋯⋯
My motorcycle makes it easier for me to travel between school and my home.
機車讓我往返學校和家裡變得更容易。
●
be determined by... 取決於⋯⋯，由⋯⋯決定
The price of fresh seafood is determined by the fishermen.
新鮮海鮮的價格由漁夫決定。
More to Learn
various [ ˋvɛrɪəs ] a. 各式各樣的
• The library houses various kinds of books, from science fiction to cookbooks.
這座圖書館藏有各式各樣的書籍，從科幻小說到食譜都有。
以下介紹「各式各樣的，形形色色的」的其他說法:
a. a (wide) variety of... 各式各樣的⋯⋯
variety [ vəˋraɪətɪ ] n. 種類
• This hotel provides tourists with a variety of entertainment.
這家飯店提供遊客各種不同的娛樂。
b. a (wide) range of... 各式各樣的⋯⋯
• The furniture exhibition has a wide range of quality sofas for you to choose from.
這次傢俱展有各式各樣品質好的沙發任君挑選。
c. diverse [ daɪˋvɝs ] a. 各式各樣的
= a diversity of...
• With diverse courses available online, everyone can learn a new skill on their own.
網路上有各式各樣的課程，每個人都能自己習得新 技能。
d. all kinds / sorts / types of... 各式各樣的⋯⋯
• You can find all types of sports gear at this store, such as swimsuits and footwear.
你可以在這間店找到各式各樣的運動裝備，像是泳裝和鞋類。
Grammar Tips
For example, the larger the hair follicles, the thicker a person’s hair.
The more oblong the openings of the hair follicles are, the curlier the hair will be.
介紹「愈......，就愈......」的用法
基本句型
The + 比較級形容詞/副詞..., the + 比較級形容詞/ 副詞...
※ 在此句構中，第一個 the 不具任何意思，為副詞連接 詞，引導副詞子句，同時兼作副詞，修飾其後的比較 級形容詞或副詞;第二個 the 則為副詞，亦不具任何 意思，修飾其後的比較級形容詞或副詞。
• The earlier you finish your homework, the sooner you can hang out with friends.
你愈早完成功課，就能愈快跟朋友出去玩。
• The louder the music was, the more excited the fans became.
音樂愈大聲，歌迷就愈興奮。
※ 若句中只有動詞而無形容詞或副詞時，則在句首依句 意加上 the more 或 the less 即可。
• The more you spend, the less you save. 你花得愈多，存下來的就愈少。
※ 若比較級比較的對象是名詞的數量，修飾可數名詞時用 more / fewer，修飾不可數名詞時則用形容詞比較 級 more / less。
• The more you practice, the fewer mistakes you’ll make.
你練習愈多次，犯的錯就會愈少。
• The older we get, the less time we spend with our family.
我們年紀愈大，就花愈少時間陪伴家人。
※ 若句中主詞為一般名詞，而非代名詞(he、she 等) 或專有名詞(Ann、Jim 等)，且其後動詞為 be 動詞 時，此 be 動詞可予以省略(如上列第一句用法)。
• The lighter a laptop (is), the more portable it is.
筆電愈輕愈方便攜帶。
※ 句中主詞若無特定對象，亦可與 be 動詞一同省略。
• We’ll need a lot of people to help in today’s event. The more, the better.
我們今天的活動會需要很多人幫忙。人愈多愈好。
精選試題
天氣愈乾燥，這些花朵就需要愈多水。
__________________________________________
答案:The drier the weather (is), the more water these flowers need.
鑽石
碎鑽
金豆
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