Single-parent Kids Do BestSingle mums are better at raising their kids than two parents—at least in the bird world. Mother zebra finches have to work harder and raise fewer chicks on their own, but they also produce more attractive sons who are more likely to get a mate.The finding shows that family conflict is as important an evolutionary driving force as ecological factors such as hunting and food supply. With two parents around, there's always a conflict of interests, which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the offspring.In evolutionary terms, the best strategy for any parent in the animal world is to find someone else to care for their offspring, so they can concentrate on breeding again. So it’s normal for parents to try to pass the buck to each other. But Ian Hartley from the University of Lancaster and his team wondered how families solve this conflict, and how the conflict itself affects the offspring.To find out, they measured how much effort zebra finch parents put into raising their babies. They compared single females with pairs, by monitoring the amount of food each parent collected, and removing or adding chicks so that each pair of birds was raising four chicks, and each single mum had two-supposedly the same amount of work.But single mums, they found, put in about 25 per cent more effort than females rearing with their mate. To avoid being exploited, mothers with a partner hold back from working too hard if the father is being lazy, and it's the chicks that pay the price. "The offspring suffer some of the cost of this conflict", says Hartley.The cost does not show in any obvious decrease in size or weight, but in how attractive they are to the opposite sex. When the chicks were mature, the researchers tested the "fitness" of the male offspring by offering females their choice of partner. Those males reared by single mums were chosen more often than those from two-parent families.Sexual conflict has long been thought to affect the quality of care given to offspring, says zoologist Rebecca Kilner at Cambridge University, who works on conflict of parents in birds. "But the experimental evidence is not great. The breakthrough here is showing it empirically."More surprising, says Kilner, is Hartley's statement that conflict may be a strong influence on the evolution of behaviour, clutch size and even appearance. "People have not really made that link", says Hartley. A female's reproductive strategy is usually thought to be affected by hunting and food supply. Kilner says conflict of parents should now be taken into account as well.With which of the following statements would the author probably agree?

Single-parent Kids Do BestSingle mums are better at raising their kids than two parents—at least in the bird world. Mother zebra finches have to work harder and raise fewer chicks on their own, but they also produce more attractive sons who are more likely to get a mate.The finding shows that family conflict is as important an evolutionary driving force as ecological factors such as hunting and food supply. With two parents around, there's always a conflict of interests, which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the offspring.In evolutionary terms, the best strategy for any parent in the animal world is to find someone else to care for their offspring, so they can concentrate on breeding again. So it’s normal for parents to try to pass the buck to each other. But Ian Hartley from the University of Lancaster and his team wondered how families solve this conflict, and how the conflict itself affects the offspring.To find out, they measured how much effort zebra finch parents put into raising their babies. They compared single females with pairs, by monitoring the amount of food each parent collected, and removing or adding chicks so that each pair of birds was raising four chicks, and each single mum had two-supposedly the same amount of work.But single mums, they found, put in about 25 per cent more effort than females rearing with their mate. To avoid being exploited, mothers with a partner hold back from working too hard if the father is being lazy, and it's the chicks that pay the price. "The offspring suffer some of the cost of this conflict", says Hartley.The cost does not show in any obvious decrease in size or weight, but in how attractive they are to the opposite sex. When the chicks were mature, the researchers tested the "fitness" of the male offspring by offering females their choice of partner. Those males reared by single mums were chosen more often than those from two- parent families.Sexual conflict has long been thought to affect the quality of care given to offspring, says zoologist Rebecca Kilner at Cambridge University, who works on conflict of parents in birds. "But the experimental evidence is not great. The breakthrough here is showing it empirically."More surprising, says Kilner, is Hartley's statement that conflict may be a strong influence on the evolution of behaviour, clutch size and even appearance. "People have not really made that link", says Hartley. A female's reproductive strategy is usually thought to be affected by hunting and food supply. Kilner says conflict of parents should now be taken into account as well.According to the passage, in what way does family conflict affect the quality of the offspring?

Single-parent Kids Do BestSingle mums are better at raising their kids than two parents—at least in the bird world. Mother zebra finches have to work harder and raise fewer chicks on their own, but they also produce more attractive sons who are more likely to get a mate.The finding shows that family conflict is as important an evolutionary driving force as ecological factors such as hunting and food supply. With two parents around, there's always a conflict of interests, which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the offspring.In evolutionary terms, the best strategy for any parent in the animal world is to find someone else to care for their offspring, so they can concentrate on breeding again. So it’s normal for parents to try to pass the buck to each other. But Ian Hartley from the University of Lancaster and his team wondered how families solve this conflict, and how the conflict itself affects the offspring.To find out, they measured how much effort zebra finch parents put into raising their babies. They compared single females with pairs, by monitoring the amount of food each parent collected, and removing or adding chicks so that each pair of birds was raising four chicks, and each single mum had two-supposedly the same amount of work.But single mums, they found, put in about 25 per cent more effort than females rearing with their mate. To avoid being exploited, mothers with a partner hold back from working too hard if the father is being lazy, and it's the chicks that pay the price. "The offspring suffer some of the cost of this conflict", says Hartley.The cost does not show in any obvious decrease in size or weight, but in how attractive they are to the opposite sex. When the chicks were mature, the researchers tested the "fitness" of the male offspring by offering females their choice of partner. Those males reared by single mums were chosen more often than those from two- parent families.Sexual conflict has long been thought to affect the quality of care given to offspring, says zoologist Rebecca Kilner at Cambridge University, who works on conflict of parents in birds. "But the experimental evidence is not great. The breakthrough here is showing it empirically."More surprising, says Kilner, is Hartley's statement that conflict may be a strong influence on the evolution of behaviour, clutch size and even appearance. "People have not really made that link", says Hartley. A female's reproductive strategy is usually thought to be affected by hunting and food supply. Kilner says conflict of parents should now be taken into account as well.What is the relationship between paragraph 4 and paragraph 5?

Single-parent Kids Do BestSingle mums are better at raising their kids than two parents—at least in the bird world. Mother zebra finches have to work harder and raise fewer chicks on their own, but they also produce more attractive sons who are more likely to get a mate.The finding shows that family conflict is as important an evolutionary driving force as ecological factors such as hunting and food supply. With two parents around, there's always a conflict of interests, which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the offspring.In evolutionary terms, the best strategy for any parent in the animal world is to find someone else to care for their offspring, so they can concentrate on breeding again. So it’s normal for parents to try to pass the buck to each other. But Ian Hartley from the University of Lancaster and his team wondered how families solve this conflict, and how the conflict itself affects the offspring.To find out, they measured how much effort zebra finch parents put into raising their babies. They compared single females with pairs, by monitoring the amount of food each parent collected, and removing or adding chicks so that each pair of birds was raising four chicks, and each single mum had two-supposedly the same amount of work.But single mums, they found, put in about 25 per cent more effort than females rearing with their mate. To avoid being exploited, mothers with a partner hold back from working too hard if the father is being lazy, and it's the chicks that pay the price. "The offspring suffer some of the cost of this conflict", says Hartley.The cost does not show in any obvious decrease in size or weight, but in how attractive they are to the opposite sex. When the chicks were mature, the researchers tested the "fitness" of the male offspring by offering females their choice of partner. Those males reared by single mums were chosen more often than those from two- parent families.Sexual conflict has long been thought to affect the quality of care given to offspring, says zoologist Rebecca Kilner at Cambridge University, who works on conflict of parents in birds. "But the experimental evidence is not great. The breakthrough here is showing it empirically."More surprising, says Kilner, is Hartley's statement that conflict may be a strong influence on the evolution of behaviour, clutch size and even appearance. "People have not really made that link", says Hartley. A female's reproductive strategy is usually thought to be affected by hunting and food supply. Kilner says conflict of parents should now be taken into account as well.According to Hartley, which of the following is NOT influenced by sexual conflict?

Single-parent Kids Do BestSingle mums are better at raising their kids than two parents—at least in the bird world. Mother zebra finches have to work harder and raise fewer chicks on their own, but they also produce more attractive sons who are more likely to get a mate.The finding shows that family conflict is as important an evolutionary driving force as ecological factors such as hunting and food supply. With two parents around, there's always a conflict of interests, which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the offspring.In evolutionary terms, the best strategy for any parent in the animal world is to find someone else to care for their offspring, so they can concentrate on breeding again. So it’s normal for parents to try to pass the buck to each other. But Ian Hartley from the University of Lancaster and his team wondered how families solve this conflict, and how the conflict itself affects the offspring.To find out, they measured how much effort zebra finch parents put into raising their babies. They compared single females with pairs, by monitoring the amount of food each parent collected, and removing or adding chicks so that each pair of birds was raising four chicks, and each single mum had two-supposedly the same amount of work.But single mums, they found, put in about 25 per cent more effort than females rearing with their mate. To avoid being exploited, mothers with a partner hold back from working too hard if the father is being lazy, and it's the chicks that pay the price. "The offspring suffer some of the cost of this conflict", says Hartley.The cost does not show in any obvious decrease in size or weight, but in how attractive they are to the opposite sex. When the chicks were mature, the researchers tested the "fitness" of the male offspring by offering females their choice of partner. Those males reared by single mums were chosen more often than those from two- parent families.Sexual conflict has long been thought to affect the quality of care given to offspring, says zoologist Rebecca Kilner at Cambridge University, who works on conflict of parents in birds. "But the experimental evidence is not great. The breakthrough here is showing it empirically."More surprising, says Kilner, is Hartley's statement that conflict may be a strong influence on the evolution of behaviour, clutch size and even appearance. "People have not really made that link", says Hartley. A female's reproductive strategy is usually thought to be affected by hunting and food supply. Kilner says conflict of parents should now be taken into account as well.According to the passage, people believe that a female's reproductive strategy is influenced by_____.

Preparing the Chinese New Year1．Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year is the most elaborate, colorful, and important. This is a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the New Year. Common expressions heard at this time are Guonian （to have made it through the old year） and Bainian （to congratulate the New Year）.2．The Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21st to as late as February 19th. The Chinese New Year, as the Western New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties. The Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner gathering is among the most important family occasions of the year.3．Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the "sweeping of the grounds". Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year.4．After the house is cleaned, it is time to bid farewell to the Kitchen God （Zaowang）. In Chinese folklore, the Kitchen God is regarded as the guardian of the family health. He is considered the inventor of fire as well as the censor of household morals. As the folktale goes, the Kitchen God leaves the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behavior of the family. At this time, the family would do everything possible to obtain a favorable report from the Kitchen God. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give the Kitchen God a ritualistic farewell dinner with sweet food and honey. Some say this is a bribe; others say it seals his mouth from saying bad things.5．Free from the watchful eyes of the Kitchen God, who is supposed to return on the first day of the New Year, the family now prepares for the upcoming celebrations. In China, most stores usually close shop on the last day of the year and remain closed for the first week of the New Year. Consequently, families are busy in the last week of the old year, stocking up on foods and gifts. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tend more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the old year are also the time to settle old debts.Paragraph 1_____.

Preparing the Chinese New Year1．Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year is the most elaborate, colorful, and important. This is a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the New Year. Common expressions heard at this time are Guonian （to have made it through the old year） and Bainian （to congratulate the New Year）.2．The Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21 to as late as February 19. The Chinese New Year, as the Western New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties. The Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner gathering is among the most important family occasions of the year.3．Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the "sweeping of the grounds". Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year.4．After the house is cleaned, it is time to bid farewell to the Kitchen God （Zaowang）. In Chinese folklore, the Kitchen God is regarded as the guardian of the family health. He is considered the inventor of fire as well as the censor of household morals. As the folktale goes, the Kitchen God leaves the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behavior of the family. At this time, the family would do everything possible to obtain a favorable report from the Kitchen God. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give the Kitchen God a ritualistic farewell dinner with sweet food and honey. Some say this is a bribe; others say it seals his mouth from saying bad things.5．Free from the watchful eyes of the Kitchen God, who is supposed to return on the first day of the New Year, the family now prepares for the upcoming celebrations. In China, most stores usually close shop on the last day of the year and remain closed for the first week of the New Year. Consequently, families are busy in the last week of the old year, stocking up on foods and gifts. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tend more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the old year are also the time to settle old debts.Paragraph 2_____.

Preparing the Chinese New Year1．Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year is the most elaborate, colorful, and important. This is a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the New Year. Common expressions heard at this time are Guonian （to have made it through the old year） and Bainian （to congratulate the New Year）.2．The Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21 to as late as February 19. The Chinese New Year, as the Western New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties. The Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner gathering is among the most important family occasions of the year.3．Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the "sweeping of the grounds". Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year.4．After the house is cleaned, it is time to bid farewell to the Kitchen God （Zaowang）. In Chinese folklore, the Kitchen God is regarded as the guardian of the family health. He is considered the inventor of fire as well as the censor of household morals. As the folktale goes, the Kitchen God leaves the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behavior of the family. At this time, the family would do everything possible to obtain a favorable report from the Kitchen God. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give the Kitchen God a ritualistic farewell dinner with sweet food and honey. Some say this is a bribe; others say it seals his mouth from saying bad things.5．Free from the watchful eyes of the Kitchen God, who is supposed to return on the first day of the New Year, the family now prepares for the upcoming celebrations. In China, most stores usually close shop on the last day of the year and remain closed for the first week of the New Year. Consequently, families are busy in the last week of the old year, stocking up on foods and gifts. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tend more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the old year are also the time to settle old debts.Paragraph 3_____.

Preparing the Chinese New Year1．Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year is the most elaborate, colorful, and important. This is a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the New Year. Common expressions heard at this time are Guonian （to have made it through the old year） and Bainian （to congratulate the New Year）.2．The Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21 to as late as February 19. The Chinese New Year, as the Western New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties. The Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner gathering is among the most important family occasions of the year.3．Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the "sweeping of the grounds". Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year.4．After the house is cleaned, it is time to bid farewell to the Kitchen God （Zaowang）. In Chinese folklore, the Kitchen God is regarded as the guardian of the family health. He is considered the inventor of fire as well as the censor of household morals. As the folktale goes, the Kitchen God leaves the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behavior of the family. At this time, the family would do everything possible to obtain a favorable report from the Kitchen God. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give the Kitchen God a ritualistic farewell dinner with sweet food and honey. Some say this is a bribe; others say it seals his mouth from saying bad things.5．Free from the watchful eyes of the Kitchen God, who is supposed to return on the first day of the New Year, the family now prepares for the upcoming celebrations. In China, most stores usually close shop on the last day of the year and remain closed for the first week of the New Year. Consequently, families are busy in the last week of the old year, stocking up on foods and gifts. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tend more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the old year are also the time to settle old debts.Paragraph 4_____.

Preparing the Chinese New Year1．Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year is the most elaborate, colorful, and important. This is a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the New Year. Common expressions heard at this time are Guonian （to have made it through the old year） and Bainian （to congratulate the New Year）.2．The Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21 to as late as February 19. The Chinese New Year, as the Western New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties. The Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner gathering is among the most important family occasions of the year.3．Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the "sweeping of the grounds". Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year.4．After the house is cleaned, it is time to bid farewell to the Kitchen God （Zaowang）. In Chinese folklore, the Kitchen God is regarded as the guardian of the family health. He is considered the inventor of fire as well as the censor of household morals. As the folktale goes, the Kitchen God leaves the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behavior of the family. At this time, the family would do everything possible to obtain a favorable report from the Kitchen God. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give the Kitchen God a ritualistic farewell dinner with sweet food and honey. Some say this is a bribe; others say it seals his mouth from saying bad things.5．Free from the watchful eyes of the Kitchen God, who is supposed to return on the first day of the New Year, the family now prepares for the upcoming celebrations. In China, most stores usually close shop on the last day of the year and remain closed for the first week of the New Year. Consequently, families are busy in the last week of the old year, stocking up on foods and gifts. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tend more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the old year are also the time to settle old debts.Paragraph 5_____.