Researchhasshownthattwo-thirdsofhumanconversationistakenupnotwithdiscussionoftheculturalorpoliticalproblemsofthedaynotheateddebatesaboutfilmswe'vejustwatchedorbookswe'vejustfinishedreadingbutplainandsimple____.
Languageisourgreatesttreasureasaspeciesandwhatdowe____dowithit?Wegossip.Aboutothers'behaviourandprivatelivessuchaswho'sdoingwhatwithwhomwho'sinandwho'sout-andwhy;howtodealwithdifficult____situationsinvolvingchildrenloversandcolleagues.
Sowhyarewekeenongossiping?Arewejustnatural____ofbothtimeandwords?Ordowetalkalotaboutnothinginparticularsimplytoavoidfacinguptothereallyimportantissuesoflife?It'snotthecaseaccordingtoProfessorRobinDunbar.InfactinhislatestbookGroomingGossipandtheEvolutionofLanguagethepsychologistsaysgossipisoneofthesereally____issues.
Dunbar____thetraditionalviewthatlanguagewasdevelopedbythemenattheearlystageofsocialdevelopmentinordertoorganizetheirmanlyhuntingactivitiesmoreeffectivelyoreventopromotetheexchangeofpoeticstoriesabouttheiroriginsandthesupernatural.Insteadhesuggeststhatlanguageevolvedamongwomen.Wedon'tspendtwo-thirdsofourtimegossipingjustbecausewecantalkarguesDunbar—____hegoesontosaylanguageevolvedspecificallytoallowustogossip.
Dunbararrivedathischeerytheorybystudyingthe____ofthehigherprimates(灵长类动物)likemonkeys.Bymeansofgrooming--cleaningthefurbybrushingitmonkeysformgroupswithotherindividualsonwhomtheycanrelyforsupportintheeventofsomekindofconflictwithinthegroupor____fromoutsideit.
AswehumanbeingsevolvefromaparticularbranchoftheprimatefamilyDunbar____thatatonetimeinourhistorywedidmuchthesame.Groupingtogethermadesensebecausethebiggerthegroupthegreaterthe____itprovided;ontheotherhandthebiggerthegroupthegreaterthestressesoflivingclosetoothers.Groominghelpedto____thepressureandcalmeverybodydown.
Butasthegroupsgotbiggerandbiggertheamountoftimespentingroomingactivitiesalsohadtobe____tomaintainitseffectiveness.Clearlyamore____kindofgroomingwasneededandthuslanguageevolvedasakindofvoca