新闻听力 | 我们为什么喜欢吃辣？

来源：市场资讯

（来源：WE外语教学）

我们为什么喜欢吃辣？

Why do we eat spicy food?

常速 | 七级（偏易） | 368词 | 3min7s

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QUESTIONS

Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What chemical compound in chili peppers is responsible for the burning sensation?

A. Capsaicin.

B. Endorphin.

C. Serotonin.

D. Glucose.

Q2. According to the passage, what happens when the body detects capsaicin?

A. The body temperature rises significantly.

B. The body releases endorphins to reduce the perceived pain.

C. The taste buds become permanently less sensitive.

D. The digestive system immediately breaks down the compound.

Q3. Why does Dr. Tamara Rosenbaum say people consciously choose to eat spicy foods?

A. They want to build tolerance to hotter flavors.

B. They associate chili with traditional cooking methods.

C. They understand the burning sensation does not actually harm them.

D. They believe it improves their digestive health.

Q4. What can be inferred about early human cultivation of chili peppers?

A. People cultivated chilies mainly to increase their sweetness.

B. Chili peppers naturally evolved without human influence.

C. Humans preferred peppers that required minimal cooking.

D. Human cultivation altered traits such as color, size, and capsaicin level.

Q5. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Capsaicin is dangerous and should be avoided in a typical diet.

B. Humans enjoy spicy food due to a combination of factors.

C. Spicy food consumption has decreased significantly in modern times.

D. Only certain cultures have historically eaten chili peppers.

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KEY

Please check your answers.

Q1.A.【解析】本题为细节题。题目出处为：“This sensation is triggered by a chemical compound found in chili peppers called ‘capsaicin’.” 意为：“这种灼烧感由辣椒中一种被称为‘辣椒素’的化合物引起。”根据这句话可以推理，导致灼烧感的成分是capsaicin，因此答案为A。

Q2.B.【解析】本题为细节题。题目出处为：“In trying to temper the burning sensation, our bodies release endorphins which control pain and, at the same time, give a feeling of pleasure.”意为：“为了缓解灼烧感，身体会释放控制疼痛并带来愉悦感的内啡肽。”因此答案为B。

Q3.C.【解析】本题为细节题。题目出处为：“… this is because we are rational beings – we know that the burning sensation of chili does not physically harm us.”意为：“这是因为我们是理性生物，我们知道辣椒带来的灼烧感并不会真正伤害身体。”由此推断，人们选择吃辣是因为他们明白灼烧感并不会造成实际伤害，因此答案为C。

Q4.D.【解析】本题为推理题。题目出处为：“Human intervention changed the chili pepper to suit human tastes and needs – including the pepper’s color, size, and capsaicin content.” 意为：“人类的干预改变了辣椒，使其更符合人类的口味和需求，包括其颜色、大小和辣椒素含量。”根据这句话可以推理，人类早期的栽培活动确实改变了辣椒的特性，因此答案为D。

Q5.B.【解析】本题为主旨题。文章解释了辣椒素触发的化学反应、人类明知无害仍追求刺激的心理机制、“良性受虐”的行为模式、辣椒的历史起源与栽培发展脉络等等。文章最后写道：“Maybe we are masochistic after all.（或许我们还是有受虐倾向。）”，展示人类对于辛辣的复杂喜好。由此可见，主旨是人类对辛辣食物的喜爱由多重因素共同决定，答案为B。

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TRANSCRIPT

Review the passage. Take note of any information you might have missed earlier and enhance your comprehension.

Why do we eat spicy food?

You know the feeling – your ears start to warm up, your tongue goes numb, you start sweating and taking deep breaths. You’ve just eaten something spicy, knowing it would be painful, and yet, you chose to do it anyway. Are humans just masochistic, or is there something else going on? The answer lies in both science and history.

masochistic adj. 有受虐倾向的

Let’s start with the science. Spicy isn’t actually a taste like salty, sweet, sour, and bitter – it’s a sensation. (Q1) This sensation is triggered by a chemical compound found in chili peppers called ‘capsaicin’. When we eat foods containing capsaicin, our bodies are tricked into thinking the temperature is actually rising. (Q2) In trying to temper the burning sensation, our bodies release endorphins which control pain and, at the same time, give a feeling of pleasure – like painkillers.

capsaicin n. 辣椒素

endorphin n. 内啡肽

This is what is happening chemically, but there is also a conscious side to choosing spicy food. Dr. Tamara Rosenbaum, Cognitive Neuroscientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, explains in an interview with the BBC that (Q3) this is because we are rational beings – we know that the burning sensation of chili does not physically harm us. Furthermore, we derive pleasure from the other ingredients chili is generally cooked and eaten with – including fat, sugar, and salt. So – like skydiving – eating chili is a form of thrill-seeking or ‘benign masochism’, where we get pleasure from a seemingly negative sensation.

masochism n. 受虐倾向

This masochistic relationship with capsaicin has been a long one, starting in the Andes of South America, where chili peppers originate. Humans were one of the few mammals on Earth that developed a taste for capsaicin. So, archaeological evidence suggests they started cultivating chili peppers about six thousand years ago. (Q4) Human intervention changed the chili pepper to suit human tastes and needs – including the pepper’s colour, size, and capsaicin content – helping to explain the many different types of chili peppers now available.

Fast-forward to today, and our love affair with the chili pepper is going strong. We eat around 57.3 million tons of peppers globally each year, and chili is a key ingredient in traditional dishes from Mexico to Korea. (Q5) Maybe we are masochistic after all.