填空题

Women and men differ not only in physical (36) and reproductive function but also in the way in which they solve intellectual problems. Adequate (37) suggests, however, that the effects of sex hormones on brain (38) occur so early in life that from the start the environment is acting on differently wired brain in girls and boys. Major sex differences in intellectual function seem to lie in patterns of ability rather than overall level of intelligence. We are all aware that people have different intellectual strengths. Some are especially good with words, others at using objects—for instance at (39) or fixing things. In the same fashion, two (40) may have the same overall intelligence but have (41) patterns of ability. Men, on average, perform better than women on certain spatial tasks. In particular, men have an advantage in tests that require the subject to imagine rotating an object or manipulating it in their way through a route. Further, men are more (43) in tests of target-directed motor skills—that is, in guiding or intercepting projectiles. (44) , a skill called perceptual speed. They have greater verbal fluency, including the ability to find words that begin with a specific letter or fulfil some other constraint. Women also outperform men in arithmetic calculation and in recalling landmarks from a route. (45) , such as placing nails in designated holes on a board. Since with the exception of sex chromosomes, (46) Differing patterns of ability between men and women most probably reflect different hormonal influences on their developing brains.