'Dogs are capable of loving owners'

They have long been known as man’s best friend: loyal companions that adore their owners.

But it’s not just an act to make sure they get fed – dogs really are capable of love, research has shown.

Scientists at the Claremont Graduate University in California found that

domesticated

animals

release

oxytocin in intimate situations.

Known as the “love hormone”, it is the same chemical used to create close bonds between humans.

Professor Paul Zak and his lab carried out a number of experiments to measure the levels of oxytocin released when pets interacted with both other animals and humans.

Zak travelled to an animal refuge in Arkansas where different species interact with one another regularly. While there, Zak obtained blood samples from a domestic mixed-breed terrier and a goat that often played together.

Their play involved “chasing each other, jumping towards each other, and engaging in

simulate

d fighting”.

The two young males were placed together in an enclosure where they engaged in play for 15 minutes, after which another blood sample was taken.

“We found that the dog had a 48 per cent increase in oxytocin. This shows that the dog was quite attached to the goat. The

moderate

change in oxytocin suggests the dog viewed the goat as a ‘friend’,” Zak said.

“More striking was the goat's reaction to the dog: It had a 210 per cent increase in oxytocin. At that level of increase, within the framework of oxytocin as the ‘love hormone’, we essentially found that the goat might have been in love with the dog.”

He added: “The only time I have seen such a surge in oxytocin in humans is when someone sees their loved one, is romantically attracted to someone, or is shown an enormous kindness.”

Zak said that the results suggested that pets may feel love for their owners.

He said: “That animals of different species

induce

oxytocin release in each other suggests that they, like us, may be capable of love.”

And it works the other way around too. Owners that love their pets experience a surge in oxytocin when spending time with their favorite pooch or moggy.

Zak said that people who had owned dogs in the past were more likely to feel a bond while playing with the animals than those who had owned cats, or those who had never owned pets at all.

(Independent 4월 26일자)

※ 다음에 나오는 문제들은 본 기사에 나오는 중요한 어휘들로 구성된 토익, 토플, 텝스 기출 및 예상 문제입니다.

※ Choose the one word or phrase that best keeps the meaning of the highlighted part or fill in the blank with a suitable one.

1. Cows were

to provide us with milk.

① found

② raised

③ tamed

④ bought

2.The gem is so rare that it could be

fake

.

① expensive

② stolen

③ simulated

④ sold

3. We couldn't

him even to set foot on the boat.

① preside

② protect

③ prevent

④ prejudge

⑤ persuade

4. The corporate gymnasium provides employees with a healthy

outlet for

tension and stress.

① discussion on

② approach to

③ schedule for

④ release from

5. The camera manufacturer George Eastman brought amateur photography within the reach of consumers with

incomes.

① model

② rising

③ disposable

④ medium

[번역 및 정답]

1. [번역] 암소들은 우리에게 우유를 제공하기 위해서

길들여(길러)진다

[정답] ③

2. [번역] 그 보석은 너무나 희귀하여

모조

일 수도 있다.

3. [번역] 우리는 그를

설득하여

배에 발을 올려놓게 조차

할 수

없었다.

[정답] ⑤

4. [번역] 회사의 체육관은 근로자들에게 긴장과 스트레스를 푸는 건전한

배출구

를 제공해 준다.

[어휘] ① ~에 관한 논의 ② ~로의 접근(법) ③ ~을 하기위한 일정

[정답] ④

5. [번역] 카메라 제조업자인 G. Eastman은 아마추어 사진술을

적당한(보통의)

수입이 있는 소비자들의 능력 도달범위 내로 가져왔다(즉, 소비자들이 이용할 수 있게 하였다.)