Question 17 is based on the recording you have just heard.

        Qualities of a relationship such as openness, compassion and mental stimulation, are of concern to most of us, r egardless of sex. But, judging from the questionnaire response, they are more important to women than to men. Asked to consider the ingredients of close friendship, women rated these qualities above all others. (16)[ Men assigned a lower priority to them, in favor of “similarity in interests”, selected by 77% of men, and “responsiveness in a crisis”, chosen by 61% of male respondents.] “Mental stimulation”—ranked third in popularity by men as well as women,—was the only area of overlap. Among men, only 28% named “openness” as an important quality; “caring” was picked by just 23%.

        (17)[ It is evident by their selections that when women speak of close friendships, they are referring to emotional factors,] while men emphasized the pleasure they find in a friend’s company. That is, when a man speaks of “a friend”, he is likely to be talking about someone he does things with—a teammate, a fellow hobbyist, a drinking buddy. These activities are the fabric of the friendship. It is a “doing” relationship in which similarity in interests is the key bond. This factor was a consideration of less than 11% of women. Women opt for a warm, emotional atmosphere where communication flows freely; activity is mere background.

        Lastly, men, as we have seen, have serious questions about each other’s loyalty. Perhaps this is why they placed such strong emphasis on responsiveness in a crisis—someone I can call on for help. Women, as their testimonies indicate, are generally more secure with each other and consequently are more likely to treat this issue lightly. In follow-up interviews, this was confirmed numerous times as woman after woman indicated that being there when needed was taken for granted. (18) [As for the hazards of friendship, more than a few relationships have been shattered because of cutthroat competition and feelings of betrayal. This applies to both men and women,] but unequally. In comparison, nearly twice as many men complained about these issues as women. Further, while competition and betrayal are the main thorns to female friendship, men are plagued in almost equal amounts by two additional issues: lack of frankness and a fear of appearing unmanly. Obviously, for a man, a good friendship is hard to find.

17. What do women refer to when speaking of close friendships?（当谈到亲密的友谊时，女性指的是什么？）

解析：D。录音中间提到，当女性谈论亲密友谊时，她们说的是情感类因素。D项的Emotional factors为原词复现，故D项正确。

错项排除：录音后半部分提到being there when needed，与A项含义接近，但这只是女性在看待友谊时认为理所当然的一点，不属于女性对亲密友谊的定义，故A项错误。B项属于男性对亲密友谊的观点，故错误。录音中提到bond，但说的是男性的亲密关系以志趣相投为核心纽带，故C项错误。