Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 35.
Who talk more men or women? Most people believe that women talk more. However, linguist Deborah Tannen, who has studied the communication style of men and women, says that this is a stereotype. According to Tannen, women are more verbal - talk more in private situations, where 
use conversation as the “glue” to hold relationships together. But, she says, men talk more in public situations, where they use conversation to exchange information and gain status. Tannen points out that we can see these differences even in children. Little girls often play with one "best friend", their play includes a lot of conversation. Little boys often play games in groups; their play usually involves more doing than talking. In school, girls are often better at verbal skills, boys are often better at mathematics.
A recent study at Emory University helps to shed light on the roots of this difference. Researchers studied conversations between children aged 3-6 and their parents. They found evidence that parents talk very differently to their sons than they do to their daughters. The 
conclusion was that parents use more language with their girls. Specifically, when parents talk with their daughters, they use more descriptive language and more details. There is also far more talk about emotions, especially with daughters than with sons.
Question: The word " 
" in the first paragraph refers to ___________.