修辞题☆☆☆☆

每篇文章 1-2 道修辞题

考察句子-句子，句子-段落，段落-段落的逻辑关系

第一种修辞形式：考察句子的用法
The author discuss X in order to..?
Why does the author mention X?
The author uses X as an example of..?

☆考察作者使用其用法的写作目的，论点和论据的支持/反对关系
-to emphasize, to illustrate, to suggest, to provide an example, to cite evidence, to acknowledge
-to question, argue against , differentiate/distinguish , compare contrast , refute, digress,
contradict...

第二种修辞形式：考察句子-段落的目的 考察句子-段落的关系练习：链接
What is the purpose of paragraph X?
What is the structure of paragraph X?
What is the main point of paragraph X?

第三种修辞形式：考察段落间的关系：段落-段落之间练习
How is the paragraph X related to other parts of the passage?
How does paragraph X related to paragraph Y?
需要注重两个段落之间的衔接，前段末句和后端首句

总结：最重要的是要找到两个问题的连接点。那么可通过逻辑连接词，关键词等连接
例题：（句间关系）
Allopatric speciation may be the main speciation route. This should not be surprising since
allopatry is pretty common. In general, the subpopulations of most species are separated from
each other by some measurable distance. So even under normal situations the gene flow among
the subpopulations is more of an intermittent trickle than a steady stream. In addition, barriers
can rapidly arise and shut off the trickle. For example, in the 1800s a monstrous earthquake
changed the course of the Mississippi River, a large river flowing in the central part of the United
States of America. The change separated populations of insects now living along opposite shore,
completely cutting off gene flow between them. (31-1-5)
1. In paragraph 2, why does the author mention that some insect populations were separated
from each other by a change in the course of Mississippi River caused by an earthquake?
A.To make the point that some kind of physical barrier separates the subpopulations of most
species.
B. To support the claim that the condition of allopatry can sometimes arise in a short time
C.To provide an example of a situation in which gene flow among the subpopulations of a species
happens at a slow rate.
D.To explain insects living along opposite shores of the Mississippi River are very different from
each other.

Savannas typically experience a rather prolonged dry season. One theory behind savanna
formation is that wet forest species are unable to withstand the dry season. and thus savanna,
rather than rain forest. is favored on the site. Savannas experience an annual rainfall of between
1,000 and 2,000 millimeters, most of it falling in a five- to eight-month wet season. Though plenty
of rain may fall on a savanna during the year. for at least part of the year little does, creating the
drought stress ultimately favoring grasses. Such conditions prevail throughout much of northern
South America and Cuba, but any Central American savannas as well as coastal areas of Brazil and
the island of Trinidad do not fit this pattern. In these areas, rainfall per month exceeds that in the
above definition, so other factors must contribute to savanna formation. (31-3-2)
2. In paragraph 2, the author mentions savannas in Central America, Brazil, and the island of
Trinidad in order to..
A. argue that these savannas are similar to those in South America and Cuba.
B. point out exceptions to the pattern of savanna formation in areas with drought stress
C.provide additional examples of savannas in areas with five-to-eight-month wet seasons.
D. indicate areas where savannas are being gradually replaced by rain forests.
Waterlogged soils occur in areas that are flat or have poor drainage. These soils usually contain
large amounts of clay and easily become water-saturated. Air cannot penetrate between the soil
particles, making the soil oxygen-poor. By contrast, dry soils are sandy and porous, their coarse
textures permitting water to drain rapidly. Sandy soils are prone to the leaching of nutrients and
minerals and so tend to be nutritionally poor. Though most savannas are found on sites with poor
soils (because of either moisture conditions or nutrient levels of both), poor soils can and do
support lush rain forest.(31-3-7)
3. The fact that "poor soils can and do support lush rain forest" suggests that。
A. poor soils alone may not be enough to explain why an area becomes a savanna.
B. rain forest vegetation can significantly lower the quality of soils.
C. drought stress is the single most important factor in savanna formation
D. minerals are more important than moisture for the growth of trees.

As railroad lines fanned out from Chicago, farmers began to acquire open prairie land in lllinois
and then lowa, putting the fertile, deep black soil into production. Commercial agriculture
transformed this remarkable treeless environment. To settlers accustomed to eastern woodlands,
the thousands of square miles of tall grass were an awesome sight. Indian grass, Canada wild rye,
and native big bluestem all grew higher than a person. Because Eastern plows could not
penetrate the densely tangled roots of prairie grass, the earliest settlers erected farms along The
boundary separating the forest from the prairie. In 1837, however, John Deere patented a sharp-
cutting steel. Plow that sliced through the sod without soil sticking to the blade. Cyrus McCormick
refined a mechanical reaper that harvested fourteen times more wheat with the same amount of
labor. By the 1850s McCormick was selling 1,000 reapers a year and could not keep up with
demand, while Deere turned out 10,000 plows annually. (33-2-9
4. Why does author point out that "lndian grass, Canada wild rye, and native big bluestem all
grew higher than a Person"?
A. To provide a reason why people from the eastern woodlands of the United States were
impressed when they saw the prairie...
B. To identify an obstacles to the development of the railroad lines fanning out from Chicago.
C. To explain why the transformation of the prairies by commercial agriculture was so
remarkable.
D. To provide evidence supporting the claim that the prairies had fertile, deep black soil
The introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely
been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less
expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is
thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper
was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the
fourteenth century, very large sheets as much as a meter across - were available.(34-1-9)
1. Why does the author include the following information: At first, paper was made in relatively
small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very
large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available
A. To provide evidence that the development of papermaking techniques was very slow.
B. To explain why paper was never as cheap as it has become today.
C. To make the point that paper allowed artists to develop paintings that were more expressive
and complex.
D. To prove that paper was more popular with artists who used large sheets, than it was with
book printers, who used smaller sheets.

Cuneiform texts on science, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics abound, some offering
astoundingly precise data. One tablet records the speed of the Moon over 248 days; another
documents an early sighting of Halley's Cornet, from September 22 to September 28, 164 B.C.E.
More esoteric 秘传的 texts attempt to explain old Babylonian customs, such as the procedure
for curing someone who is ill, which included rubbing tar and gypsum on the sick person's door
and drawing a design at the foot of the person's bed. What is clear from the vast body of texts
(some 20,000 tablets were found in King Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh) is that scribes took
pride in their writing and knowledge(39-1-7)
2. Why does the author mention a cuneiform text that documents "an early sightingof Halley's
Cornet, from September 22 to September 28, 164 B.C.E." ?
A. To explain how important Babylonian events were recorded.
B. To support the idea that some cuneiform texts provide precise scientific information.
C. To explain how particular Babylonian customs arose concerning sick persons.
D. To identify a particularly valuable text from the library of King Ashurbanipal.
The arrangement of the biological mass ("biomass") of the vegetation into layered forms is
termed its "structure" (as opposed to its "composition," which refers to the species of organisms
forming the community). Structure is essentially the architecture of vegetation, and as in the case
of tropical forests, it can be extremely complicated. In a mature floodplain tropical forest in the
Amazon River basin, the canopy (the uppermost layers of a forest, formed by the crowns of trees)
takes on a stratified structure. There are three clear peaks in leaf cover at heights of
approximately 3, 6.and 30 meters above the ground; and the very highest layer, at 50 meters,
corresponds to the very tall trees that stand free of the main canopy and form an open layer of
their own. So, such a forest contains essentially four layers of canopy. Forests in temperate lands
often have just two canopy layers, so they have much les complex architecture.(40-2-9)
3. Why does the author mention "mature floodplain tropical forest in the Amazon River basin"
in the passage?
A. To dispute the idea that tropical forests are arranged in layers.
B. To give an example of the complex architecture vegetation displays in a dense area
C. To suggest that the layers of canopy in some tropical forests can exceed the usual three or four.
D. To emphasize that the layers of canopy in a tropical forest give evidence of the number of
layers of root tissues below the ground.

Frog species that remain exposed to the sun despite high diurnal (daytime) temperatures exhibit
some fascinating modifications in the skin structure that function as morphological adaptations.
Most amphibian skin is fully water permeable and is therefore not a barrier against evaporation
or solar radiation. The African savanna frog Hyperolius viridiflavus stores guanine crystals in its
skin, which enable it to better reflect solar radiation, thus providing protection against
overheating. The tree frog Phyllomedusa sauvager responds to evaporative losses with gland
secretions that provide a greasy film over its entire body that helps prevent desiccation
(dehydration) (40-3-4)
4. "Phyllomedusa sauvager " is mentioned as an example of a frog with an adaptation that....
A. To protects its glandular system.
B. To helps reduce its secretions.
C. To increases the amount of solar radiation that its skin can reflect.
D. To modifies its skin structure to protect against the drying effects of the sun
Dinosaurs rapidly became extinct about 65 million years ago as part of a mass extinction known
as the K-T event, because it is associated with a geological signature known as the K-T boundary,
usually a thin band of sedimentation found in various parts of the world (K is the traditional
abbreviation for the Cretaceous, derived from the German name Kreidezeit). Many explanations
have been proposed for why dinosaurs became extinct. For example, some have blamed dinosaur
extinction on the development of flowering plants, which were supposedly more difficult to
digest and could have caused constipation or indigestion-except that flowering plants first
evolved in the Early Cretaceous, about 60 million years before the dinosaurs died out.(42-2-1)
5. In paragraph 1, why does the author include a discussion of when flowering
plants evolved?
A. To help explain why some scientists believe that the development of flowering
plants led to dinosaur extinction.
B. To cast doubt on the theory that the development of flowering plants caused dinosaurs to
become extinct.
C. To suggest that dinosaurs were able to survive for as long as they did because of the availability
of flowering plants.
D. To emphasize that duckbill dinosaurs and horned dinosaurs were the first dinosaurs
to become extinct.

Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of
historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric
pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists
dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Ninos have
occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records
indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years.
Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on
average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be
getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Ninos brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern
United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United
States were more frequentand intense than in most years.(43-3-12)
7. Why does the author include the information that " in 1997-1998 Snowstorms inthe northeast
portion of the United States were more frequent and intense thanin most years"?
A. To provide evidence supporting the claim that El Ninos are getting stronger.
B. To explain why the southern United States experienced copious and damaging rainfall in 1997-
1998.
C. To show that traditional methods are not adequate for documenting the effects of EI Ninos.
D. To identify a consequence of the fact that El Ninos are now occurring a little over once every
two years.
Other physical factors that have an effect on seagrass beds include light, temperature and
desiccation (drying out). For example, water depth and turbidity (density of particles in the
water) together or separately control the amount of light available to the plants and the depth to
which the seagrasses may extend. Although marine. Botanist W. A. Setchell suggested early on
that temperature was critical to the growth and reproduction of eelgrass, it has since been shown
that this particularly widespread seagrass grows and reproduces at temperatures between 2 and
4 degrees Celsiusin the Arctic and at temperatures up to 28 degrees Celsius on the northeastern
coast of the United States. Still. extreme temperatures, in combination with other factors, may
have dramatic detrimental effects. For example, in areas of the cold North Atlantic, ice may form
in winter. (44-3-9)
1. In paragraph 4, why does the author mention that eelgrass thrives in both the Arctic and in
the northeastern United States?
A. To show that environments with extreme temperatures rarely have any effect on
eelgrass.
B. To identify the northern and southern limits of the range where eelgrass is found
C. To support the author's statement that eelgrass is a particularly widespread kind
of seagrass.
C. To cite evidence tending to disprove one view about the importance of temperature to the
growth of eelgrass.

These developments added up to what one modern scholar has called "a commercial revolution."
In the long run, the commercial revolution of the High Middle Ages (A D1000-1300) brought
about radical change in European society. One remarkable aspect of this change was that the
commercial classes constituted a small part of the total population-never more than 10 percent.
They exercised an influence far in excess of their numbers, The commercial revolution created a
great deal of new wealth. which meant a higher standard of living. The existence of wealth did
not escape the attention of kings and other rulers. Wealth could be taxed, and through taxation,
kings could create strong and centralized states. In the years to come, alliances with the middle
classes were to enable kings to weaken aristocratic interests and build the states that came to be
called modern. (46-2-8)
2. Why does the author provide the information in paragraph 4 that the commercial classes
never exceeded 10 percent of the population?
A.To argue that the wealth created by the commercial revolution benefited only a small number
of people.
B.To challenge the view that the commercial classes made up a majority of the
population of Europe.
C.To suggest a reason that the commercial revolution ended around A. D. 1300.
D. To emphasize the point that the commercial revolution was brought about by a small part of
the population
Studies suggest that precipitation may be greater in cities than in the surrounding countryside,
this phenomenon may be due in part to the increased roughness of city terrain, brought on by
large structures that cause surface air to slow and gradually converge. This piling up of air over
the city then slowly rises, much like toothpaste does when its tube is squeezed. At the same time,
city heat warms the surface air making it more unstable, which enhances risings air motions.
which, in turn, aids informing clouds and thunderstorms. This process helps explain why both
tend tobe more frequent over cities.(48-3-9)
3. Why does the author mention "toothpaste" being squeezed from a tube?
A. To compare the movement of toothpaste from a tube to the movement of precipitation fram
clouds.
B. To suggest that the process of cloud formation is a simple, everyday experience.
C. To help the reader visualize the process of air movement over a city.
D. To contrast the slow rising of air currents with the rapid squeezing of toothpaste.

Printing was one of those technical revolutions that developed its own momentum at
extraordinary speed. Europe in the fifteenth century was a place where intermediate technology-
that is, workshops with skilled craftspeople-was well established and spreading fast, especially in
Germany and ltaly. Such workshops were able to take on printing easily, and it thus became
Europe's first true industry. The process was aided by two factors: the new demand for cheap
classical texts and the translation of the Latin Bible into "modern" languages. Works of reference
were also in demand. Presses sprang up in several German cities, and by 1470, Nuremberg.
Germany had established itself as the center of the international publishing trade, printing books
from 24 presses and distributing them at trade fairs all over western and central Europe. The old
monastic scriptoria - monastery workshops where monks copied texts by hand-worked closely
alongside the new presses, continuing to produce the luxury goods that movable-type printing
could not yet supply. Printing aimed at a cheap mass sale.(49-2-9)
4. Why does the author mention 24 presses in the discussion?
A. To indicate the extent to which the printing industry had grown in Germany.
B. To emphasize those printing presses far outnumbered monastic scriptoria.
C. To indicate the importance of trade fairs as a way of promoting printing presses.
D. To argue that the centers of printing had begun to shift from Germany to other parts of
Europe.
Improvements in the food supply continued trends that had started in the late seventeenth
century. New lands were put under cultivation, while the use of crops of American origin,
particularly the potato, continued to expand. Setbacks did occur. Regional agricultural failures
were the most common cause of economic recessions until 1850, and they could lead to localized
famine as well. A major potato blight disease in 1846-1847 led to the deaths of at least one
million persons in lreland and the emigration of another million, and lreland never recovered the
population levels the potato had sustained to that point. Bad grain harvests at the same time led
to increased hardship throughout much of Europe. (51-3-3)
5. In paragraph 2, why does the author mention the potato blight that occurred in lreland?
A. To identify a crop that was more successful in the United States than it was in Western Europe.
B. To support a claim about regional agricultural failures.
C. To give an example of a problematic trend that had started in the late seventeenth century.
D. To provide evidence that many countries in Europe experienced a loss of population in the
nineteenth century.

Before this evidence came to light, the inventors of writing were assumed by researchers to have
been an intellectual elite. Some, for example, hypothesized that writing emerged when members
of the priestly caste agreed among themselves on written signs. But the association of the plain
tokens with the first farmers and of the complex tokens with the first artisans-and the fact that
the token-and-envelope accounting system invariably represented only small-scale transactions
testifies to the relatively modest social status of the creators of writing.(53-1-8)
6. In paragraph 4, why does the author mention the association of tokens with farmers and
artisans
A.To provide examples of the types of commercial activity that existed in Sumerian society.
B. To argue against the theory that writing was developed by an intellectual elite
C.To contrast the way farmers used tokens with the way artisans used tokens.
D.To help explain why farmers and artisans had a relatively modest social status in Sumerian
society.
本题有易错选项
High moisture and temperatures speed the growth of soil microbes that decompose organic
compounds, so tropical soils typically contain far lower amounts of organic materials (humus)
than do other forest or grassland soils. Because organic compounds help loosen compact clay
soils, hold water, and bind mineral nutrients, the relative lack of organic materials in tropical soils
is deleterious to plants. Plant roots cannot penetrate far into hard clay soils, and during dry
periods, the soil cannot hold enough water to supply plant needs. Because the concentration of
dark-colored organic materials is low in tropical soils, they are often colored red or yellow by the
presence of iron,aluminum: and manganese oxides; when dry, these soils become rock hard. The
famous Cambodian temples of Angkor Wat, which have survived for many centuries, were
constructed from blocks of such hard rain forest soils.(53-2-5)
8. Why does the author mention Angkor Wat"?
A.To show that rain forest soils are essentially the same today as they were many centuries ago.
B.To make the point that rain forest soils have certain advantages over other types of soils.
C.To illustrate how colorful rain forest soils can sometimes be.
D. To emphasize how hard rain forest soils can become

考察原因结果=细节题
Most lightning takes place within a cloud when the charge separation within the cloud collapses.
However, as the storm cloud develops, the ground beneath the cloud becomes positively charged
and lightning can take place in the form of an electrical discharge between the negative charge of
the cloud and the positively charged ground. Lightning that strikes the ground is the most likely to
be destructive, so even though it represents only 20 percent of all lightning, it has received a lot
of scientific attention. (18-3-8)
1 .The author remarks that "Lightning that strikes the ground is the most likely to be
destructive" in order to explain why.
A. this form of lightning has been investigated so much
B. this form of lightning is not as common as lightning within a cloud.
C. scientific understanding of this form of lightning is important.
D. the build up of positive charge on the ground beneath a storm cloud can have serious
consequences.
 句子-段落关系逻辑练习

1) 问题解决型( To solve this problem.../There are two answers

Suggesting an answer to a theoretical question
Discussing a problem with two possible solutions

2) 现象解释型(There are two explanations...]

A phenomenon is described and an interpretation presented and rejected
Discussing a possible explanation for ...

3) 新老观点对比型(Now/Today/Currently/Recently/However)
Showing that a certain interpretation is better supported by the evidence
Recommending a different approach
Describe an alternative hypothesis

例题-难：
In the Mesa Verde area of the ancient North American Southwest, living patterns changed in the
thirteenth century, with large numbers of people moving into large communal dwellings called
pueblos, often constructed at the edges of canyons. especially on the sides of cliffs. Abandoning
small extended-family households to move into these large pueblos with dozens if not hundreds
of other people was probably traumatic. Few of the cultural traditions and rules that today allow
us to deal with dense populations existed for these people accustomed to household autonomy
and the ability to move around the landscape almost at will. And besides the awkwardness of
having to share walls with neighbors, living in aggregated pueblos introduced other problems. For
people in cliff dwellings, hauling water, wood, and food to their homes was a major chore. The
stress on local resources. especially in the firewood needed for daily cooking and warmth, was
particularly intense, and conditions in aggregated pueblos were not very hygienic. (24-3-4)
2. Which of the following best indicates the organization of paragraph 1?
A. It presents the conditions that caused a change in a population's living patterns and then
explains why those conditions got worse.
B. It identifies certain present-day cultural traditions and rules and then traces them to their
roots in the thirteenth century.
C. It casts doubt on one explanation of the move to pueblos and then introduces an alternative
explanation that the passage will defend.
D. It describes a major change in a population's living patterns and then presents a number of
problems that resulted from that change
无具体细节点，可定位首句信息，变为主旨细节题
结构式阅读-寻找结构逻辑
The burning of fuel, such as by cars, is not the only source of this increased heat. Two other
factors contribute to the higher overall temperature in cities. The first is the heat capacity of the
materials that constitute the city, which is typically dominated by concrete and asphalt. During
the day, heat from the Sun can be conducted into these materials and stored to be released at
night. But in the countryside materials have a significantly lower heat capacity because a
vegetative blanket prevents heat from easily flowing into and out of the ground. The second
factor is that radiant heat coming into the city from the Sun is trapped in two ways: (1) by a
continuing series of reflection among the numerous vertical surfaces that buildings present and
(2) by the dust dome.the cloud like layer of polluted air that most cities produce. Shortwave
radiation from the Sun passes through the pollution dome more easily than outgoing long wave
radiation does. the latter is absorbed by the gaseous pollutants of the dome and reradiated back
to the urban surface. (23-1-6)
3. How is paragraph 3 organized?
A. It describes two factors that contribute to the increased heat of cities and then provides two
causes for the second factor.
B. It describes two causes discovered in an early analysis of the increased heat of cities
C. It describes two factors that contribute to the increased heat of cities and two other factors
that work against it.
D. It describes two well-established causes of the increased heat of cities and other two whose
roles are less well understood.

Not every researcher has been convinced that natural selection by birds is the only explanation of
the observed frequencies of dark and light peppered moths. More recent data, however, provide
additional support for Kettleweir's ideas about natural selection. The light-colored form of the
peppered moth is making a strong comeback. In Britain, a Clean Air Act was passed in 1965. Sir
Cyril Clarke has been trapping moths at his home in Liverpool, Merseyside, since 1959. Before
about 1975, 90 percent of the moths were dark, but since then there has been a steep decline in
melanic forms, and in 1989 only 29.6 percent of the moths caught were melanic. The mean
concentration of sulphur dioxide pollution fell from about 300 micrograms per cubic meter in
1970 to less than 50 micrograms per cubic meter in 1975 and has remained fairly constant since
then. If the spread of the light-colored form of the moth continues at the same speed as the
melanic form spread in the last century, soon the melanic form will again be only an occasional
resident of the Liverpool area(36-3-10)
4. What is the purpose of paragraph 5 in the passage?
A. To explain why Kettlewell's view has been widely misunderstood.
B. To present a view that various researchers have criticized.
C.To suggest why new developments seem to confirm Kettlewell's view
D. To state one of the proposed alternatives to Kettlewell's view.
The Beringian landscape was very different from what it is today. Broad, windswept valleys;
glaciated mountains, sparse vegetation, and less moisture created a rather forbidding land mass.
This land mass supported herds of now-extinct species of mammoth, bison, and horse and
somewhat modern versions of caribou, musk oxelk, and saiga antelope. These grazers supported
in turn a number of impressive carnivores, including the giant short-faced bear, the saber-tooth
cat, and a large species of lion.(45-1-4)
5. The purpose of paragraph 3 is to..
A. contrast today's Beringian landscape with other landscapes in the American continent
B.describe the Beringian landscape during the last ice age
C. explain why so many Beringian species became extinct during the last ice age
D. summarize the information about Beringia that historians agree on

It is usually claimed that species-rich ecosystems tend to be more stable than species-poor
ecosystems. Three mechanisms by which higher diversity increases ecosystem stability have been
proposed. First, if there are more species in an ecosystem, then its food web will be more
complex, with greater redundancy among species in terms of their nutritional roles. In other
words, in a rich system if a species is lost, there is a good chance that other species will take over
its function as prey, predator, producer, decomposer, or whatever role it played. Second, diverse
ecosystems may be less likely ta be invaded by new species, notably exotics (foreign species living
outside their native range), that would disrupt the ecosystem's structure and function. Third, in
aspecies-rich ecosystem, diseases may spread more slowly because most species will be relatively
less abundant, thus increasing the average distance between individuals of the same species and
hamper disease transmission among individuals.(46-3-5)
6. What is the function of paragraph 2 in the passage?
A. To present a hypothesis about ecosystem diversity and some reasons why it might be true.
B.To give examples of types of ecosystems that have the greatest diversity.
C.To contradict a previous belief about the stability of species-rich ecosystems.
D.To contrast species-rich and species-poor ecosystems.
 段落之间的逻辑关系
占比较少 5-10%的概率
寻找前端末句，后端首句的逻辑关系
P4: The Maya lived in a relatively uniform environment, where every community suffered from
the same resource deficiencies. Thus, argued Rathje, long--distance trade networks were
organized through local ceremonial centers and their leaders. In time. this organization became a
state, and knowledge of its functioning was exportable, as were pottery, tropical bird feathers,
specialized stone materials, and other local commodities.

P5: Rathje's hypothesis probably explains part of the complex process of Mayan state formation,
but it suffers from the objection that suitable alternative raw materials can be found in the
lowlands. It could be, too, that warfare became a competitive response to population growth and
to the increasing scarcity of prime agricultural and, and that it played an important role in the
emergence of the Mayan states.(41-3-10)
7. What is the role of paragraph 5 in relation to paragraph 4?
A. It restates the hypothesis presented in paragraph 4 and reinforces it with further evidence.
B. It presents evidence that the hypothesis discussed in paragraph 4 confuses cause and effect.
C. It presents a critical assessment of the hypothesis presented in paragraph 4
D. It explains how the hypothesis discussed in paragraph 4 was initially formulated.
P1: Biologist Ernst Mayr defined a species as "an actually or potentially interbreeding population
that does not interbreed with other such populations when there is opportunity to do so." A key
event in the origin of many species is the separation of a population with its gene pool (all of the
genes in a population at any one time) from other populations of the same species, thereby
preventing population interbreeding with its gene pool isolated, a separate population can follow
its own evolutionary course. In the formation of many species, the initial isolation of a population
seems to have been a geographic barrier. This mode of evolving new species is called allopatric
speciation.

P2: Many factors can isolate a population geographically. A mountain range may emerge and
gradually split a population of organisms that can inhabit only lowland lakes, certain fish
populations might become isolated in this way. Similarity, a creeping glacier may gradually divide
a population, or a land bridge such as the lsthmus of Panamamay form and separate the marine
life in the ocean waters on either side. (42-1-4)

8. How is paragraph 2 related to paragraph 1?

A. Paragraph 2 points out a number of ways in which the phenomenon of geographic isolation
mentioned in paragraph 1 can occur.
B. Paragraph 2 identifies discoveries that led to the conclusion presented in paragraph1 that
geographic isolation has played a role in the origin of many species.
C. Paragraph 2 provides evidence supporting the statement in paragraph 1 that a population can
follow its own evolutionary course once its gene pool becomes isolated
D. Paragraph 2 explains why the term "allopatric* was adopted to describe the method of
speciation described in paragraph 1.
该题存在易错选项，注意选项与原文的对应关系
TPO5-3 The Cambrian Explosion
Paragraph 2: Scientists have asked important questions about this explosion for more than a
century. Why did it occur so late in the history of Earth? The origin of multicellular forms of life
seems a relatively simple step compared to the origin of life itself. Why does the fossil record not
document the series of evolutionary changes during the evolution of animals? Why did animal
life evolve so quickly? Paleontologists continue to search the fossil record for answers to these
questions.

Paragraph 3: One interpretation regarding the absence of fossils during this important 100-
million-year period is that early animals were soft bodied and simply did not fossilize.
Fossilization of soft-bodied animals is less likely than fossilization of hard-bodied animals, but it
does occur. Conditions that promote fossilization of soft-bodied animals include very rapid
covering by sediments that create an environment that discourages decomposition. In fact, fossil
beds containing soft-bodied animals have been known for many years.

6. Which of the following best describes the relationship between paragraph 2 and paragraph 3?
○Paragraph 2 puts forward several scientific claims, one of which is rejected in paragraph 3.
○Paragraph 2 poses several questions, and paragraph 3 offers a possible answer to one of them.
○Paragraph 2 presents outdated traditional views, while paragraph 3 presents the current
scientific conclusions.
○Paragraph 2 introduces a generalization that is illustrated by specific examples in paragraph 3.