GRE阅读题目解析:生物多样性与岛屿面积

　　MacArthur and Wilson suggested that the biodiversity of an island will vary in direct proportion to a function of the island’s size (i.e., larger islands can support a greater number of species) and in inverse proportion to a function of its distance from the mainland (i.e., many remote islands will tend to support fewer species). Reduced biodiversity in an island context is likely to require significant adaptation on the part of colonizing human populations. Evans argues that this limitation makes islands ideal laboratories for the study of human adaptations to the natural environment, whilst Renfrew and Wagstaff, in the introduction to their study of Melos, focus on this limitation in biodiversity as a “significant characteristic of the island ecosystem.” For human communities, however, this limitation may potentially be offset by other factors. The reduced biodiversity of an island ecosystem applies only to terrestrial resources: the resources of the sea will be as rich as on any other coastal area, and may be equally important to human communities. A small island such as Malta or Melos allows all communities direct access to the sea, providing an important nutritional “safety net,” as well as an element of dietary diversity, which may actually give island communities an advantage over their landlocked counterparts. Islands may also have specific nonbiological resources (such as obsidian on Melos), which may be used in exchange with communities on other islands and adjacent mainlands.

　　1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

　　A. evaluate two contrasting approaches to island biodiversity

　　B. discuss the relevance of certain data pertaining to island biodiversity

　　C. call into question a particular understanding of island biodiversity

　　D. consider various reasons for reduced biodiversity on islands

　　E. contrast large and small islands in terms of overall biodiversity

　　Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.

　　2. According to the author, factors of potential importance to human communities on islands include

　　A. the accessibility of the sea’s resources

　　B. a diet superior in some respects to the diet of landlocked communities

　　C. nonbiological resources that can be exploited

　　3. The author suggests that in considering the biodiversity of islands, Evans

　　A. focuses too exclusively on terrestrial resources

　　B. misunderstands the relationship between an island’s size and its terrestrial resources

　　C. misinterprets the work of MacArthur and Wilson

　　D. is wrong to assume that more remote islands support fewer species

　　E. downplays the ways that human communities adapt to island biodiversity

　　1

　　MacArthur and Wilson suggested that the biodiversity of an island will vary in direct proportion to a function of the island’s size (i.e., larger islands can support a greater number of species) and in inverse proportion to a function of its distance from the mainland (i.e., many remote islands will tend to support fewer species).

　　M 和 W 认为，岛上的生物多样性与岛的面积成正比(即更大的岛能承载更多的物种)，且与岛至大陆的距离成反比(即很多偏远的岛屿物种更少)。

　　(in proportion to 相对于某事物来说，与某事物成比例

　　i.e. 也就是说，换言之，即，that is)

　　2

　　Reduced biodiversity in an island context is likely to require significant adaptation on the part of colonizing human populations.

　　生物多样性变差的岛屿生存环境，似乎需要栖居岛上的人类付出更多努力来适应之。

　　3

　　Evans argues that this limitation makes islands ideal laboratories for the study of human adaptations to the natural environment, whilst Renfrew and Wagstaff, in the introduction to their study of Melos, focus on this limitation in biodiversity as a “significant characteristic of the island ecosystem.”

　　E 指出，这种限制令岛屿成为研究人类适应自然环境的理想实验室，而 R 和 Ws 在他们关于米洛斯岛的研究的引言中，把这种生物多样性的限制称为 “ 岛屿生态系统的重要特点 ” 。

　　(

　　【AHD】

　　Milos 也作 Melos

　　An island of southeast Greece in the Cyclades Islands of the Aegean Sea. It was a flourishing trade and obsidian-mining center in ancient times but lost importance when bronze replaced obsidian as a material for tools and weapons. The famous statueVenus de Milo was discovered here in 1820.

　　米洛斯岛：希腊东南部一岛屿，位于爱琴海的基克拉迪群岛。古时为一繁荣的贸易中心及黑曜岩采掘中心，但自青铜代替黑曜岩成为制造工具和武器的材料之后，该城逐渐没落。著名的《米洛斯岛的维纳斯》 雕像于1820年发现于此

　　)

　　4

　　For human communities, however, this limitation may potentially be offset by other factors.

　　然而对人群来说，这种限制可能被其他因素潜在地抵消了。

　　(offset 平衡，中和，补偿)

　　5

　　The reduced biodiversity of an island ecosystem applies only to terrestrial resources: the resources of the sea will be as rich as on any other coastal area, and may be equally important to human communities.

　　岛屿生态系统匮乏的生物多样性只与陆生资源有关：海洋资源则与任何沿海地区一样丰富，且可能对岛民同等重要(如同海洋资源对沿海聚居的人群那样重要)。

　　(apply to 与 … 有关，适用于 …，对 … 有效)

　　6

　　A small island such as Malta or Melos allows all communities direct access to the sea, providing an important nutritional “safety net,” as well as an element of dietary diversity, which may actually give island communities an advantage over their landlocked counterparts.

　　像马耳他或米洛斯这样的小岛，所有人都可以直接接触到海，海洋为他们提供了一种重要的营养 “ 安全保障 ”，也丰富了食物种类，实际上，这令岛民比深陷内陆的人们更有优势。

　　(

　　【AHD】

　　Malta

　　An island country in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, comprising the island of Malta and two smaller islands. Occupied successively by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Saracens, and Normans, Malta was granted to the Knights Hospitalers in 1530 and passed to France in 1798 and Great Britain in 1800. The country became independent in 1964. Valletta, on Malta Island, is the capital. Population, 331,997.

　　马耳他：地中海中的一个岛国，位于西西里岛南面，包括 马耳他 岛和两个较小的岛屿。它先后被腓尼基人、希腊人、迦太基人、罗马人、阿拉伯人和诺曼底人占领，1530年马耳他被赐赏给僧侣骑士团，1798年又回归法国，1800年转让给了英国。1964年马耳他独立。马耳他岛上的瓦莱塔是其首都。人口331,997

　　safety net 原指马戏团表演高空杂技(如空中飞人)时，场地下方支起的大网，后引申为保护措施

　　)

　　7

　　Islands may also have specific nonbiological resources (such as obsidian on Melos), which may be used in exchange with communities on other islands and adjacent mainlands.

　　岛屿还可能拥有某种非生物资源(比如米洛斯岛上的黑曜石)，可以用来跟其他岛或附近大陆贸易。

　　1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

　　A. evaluate two contrasting approaches to island biodiversity

　　B. discuss the relevance of certain data pertaining to island biodiversity

　　C. call into question a particular understanding of island biodiversity

　　D. consider various reasons for reduced biodiversity on islands

　　E. contrast large and small islands in terms of overall biodiversity

　　选 C

　　根据句 2：

　　Reduced biodiversity in an island context is likely to require significant adaptation on the part of colonizing human populations.

　　动植物的种类少，貌似需要人类努力适应。句 3 列举了两拨学者的观点，都是为了支撑句 2 的推论。然而从句 4 开始，作者话锋一转，用句 4 - 7 反驳了这种观点。所以选 C 。

　　Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.

　　2. According to the author, factors of potential importance to human communities on islands include

　　A. the accessibility of the sea’s resources

　　B. a diet superior in some respects to the diet of landlocked communities

　　C. nonbiological resources that can be exploited

　　选 ABC

　　根据句 6、7：

　　A small island such as Malta or Melos allows all communities direct access to the sea, providing an important nutritional “safety net,” as well as an element of dietary diversity, which may actually give island communities an advantage over their landlocked counterparts.

　　Islands may also have specific nonbiological resources(such as obsidian on Melos), which may be used in exchange with communities on other islands and adjacent mainlands.

　　尽量做对这种题，因为没有更简单的了。

　　3. The author suggests that in considering the biodiversity of islands, Evans

　　A. focuses too exclusively on terrestrial resources

　　B. misunderstands the relationship between an island’s size and its terrestrial resources

　　C. misinterprets the work of MacArthur and Wilson

　　D. is wrong to assume that more remote islands support fewer species

　　E. downplays the ways that human communities adapt to island biodiversity

　　选 A

　　比较绕的一题。

　　首先你要意识到，作者通篇的目的，是为了反驳句 2 的观点：

　　Reduced biodiversity in an island context is likely torequire significant adaptation on the part of colonizing human populations.

　　is likely to 如何如何(实际情况未必是这样)。

　　问题是，关于 Evans 通篇只有一句话：Evans argues that this limitation makes islands ideal laboratories for the study of human adaptations to the natural environment …

　　实在看不出作者反对他什么。

　　不妨换个方向思考。

　　既然作者反对句 2，Evans 支持句 2，那么作者如何反驳了句 2，可能就是作者对 Evans 的态度，直到我们在句 5 得到重要提示：

　　The reduced biodiversity of an island ecosystem applies only to terrestrial resources : the resources of the sea will be as rich as on any other coastal area, and may be equally important to human communities.

　　既然 Evans 认为 reduced biodiversity 那么重要，以致到了考验岛民适应能力的程度，那么我们有理由怀疑，作者认为 Evans 过于强调，或只强调 terrestrial resources 了，没有看到海洋资源的因素。

　　所以选 A 。

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