A recent study has provided clues to predator-prey dynamics in the late Pleistocene era. Researchers compared the number of tooth fractures in present-day carnivores with tooth fractures in carnivores that lived 36,000 to 10,000 years ago and that were preserved in the Rancho La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. The breakage frequencies in the extinct species were strikingly higher than those in the present-day species.
In considering possible explanations for this finding, the researchers dismissed demographic bias because older individuals were not overrepresented in the fossil samples. They rejected preservational bias because a total absence of breakage in two extinct species demonstrated that the fractures were not the result of abrasion within the pits. They ruled out local bias because breakage data obtained from other Pleistocene sites were similar to the La Brea data. The explanation they consider most plausible is behavioral differences between extinct and present-day carnivores—in particular, more contact between the teeth of predators and the bones of prey due to more thorough consumption of carcasses by the extinct species. Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either that prey availability was low, at least seasonally, or that there was intense competition over kills and a high rate of carcass theft due to relatively high predator densities.
The primary purpose of the passage is to
present several explanations for a well-known fact
suggest alternative methods for resolving a debate
argue in favor of a controversial theory
question the methodology used in a study
discuss the implications of a research finding
题目分析:
题目释义:
主旨题目
考点:
主旨(Main idea)
旨在考察我们对文章整体的把握程度,对文章的结构的分析能力和把控能力,以及对作者逻辑的判断。
这篇文章作者是想说明自己对一个发现的看法。主题十分突出。
选项分析:
A选项:展示出对于一个众所周知的事实的几个解释。首先,即便是第一段的研究发现可以算作是一个“众所周知的事实”,作者的目的也不是展示那几个“bias”。
B选项:提出解决一个争论的其他方法。这个选项比较有迷惑性。作者确实是想提出一个自己的原因来解读一个“发现”。但是作者不是要说明怎么解决这些“bais”的方法。而是提出自己对一个研究发现的解读。
C选项:支持一个有争议的原理。作者并没有支持哪个原理,而是提出自己对一个问题的解读。
D选项:质疑在一个在研究中应用的方法。文中没有提到研究中应用了什么方法。这个选项属于无中生有。
E选项:Correct. 讨论一个研究发现的含义。作者的目的是驳斥其他的对与这项发现的解读而提出自己对这项发现的解释。
第二段说researches 拒绝了abc三种解释,然后又提出一种plausible explanation。这种情况,作者想强调的很明显就是最后一个explanation,所以A:present several explanations错误(只有一个plausible explanation)。
文中真实目的是such thorough carcass consumption implies 很好地对应了选项的Implication。【转】错选A,因为觉得整篇文章都在说这个finding的可能的解释,文章提出了唯有一个可能的解释,所以several错误。文章最后部分给出结论: Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either that········这表明了文章的目的不在于finding的explanation,而在于研究的含义。→这常常是主旨题的一个技巧,文章中最高频率提及的词不一定就是文章的主旨,这篇文章我没找到明确的转折点,但它有明确的结论:由转折点或者结论判断文章主旨。
抓住一个点 作者是为了提出自己对某个现象的 一个 看法,因此出现多种看法的答案则错误,E选项说m含义 正确
implication: 意思,解释!!!!!!!
Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either that prey availability was low, at least seasonally, or that there was intense competition over kills and a high rate of carcass theft due to relatively high predator densities.
最后一句话要关注
第二段说researches 拒绝了abc三种解释,然后又提出一种plausible explanation。这种情况,作者想强调的很明显就是最后一个explanation,所以A:present several explanations错误(只有一个plausible explanation)。
present several explanations for a well-known fact
a well known fact不合适
这是一个study,一个发现
主旨题:根据 The breakage frequencies in the extinct species were strikingly higher than those in the present-day species.这个现象,在解释这个现象的过程中,研究人员拒绝了demographic bias、拒绝了preservations bias, 拒绝了 local bias 。最终认定是因为behaviour differences造成的这个现象
几个都是错的 最后只有一个是对的。。。最后一句话
问题解决型,
第一段:提出问题
Compared,对比,present VS RLB,
Higher, 对比, 远古的牙齿更破损、
第二段:分析解释原因(远古的tooth破损更严重的原因)
Bias*3 ,平行排比,解释研究方法
Most,提出结论,远古和现在,tooth不同,-是因为远古和现在,behavior difference
more,对比,解释结论 behavior怎么个difference法,more contact in tooth和bones(因为竞争大,没有肉吃,只能一直去啃骨头,--牙齿破损严重)
prey和predator数量的不同:可能1)predator竞争激烈,尸体多 2) prey少,
可直接排除B,C,D
错选A,因为觉得整篇文章都在说这个finding的可能的解释,文章提出了唯有一个可能的解释,所以several错误。文章最后部分给出结论: Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either that········这表明了文章的目的不在于finding的explanation,而在于研究的含义。→这常常是主旨题的一个技巧,文章中最高频率提及的词不一定就是文章的主旨,这篇文章我没找到明确的转折点,但它有明确的结论:由转折点或者结论判断文章主旨。
第二段说researches 拒绝了abc三种解释,然后又提出一种plausible explanation。这种情况,作者想强调的很明显就是最后一个explanation,所以A:present several explanations错误(只有一个plausible explanation)。
文中such thorough carcass consumption implies 很好地对应了选项的Implication。
第二段说researches 拒绝了abc三种解释,然后又提出一种plausible explanation。这种情况,作者想强调的很明显就是最后一个explanation,所以A:present several explanations错误(只有一个plausible explanation)。
btw, 文中such thorough carcass consumption implies 很好地对应了选项的Implication。
真实的目的是Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either ... or ...