Australia's Megafauna Controversy

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题目与答案

1. 1 Field and Wroe argue that findings at the Cuddie Springs site show that people lived in this area at the same time as megafauna.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN

   答案：TRUE

   原文定位：Drs Judith Field and Stephen Wroe of the University of Sydney, who excavated the site, claim that it provides unequivocal evidence of a long overlap of humans and megafauna

   同义替换：「findings at the Cuddie Springs site」↔「excavated the site」

2. 10 What conclusions did the writers reach about the inconsistencies in the data from Cuddie Springs?
   • The different layers of sediment have been mixed over time.
   • The sand evidence is unhelpful and should be disregarded.
   • The area needs to be re-examined when technology improves.
   • The charcoal found in the area cannot be dated.

   答案：The different layers of sediment have been mixed over time.

   原文定位：These points suggests strongly that the sediments have been moved about and some of the old charcoal has been re-deposited in younger layers

   同义替换：「The different layers of sediment have been mixed over time」↔「sediments have been moved about」

3. 11 According to the writers, what impact could a natural phenomenon have had on this site?
   • Floods could have caused the death of the megafauna.
   • Floods could have disturbed the archaeological evidence.
   • Bushfires could have prevented humans from settling in the area for any length of time.
   • Bushfires could have destroyed much of the evidence left by megafauna and humans.

   答案：Floods could have disturbed the archaeological evidence.

   原文定位：Flood events more likely explain the accumulation of megafauna remains, and could have mixed old bones With fresh deposits

   同义替换：「disturbed the archaeological evidence」↔「mixed old bones with fresh deposits」

4. 12 What did the writers speculate about the people who lived at this site in 1876?
   • They bred cattle whose bones could have been confused with megafauna.
   • They found that the soil was too waterlogged for farming.
   • They allowed cattle to move around freely at the site.
   • They brought stones there from another area.

   答案：They brought stones there from another area.

   原文定位：European graziers also disturbed the site in 1876 by constructing a well to provide water their cattle. Given the expense of well-digging, we speculate that the graziers made sure it was protected from the damage caused by cattle hooves by lining the surface with small stones collected from further afield, including prehistoric quarries

   同义替换：「people who lived at this site in 1876」↔「European graziers also disturbed the site in 1876」，「brought stones there from another area」↔「small stones collected from further afield」

5. 13 In the final paragraph what suggestion do the writers hide about Australia’s megafauna?
   • A rapid change in climate may have been responsible for the extinction of the megafauna.
   • Megafauna could have died out as a result of small numbers being killed year after year.
   • The population of humans at that time was probably insufficient to cause the extinction of the megafauna.
   • The extinction of ancient animals should not be compared to that of modern-day species.

   答案：Megafauna could have died out as a result of small numbers being killed year after year.

   原文定位：Using a mathematical model, It was found that a group of 10 people killing only one juvenile Diprotodon each year would be sufficient to bring about the extinction of that species within 1,000 years

6. 14 Which of the following best represents the writers' criticism of Field and Wroe?
   • Their methods were not well thought out.
   • Their excavations did not go deep enough.
   • Their technology failed to obtain precise data.
   • Their conclusions were based on inconsistent data.

   答案：Their conclusions were based on inconsistent data.

   原文定位：However, our analysis revealed a number of inconsistencies;These points suggests strongly that the sediments have been moved about and some of the old charcoal has been re-deposited in younger layers

   同义替换：「inconsistent data」↔「a number of inconsistencies」

7. 2 Field and Wroe believe it is likely that smaller megafauna species survived the last Ice Age.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN

   答案：NOT GIVEN

   原文定位：Drs Judith Field and Stephen Wroe;conclude that aridity leading up to the last Ice Age brought about their eventual demise

8. 3 The writers believe that the dating of earth up to 1.7m below the present surface at Cuddie Springs is unreliable.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN

   答案：FALSE

   原文定位：There is no disputing the close association of bones and stones at Cuddie Springs, as both are found 1 to 1.7 metres below the modern surface. The dating of these layers is accurate: ages for the sediments were obtained through radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments and luminescence dating of sand grains from the same levels

   同义替换：「unreliable」↔「accurate」

9. 4 Some artefacts found at Cuddie Springs were preserved well enough to reveal their function.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN

   答案：TRUE

   原文定位：Intriguingly, some of the stone show surface features indicating their use for processing plants, and a few even have well-preserved blood and hair residues suggesting they were used in butchering animals

   同义替换：「artefacts」↔「stone」，「preserved well enough」↔「well-preserved」，「reveal their function」↔「indicating their use」

10. The writers’ arguments against Field and Wroe's analysis of the scientific data from Cuddie Springs. One objection to Field and Wroe's interpretation is the large quantity of charcoal, 5_____ and artefacts found at Cuddie Springs.
    • seeds
    • stone
    • sand
    • cooking
    • deep drill core
    • water

    答案：stone

    原文定位：The amount of anthropological evidence found at the site is remarkable;we estimate there are more than 3 tonnes of charcoal and more than 300 tonnes of stone buried there

    同义替换：「large quantity」↔「more than 3 tonnes」

11. Such large numbers of artefacts would impossible if the area had been covered with 6_____ for a period.
    • seeds
    • stone
    • sand
    • cooking
    • deep drill core
    • water

    答案：water

    原文定位：This plethora of tools is hard to reconcile with a site that was only available for occupation when the lake was dry

12. There is also a complete lack of man-made structures, for instance those used for 7_____ .
    • seeds
    • stone
    • sand
    • cooking
    • deep drill core
    • water

    答案：cooking

    原文定位：Furthermore, no cultural features such as oven pits have been discovered

13. Other evidence that doubt on Field and Wroe’s claim is the fact that while some material in the highest levels of sediment is 36,000 years old, the 8_____ in the same levels is much more recent.
    • seeds
    • stone
    • sand
    • cooking
    • deep drill core
    • water

    答案：sand

    原文定位：First, the charcoal samples are all roughly 36,000 years old. Second, sand in the two upper levels is considerably younger than charcoal from the same levels

    同义替换：「highest levels of sediment」↔「two upper levels」，「much more recent」↔「considerably younger」

14. Further evidence against human occupation of the area is the absence of tools and 9_____ a short distance away.
    • seeds
    • stone
    • sand
    • cooking
    • deep drill core
    • water

    答案：fossil bones

    原文定位：Also interest is the fact that a deep drill core made a mere 60 metres from the site recovered no stone artefact or fossil bones whatsoever

    同义替换：「a short distance away」↔「a mere 60 metres」，「tools」↔「stone artefact」