GRE阅读题目解析：风媒传粉

　　P4

　　1

　　Traditionally, pollination by wind has been viewed as a reproductive process marked by random events in which the vagaries of the wind are compensated for by the generation of vast quantities of pollen, so that the ultimate production of new seeds is assured at the expense of producing much more pollen than is actually used.

　　传统观点一直认为风媒传粉是一种受随机事件左右的生殖过程，风的变化不定(造成的传粉失败)被产生的大量花粉抵消了，所以最终新种子的生产得以保证，代价是需要生产超过实际用量的花粉。

　　2

　　Because the potential hazards pollen grains are subject to as they are transported over long distances are enormous, wind-pollinated plants have, in the view above, compensated for the ensuing loss of pollen through happenstance by virtue of producing an amount of pollen that is one to three orders of magnitude greater than the amount produced by species pollinated by insects.

　　根据这种观点，因为花粉粒在长距离运输中所担负的潜在风险很大，风媒传粉植物，借由制造出比昆虫传粉植物多一到三个数量级的花粉，得以抵消后续意外事件带来的损失。

　　(

　　by virtue of 由于或因为某事物

　　compensate 抵消，弥补，(另：补偿，报酬等)

　　)

　　3

　　However, a number of features that are characteristic of wind-pollinated plants reduce pollen waste.

　　然而，风媒传粉植物的一些特点会减少花粉浪费。

　　4

　　For example, many wind-pollinated species fail to release pollen when wind speeds are low or when humid conditions prevail.

　　比如，许多风媒传粉植物在风速低或周围环境潮湿时，不会释放花粉。

　　5

　　Recent studies suggest another way in which species compensate for the inefficiency of wind pollination.

　　关于这些植物补偿风媒传粉的低效，最近的研究提出了另一种解释。

　　6

　　These studies suggest that species frequently take advantage of the physics of pollen motion by generating specific aerodynamic environments within the immediate vicinity of their female reproductive organs.

　　这些研究认为，这些植物在它们的雌性生殖器官周围，通过产生特别的空气动力学环境，频繁地利用花粉运动的物理特性。

　　7

　　It is the morphology of these organs that dictates the pattern of airflow disturbances through which pollen must travel.

　　控制花粉传播所必须的气流扰动模式的，是这些器官的生物形态学构造。

　　8

　　The speed and direction of the airflow disturbances can combine with the physical properties of a species' pollen to produce a species-specific pattern of pollen collision on the surfaces of female reproductive organs.

　　气流扰动的速度与方向，配合特定物种花粉的物理特性，在雌性生殖器官的表面，制造出该物种特有的花粉碰撞模式。

　　9

　　Provided that these surfaces are strategically located, the consequences of this combination can significantly increase the pollen-capture efficiency of a female reproductive organ.

　　一旦这些表面的关键位置被确定，这种配合可以极大提高雌性生殖器官的花粉捕捉效率。

　　10

　　A critical question that remains to be answered is whether the morphological attributes of the female reproductive organs of wind-pollinated species are evolutionary adaptations to wind pollination or are merely fortuitous.

　　仍有一个重要问题有待回答，风媒传粉植物雌性生殖器官的形态学特征，是对风媒传粉的进化适应，还是纯属偶然。

　　11

　　A complete resolution of the question is as yet impossible since adaptation must be evaluated for each species within its own unique functional context.

　　目前还没有完整的答案，因为要评估适应需要对每一种植物在其特有的功能性背景下进行。

　　12

　　However, it must be said that, while evidence of such evolutionary adaptations does exist in some species, one must be careful about attributing morphology to adaptation.

　　即便如此，也必须承认，尽管在某些物种中发现了这种进化适应的证据，但要把形态学特征归结于适应，我们还须谨慎。

　　13

　　For example, the spiral arrangement of scale-bract complexes on ovule-bearing pine cones, where the female reproductive organs of conifers are located, is important to the production of airflow patterns that spiral over the cone's surfaces, thereby passing airborne pollen from one scale to the next.

　　比如，松塔上的鱼鳞状苞片复合结构的螺旋排列，对于在松塔表面产生螺旋式的气流模式就很重要，松塔携带胚珠，也就是针叶树雌性生殖器官所在的位置。

　　(

　　恩，基本上作者写到这里就开大了，我们也就晕了。不过我把翻译摆在这，做完题目你可以回头看，哪些不认识的单词真正影响或阻碍了你的判断。

　　bract 苞片，苞：植物的叶状或鳞状部分，通常较小，有时呈艳丽或颜色鲜艳，附生在花、花柄或花序的正下方(AHD)

　　ovule 【植物学】 胚珠：种子植物的一个小的结构，含有胚囊并被珠心所包围，施肥后长成种子(AHD)

　　conifer 针叶树：任一种生针状或鳞状叶常绿的、结球果的裸子树木或灌木，例如松树、云杉和冷杉(AHD)

　　松塔，鱼鳞状螺旋排列

　　)

　　14

　　However, these patterns cannot be viewed as an adaptation to wind pollination because the spiral arrangement occurs in a number of non-wind-pollinated plant lineages and is regarded as a characteristic of vascular plants, of which conifers are only one kind, as a whole.

　　即便如此，这些这些模式仍然不能被视为植物对风媒传粉的适应，因为这种螺旋排列也出现在一些非风媒传粉的植物后代中，而且被视为维管植物的一个特点，全体针叶树只是其中的一种。

　　15

　　Therefore, the spiral arrangement is not likely to be the result of a direct adaptation to wind pollination. (453 words)

　　所以，螺旋式排列不大可能是对风媒传粉的直接适应产物。

　　6.The author of the passage is primarily concerned with discussing

　　(A) the current debate on whether the morphological attributes of wind-pollinated plants are evolutionary adaptations

　　(B) the kinds of airflow patterns that permit wind-pollinated plants to capture pollen most efficiently

　　(C) the ways in which the reproductive processes of wind-pollinated plants are controlled by random events

　　(D) a recently proposed explanation of a way in which wind-pollinated plants reduce pollen waste

　　(E) a specific morphological attribute that permits one species of wind-pollinated plant to capture pollen

　　选 D

　　一种最近提出的解释，风媒传粉植物会花粉减少浪费。传统上只认为这种植物传粉以多取胜，新的研究认为它们也有节省的一面。

　　7. According to the passage, the "aerodynamic environments" mentioned in the second paragraph, when they are produced, are primarily determined by the

　　(A) presence of insects near the plant

　　(B) physical properties of the plant's pollen

　　(C) shape of the plant's female reproductive organs

　　(D) amount of pollen generated by the plant

　　(E) number of seeds produced by the plant

　　选 C

　　句 7 ：

　　It is the morphology of these organs that dictates the pattern of airflow disturbances through which pollen must travel.

　　morphology 形态学，跟形态学搭边的只能是 C 。

　　8. The passage suggests that the recent studies cited in the second paragraph have not done which of the following?

　　(A) Made any distinctions between different species of wind-pollinated plants.

　　(B) Considered the physical properties of the pollen that is produced by wind-pollinated plants.

　　(C) Indicated the general range within which plant-generated airflow disturbances are apt to occur.

　　(D) Included investigations of the physics of pollen motion and its relationship to the efficient capture of pollen by the female reproductive organs of wind-pollinated plants.

　　(E) Demonstrated that the morphological attributes of the female reproductive organs of wind-pollinated plants are usually evolutionary adaptations to wind pollination.

　　选 E

　　句 3-9 是文章第二段。

　　E 是明显的错，因为文章从头到尾都没下过这种结论，作者对此的态度是有证据，但推广必须 be careful，而且后面还举出了不宜推广的反例。

　　9. It can be inferred from the passage that the claim that the spiral arrangement of scale-bract complexes on an ovule-bearing pine cone is an adaptation to wind pollination would be more convincing if which of the following were true?

　　(A) Such an arrangement occurred only in wind-pollinated plants.

　　(B) Such an arrangement occurred in vascular plants as a whole.

　　(C) Such an arrangement could be shown to be beneficial to pollen release.

　　(D) The number of bracts could be shown to have increased over time.

　　(E) The airflow patterns over the cone's surfaces could be shown to be produced by such arrangements.

　　选 A

　　句 14 告诉我们，螺旋排列不只是针叶树的特点，而是 vascular plants 维管植物共有的特点，据此作者认为不能把这种特点归为风媒传粉植物的适应性进化。

　　题目现在要把这个结论反转，让它显得 more convincing，我们只需把条件也反转就好，所以选 A 。

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