| Carotenoids (类葫萝卜素) , a family of natural pigments,
form an important art of the colorful signals
used by many animals. Animals acquire
Line carotenoids either directly (from the plants
(5) and algae that produce them) or indirectly (by
eating insects) and store them in a variety of
tissues. Studies of several animal species
have shown that when choosing mates, females
prefer males with brighter carotenoid-based
(10) coloration. Owens and Olson hypothesize that
the presence of carotenoids, as signaled by
coloration, would be meaningful in the context
of mate selection if carotenoids were either
rare or required for health. The conventional
(15) view is that carotenoids are meaningful
because they are rare: healthier males can
forage for more of the pigments than can their
inferior counterparts. Although this may be
true, there is growing evidence that carotenoids
(20) are meaningful also because they are required:
they are used by the immune system and
for
detoxification processes that are important
for maintaining health. It may be that males
can use scarce carotenoids either for immune
(25) defense and detoxification or for attracting
females. Males that are more susceptible to
disease and parasites will have to use their
carotenoids to boost their immune systems,
whereas males that are genetically resistant
(30) will use fewer carotenoids for fighting disease
and will advertise this by using the pigments
for flashy display instead.
Q13:
Information in the passage suggests that which of the following is true of carotenoids that a male animal uses for detoxification processes?
- They were not acquired directly from plants and algae.
- They cannot be replenished through foraging.
- They cannot be used simultaneously to brighten coloration.
- They do not affect the animal’s susceptibility to parasites.
- They increase the chances that the animal will be selected as a mate.
Answer:
这道题有争议，C & E, 开始我选择E, 但现在又感觉选择C，
因为Males
that are more susceptible to
disease and parasites will have to use their
carotenoids to boost their immune systems,
whereas males that are genetically resistant
will use fewer carotenoids for fighting disease
and will advertise this by using the pigments
for flashy display instead.
说males that are genetically resistant
will use fewer carotenoids for fighting disease，而是using the pigments
for flashy display instead，也就说
用来
fighting disease的carotenoids和用来brighten coloration
不是兼容的，不知道我的分析对不对，请高人指教。 | 
