资源描述:
《2014年英语专八考试阅读练习题(13)》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在工程资料-天天文库。
1、PassageThirteen(CrypticColoring)Crypticcoloringisbyfarthecommonestuseofcolorinthestruggleforexistence.ltisemployedforthepurposeofattack(aggressiveresemblanceoranticiypticcoloring)aswellasofdefense(protectiveresemblanceorprocrypticcoloring).Thefactthatt
2、hesamemethodconcealment,maybeusedbothforattackanddefensehasbeenwellexplainedbyT.Beltwhosuggestsasanillustrationtherapidityofmovementwhichisalsomadeuseofbybothpursuerandpursued,whichissimilarlyraisedtoamaximuminbothbythegradualdyingoutoftheslowestthroug
3、haseriesofgenerations.Ciypticcoloringiscommonlyassociatedwithotheraidsinthestruggleforlife.Thuswell-concealedmammalsandbirds,whendiscovered,willgenerallyendeavortoescapebyspeedandwilloftenattempttodefendthemselvesactively.Ontheotherhand,smallanimalswhi
4、chhavenomeansofactivedefense,suchaslarge,numbersofinsects,frequentlydependuponconcealmentalone.Protectiveresemblanceisfarcommoneramonganimalsthanaggressiveresemblance,incorrespondencewiththefactthatpredaceousformsareasarulemuchlargerandmuchlessnumerous
5、thantheirprey.InthecaseofinsectivorousVertebrataandtheirpreysuchdifferencesexistinanexaggeratedform.Crypticcoloring,whetherusedfordefenseofattack,maybeeithergeneralorspecial.Ingeneralresemblancetheanimal,inconsequenceofitscoloring,producesthesameeffect
6、asitsenvironment,buttheconditionsdonotrequireanyspecialadaptationofshapeandoutline.Generalresemblanceisespeciallycommonamongtheanimalinhabitingsomeuniformlycoloredexpanseoftheearthsurface,suchasanoceanoradesert.Intheformer,animalsofallshapesarefrequen
7、tlyprotectedbytheirtransparentbluecolor,onthelatter,equallydiverseformsaredefendedbytheirsandyappearance.TheeffectofauniformappearancemaybeproducedbyacombinationoftintsinstartIingcontrast.Thustheblackandwhitestripesofthezebrablendtogetheratalittledista
8、nce,and"theirproportionissuchasexactlytomatchthepaletintwhicharidgroundpossesseswhenseenbymoonlight.”Specialresemblanceisfarcommonerthangeneralandistheformwhichisusuallymetwithonthediversifiedsurfaceoftheearth,ontheshores,andinshallowwa