2019年1月19日场次GRE短篇阅读机经发布，本文包括对1月19日GRE阅读三大题型中的短阅读内容的预测讲解，帮助大家提升短阅读正确率，避免在简单题目中意外扣分，考生不可不看！

短篇阅读

Biologists have long debated about whether egg production in birds is biologically highly costly, some theorizing that egg production is energetically or nutritionally demanding. Lack, however, suggested that clutch size--the number of eggs a bird lays per breeding cycle-- is far below the potential limit of egg production. He suggested that clutch size had instead evolved in relation to the number of young that the parents could successfully rear. Subsequently, most studies focused on limitations operating during chick rearing, particularly among altricial species (species in which the parents feed their young in the nest). Lack later recognized that in precocial species (species in which young feed themselves), clutch size might be explained by different factors -- the availability of food for egg-laying females, for example.

1. The passage suggests that biologists who say egg production in birds is biologically highly costly would agree that clutch size is determined primarily by

A. The nutritional and energy demands of egg production.

B. The number of young that the parents can rear successfully.

C. Reproductive limitations operating during chick rearing.

D. The availability of food for newly hatched chicks.

E. The differences between altricial and precocial species.

参*：A. 参考第一句话。

2. Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.

The passage suggests that Lack would agree with which of the following statements about factors affecting clutch size in birds?

A. In altricial species, clutch size is determined primarily by factors operating after eggs are laid.

B. In precocial species, clutch size is determined primarily by factors operating after eggs are laid.

C. In many bird species, clutch size generally remains well below the potential limit of egg production.

参*： A C.

参考第二句话，与选项C对应。第四句与A对应。

Q:本次发布的GRE短篇阅读机经有什么作用？
A:帮助大家提升短阅读正确率，避免在简单题目中意外扣分。
Q:文档中提到的生物学家对于鸟类产卵成本有怎样的争论？
A:生物学家长期争论鸟类产卵在生物学上是否成本高昂，一些人认为产卵在能量或营养方面需求很大。
Q:Lack关于窝卵数（clutch size）提出了什么观点？
A:Lack认为窝卵数远低于产卵的潜在极限，且窝卵数的演化与父母能够成功养育的幼鸟数量有关。
Q:大多数研究主要关注了什么？
A:大多数研究主要关注育雏期间起作用的限制因素，尤其是在晚成鸟（父母在巢中喂养幼鸟的物种）中。
Q:Lack后来认识到在早成鸟（幼鸟自己觅食的物种）中窝卵数可能由什么因素解释？
A:Lack后来认识到在早成鸟中，窝卵数可能由不同因素解释，例如产卵雌性的食物可获得性。
Q:认为鸟类产卵在生物学上成本高昂的生物学家会认同窝卵数主要由什么决定？
A:认为鸟类产卵在生物学上成本高昂的生物学家会认同窝卵数主要由产卵的营养和能量需求决定（答案A）。
Q:第一题答案A的依据在哪里？
A:参考第一句话。
Q:关于影响鸟类窝卵数的因素，Lack会同意选项A的说法吗？依据是什么？
A:会同意。第四句提到在晚成鸟中，大多数研究关注育雏期间的限制因素，这意味着在晚成鸟中，窝卵数主要由产卵后起作用的因素决定，与选项A对应。
Q:关于影响鸟类窝卵数的因素，Lack会同意选项C的说法吗？依据是什么？
A:会同意。参考第二句话，Lack提出窝卵数远低于产卵的潜在极限，与选项C对应。
Q:第二题中为什么不选B选项？
A:文中提到在早成鸟中，窝卵数可能由产卵雌性的食物可获得性等不同因素解释，并非主要由产卵后起作用的因素决定，所以不选B。