GMAT申友阅读RC题库-The idea that carotenoid-based coloration is significant partly because carotenoids are required for health suggests that a lack of bright-OG2022-真题答案解析

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Carotenoids, a family of natural pigments, form an important part of the colorful signals used by many animals. Animals acquire carotenoids either directly (from the plants 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 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 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 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 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 will use fewer

carotenoids for fighting disease and will advertise

this by using the pigments for flashy display instead.

The idea that carotenoid-based coloration is significant partly because carotenoids are required for health suggests that a lack of bright coloration in a male is most likely to

indicate which of the following?

A. Inefficient detoxification processes

B. Immunity to parasite infestation

C. Low genetic resistance to disease

D. Lack of interest in mating

E. Lack of carotenoid-storing tissues

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答案：

Inference T

he passage states that carotenoids are used by the immune system and for detoxification processes that help maintain health. Males that are more susceptible to disease and parasites, i.e., males that lack high genetic resistance to such things, must use up the carotenoids they accumulate to boost their immune systems. The passage suggests that consequently male animals perceived by females of the species as having used up their carotenoids would be perceived as having relatively low genetic resistance to disease and parasites. A. Even if an animal has efficient detoxification processes, the passage suggests that carotenoids would be used up in such processes. Thus, having relatively less bright coloration (and therefore less carotenoids) would not necessarily indicate inefficient detoxification processes. B. The information in the passage suggests that having low genetic resistance to parasite infections is consistent with having immunity to at least some parasite infections, because carotenoids can be used to boost immunity. But this comes at the cost of lacking bright coloration. C. Correct. The passage indicates that a male’s having relatively bright coloration could indicate relatively high genetic resistance to disease, and having relatively less bright coloration could indicate relatively low genetic resistance, because the carotenoids that create bright coloration would have been used to boost immunity or aid detoxification processes. D. The passage does not suggest that male animals lacking bright coloration would be perceived by a female of the species as lacking interest in mating. E. The passage does not address the issue of whether carotenoid-storing tissues may be lacking in a male of a species that would normally have such tissues. The passage only states that “many” animal species use colorful signals made possible by carotenoids. The correct answer is C.