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  3. There are both great similarities and considerable diversity in the ecosystems that evolved on the islands of Oceania in and aro

There are both great similarities and considerable diversity in the ecosystems that evolved on the islands of Oceania in and aro

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问题     There are both great similarities and considerable diversity in the ecosystems that evolved on the islands of Oceania in and around the Pacific Ocean. The islands, such as New Zealand, that were originally parts of continents still carry some small plant and animal remnants of their earlier biota (animal and plant life), and they also have been extensively modified by evolution, adaptation, and the arrival of new species. By contrast, the other islands, which emerged via geological processes such as volcanism, possessed no terrestrial life, but over long periods, winds, ocean currents, and the feet, feathers, and digestive tracts of birds brought the seeds of plants and a few species of animals. Only those species with ways of spreading to these islands were able to undertake the long journeys, and the various factors at play resulted in diverse combinations of new colonists on the islands. One estimate is that the distribution of plants was 75 percent by birds, 23 percent by floating, and 2 percent by wind.
    The migration of Oceanic biota was generally from west to east, with four major factors influencing their distribution and establishment. The first was the size and fertility of the islands on which they landed, with larger islands able to provide hospitality for a wider range of species. Second, the further east the islands, generally the less the species diversity, largely because of the distance that had to be crossed and because the eastern islands tended to be smaller, more scattered, and remote. This easterly decline in species diversity is well demonstrated by birds and coral fish. It is estimated that there were over 550 species of birds in New Guinea, 127 in the Solomon Islands, 54 in Fiji, and 17 in the Society Islands. From the west across the Pacific, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands have more than 90 families of shore fish (with many species within the families), Fyi has 50 families, and the Society Islands have 30.Third, the latitude of the islands also influenced the biotic mix, as those islands in relatively cooler latitudes, notably New Zealand, were unsuited to supporting some of the tropical plants with which Pacific islands are generally associated.
    Finally, a fourth major factor in species distribution, and indeed in the shaping of Pacific ecosystems, was wind. It takes little experience on Pacific islands to be aware that there are prevailing winds. To the north of the equator these are called north-easterlies, while to the south they are called south-easterlies. Further south, from about 30° south, the winds are generally from the west. As a result on nearly every island of significant size there is an ecological difference between its windward and leeward (away from the wind) sides. Apart from the wind action itself on plants and soils, wind has a major effect on rain distribution. The Big Island of Hawaii is often cited as a prime example; one can leave Kona on the leeward side in brilliant sunshine and drive across to the windward side where the city of Hilo is blanketed in mist and rain.  
The Big Island of Hawaii is discussed in the passage as an example of________.
选项 A、the relationship between latitude and wind
B、how prevailing winds influence rainfall patterns
C、the relationship between rainfall and species distribution
D、the effects of wind action upon plants and soils
答案B
解析 文章提到，夏威夷大岛这个例子是为了论证第3段倒数第二句提出的观点“风力除了影响植物和土壤，对雨水分布也有重要影响”。例子提到位于背风面的科纳和迎风面的希洛市天气不同，显然是为了证明风对于降水的影响，故正确答案为B项“盛行风如何影响降水分布(rainfall patterns)”。A项“纬度和风之间的关系”、C项“降水和物种分布的关系”、D项“风对于植物和土壤的影响”均与所举例子无关，故都可排除。
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