The greaterPacificregion, traditionally calledOceania, consists of three cultural areas: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Melanesia, in the southwestPacific, contains the large islands of NewGuinea, the Solomons, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. Micronesia, the area north of Melanesia, consistsprimarilyof smallscatteredislands. Polynesia is the centralPacificarea in the greattriangledefined by Hawaii,EasterIsland, and New Zealand. Before the arrival of Europeans, the islands in the two largest cultural areas, Polynesia and Micronesia, together contained apopulationestimated at 700,000.

Speculation on theoriginof thesePacificislanders began as soon as outsiders encountered them, in theabsenceofsolidlinguistic,archaeological, and biologicaldata,

many fanciful andmutuallyexclusivetheories were devised.

Pacificislanders are variously thought to have come from North America, South America, Egypt, Israel,

and India, as well as Southeast Asia. Many older theories implicitly deprecated the navigational abilities andoverallculturalcreativityof thePacificislanders. For example, British anthropologists G. Elliot Smith and W. J. Perry assumed that only Egyptians would have been skilled enough tonavigateandcolonizethePacific. They inferred that the Egyptiansevencrossed thePacificto found the great civilizations of the New World (North and South America). In 1947 Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl drifted on a balsa-lograftwestward with the winds and currentsacrossthePacificfrom South America to prove histheorythatPacificislanders were Native Americans (also called American Indians). Later Heyerdahl suggested that thePacificwas peopled by three migrations:

by Native Americans from thePacificNorthwest of North America drifting to Hawaii, by Peruvians drifting toEasterIsland, and by Melanesians. In 1969 he crossed the Atlantic in an Egyptian-style reed boat to prove Egyptian influences in the Americas. Contraryto these theorists,

the overwhelmingevidenceofphysicalanthropology, linguistics, andarchaeologyshows that thePacificislanders came from Southeast

Asia and were skilled enough as navigators to sail against theprevailingwinds and currents.

Thebasiccultural requirements for the successfulcolonizationof thePacificislands include theappropriateboat-building, sailing, andnavigationskills to get to the islands in the first place,domesticatedplants and gardening skills suited to often marginal conditions, and avariedinventoryof fishing implements and techniques. It is now generally believed that these prerequisites originated with peoples speaking Austronesian languages (a group of several hundred related languages) and began toemergein Southeast Asia by about 5000 B.C.E. Thecultureof that time, based onarchaeologyandlinguisticreconstruction, is assumed to have had abroadinventoryofcultivatedplants including taro, yarns, banana, sugarcane, breadfruit, coconut, sago, and rice. Just as important, theculturealso possessed thebasicfoundationfor aneffectivemaritimeadaptation, including outrigger canoes and avarietyof fishing techniques that could beeffectiveforoverseasvoyaging.

Contraryto the arguments of some that much of thepacificwas settled by Polynesians accidentally marooned after being lost and adrift, it seemsreasonablethat thisfeatwasaccomplishedbydeliberatecolonizationexpeditions that set out fully stocked with food anddomesticatedplants and animals. Detailed studies of the winds and currents using computer simulations suggest that drifting canoes would have been a mostunlikelymeans of colonizing thePacific. These expeditions were likely driven bypopulationgrowth andpoliticaldynamics on the home islands, as well as thechallengeand excitement of exploring unknown waters. Because all Polynesians, Micronesians, and many Melanesians speak Austronesian languages and grow crops derived from Southeast Asia, all these peoples most certainly derived from thatregionand not the New World or elsewhere. The undisputed pre-Columbian presence inOceaniaof the sweet potato, which is a New Worlddomesticate, has sometimes been used to support Heyerdahl’s “American Indians in thePacific” theories. However, this is one plant out of a longlistof Southeast Asian domesticates. As Patrick Kirch, an Americananthropologist, points out, rather than being brought by rafting South Americans, sweet potatoes might just have easily been brought back by returningPolynesiannavigators who could have reached the westcoastof South America.

Questions:
question_stem: According to paragraph 1, all of the following are true statements about Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia EXCEPT:
choices: tag: A
text: Collectively, these regions are traditionally known as Oceania.

tag: B
text: These islands of Micronesia are small and spread out.

tag: C
text: Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand mark the boundaries of Polynesia.

tag: D
text: Melanesia is situated to the north of Micronesia.
answer_key: D
explanation: D  AEXCEPT 题，排除法。A 对应第一句第二个逗号之前的部分，正确，不选；B 选项对应第二句，注意 scattered 就是 spread out，所以正确，不选；而且第二句还与 D 选项相反，应该是 Micronesia 在 Melanesia 北面，所以 D 错，选；C 选项对应第三句，正确，不选。

question_stem: By stating that the theories are “mutually exclusive” the author means that
choices: tag: A
text: if one of the theories is true, then all the others must be false

tag: B
text: the differences between the theories are unimportant

tag: C
text: taken together, the theories cover all possibilities

tag: D
text: the theories support each other
answer_key: A
explanation: mutual: 共同，exclusive 想到 exclude 再想到 include，所以是不包含的，排他的，那 mutually exclusive 的意思就是不相容的，互相矛盾的，所以答案应该是 A。对应原文：Speculation on the origin of these Pacific islanders began as soon as outsiders encountered them, in the absence of solid linguistic, archaeological, and biological data, many fanciful and mutually exclusive theories were devised.前文说由于缺乏各方面证据，各种各样的想象的和什么样的理论被设计出来。从语境看，应该是五花八门的理论，各不相同的理论，所以 A 代入后非常符合这个语境。

question_stem: The word “overwhelming” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: powerful

tag: B
text: favorable

tag: C
text: current

tag: D
text: reasonable
answer_key: A
explanation: overwhelming: 压倒性的，势不可挡的，而且 over 表示在……之上或者是超过之意，所以 A 正确。对应原文：Contrary to these theorists, the overwhelming evidence of physical anthropology, linguistics, and archaeology shows that the Pacific islanders came from Southeast Asia and were skilled enough as navigators to sail against the prevailing winds and currents.原文说与上面的例子不同，怎么样的证据显示这些太平洋岛民来自东南亚。首先原文没提到时间概念，所以 current 不对；原文也没说之前的都不合理，所以 reasonable 不对；favorable 赞同的，倾向的靠谱，但是从前后搭配和整体语境来看，还是 A 的程度更加贴近原词。

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, which of the following led some early researchers to believe that the Pacific islanders originally came from Egypt?
choices: tag: A
text: Egyptians were known to have founded other great civilizations.

tag: B
text: Sailors from other parts of the world were believed to lack the skills needed to travel across the ocean.

tag: C
text: Linguistic, archaeological, and biological data connected the islands to Egypt.

tag: D
text: Egyptian accounts claimed responsibility for colonizing the Pacific as well as the Americas.
answer_key: B
explanation: B 以 Egypt 和 early researchers 双关键词回原文定位至第四句(For example 句)，说两个人认为只有埃及人有技术能够航行到并且占领太平洋的岛，至于后半句是两个人推断出来的东西，不是答案，所以 A 错 B 对，C 和 D 都没说。

question_stem: Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about early theories of where the first inhabitants of the Pacific islands came from?
choices: tag: A
text: They were generally based on solid evidence.

tag: B
text: They tried to account for the origin of the characteristic features of the languages spoken by Pacific islanders.

tag: C
text: They assumed that the peoples living in Southeast Asia did not have the skills needed to sail to the Pacific islands.

tag: D
text: They questioned the ideas of Elliot Smith and W. J. Perry.
answer_key: C
explanation: C  以 early (older) theories 做关键词定位至第三句，说早期的理论认为那些岛民的航海能力不行，紧接着给出例子，就是上一题定位的那句，只有埃及人才有能力航行到并且占领这些岛，所以通过例子证明 C 正确，东南亚人没那个技术航线到这些岛上；原文说没证据，所以 A 反了；B 和 D 都没说。

question_stem: The word “implements” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: skills

tag: B
text: tools

tag: C
text: opportunities

tag: D
text: practices
answer_key: B
explanation: implement: （动词）实施，执行；（名词）工具。原文中是名词。所以 B 正确。对应原文：The basic cultural requirements for the successful colonization of the Pacific islands include the appropriate boat-building, sailing, and navigation skills to get to the islands in the first place, domesticated plants and gardening skills suited to often marginal conditions, and a varied inventory of fishing implements and techniques.原句中与它并列的是 technique，所以意思应当与 technique 接近但不相同，所以 A 错；C 和 D 都不能与 technique 并列，最合适的还是 tools，工具和技术。

question_stem: All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 3 as required for successful colonization of the Pacific islands EXCEPT
choices: tag: A
text: knowledge of various Austronesian languages

tag: B
text: a variety of fishing techniques

tag: C
text: navigational skills

tag: D
text: knowledge of plant cultivation
answer_key: A
explanation: A EXCEPT 题，排除法，B/C/D 三个答案都在第一句，一上来就说 successful colonization 的条件是 blabla，A 语言的问题是在下一句说的，已经不是条件了，所以 A 错，选。

question_stem: In paragraph 3, why does the author provide information about the types of crops grown and boats used in Southeast Asia during the period around 5000 B.C.E.?
choices: tag: A
text: To evaluate the relative importance of agriculture and fishing to early Austronesian peoples

tag: B
text: To illustrate the effectiveness of archaeological and linguistic methods in discovering details about life in ancient times

tag: C
text: To contrast living conditions on the continent of Asia with living conditions on the Pacific islands

tag: D
text: To demonstrate that people from this region had the skills and resources necessary to travel to and survive on the Pacific islands
answer_key: D
explanation: 功能目的题，以5000 B.C.E.为关键词定位至第二句，但事实上关于种的作物的信息在第三句中的”The culture of that time”，往第二句看，这些前提条件是说 A 语言的人有的，也就是说 A 有占领太平洋岛屿的能力，正确答案 D。

question_stem: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
choices: tag: A
text: Some people have argued that the Pacific was settled by traders who became lost while transporting domesticated plants and animals.

tag: B
text: The original Polynesian settlers were probably marooned on the islands, but they may have been joined later by carefully prepared colonization expeditions.

tag: C
text: Although it seems reasonable to believe that colonization expeditions would set out fully stocked, this is contradicted by much of the evidence.

tag: D
text: The settlement of the Pacific islands was probably intentional and well planned rather than accidental as some people have proposed.
answer_key: D
explanation: D 原句的主要逻辑是对立，而 contrary to 引导的内容相对次要，主要内容是后半句。原句说：这个 feat 是通过有意的占领完成的，不认识 deliberate 的看后面的解释，说装满了东西，当然是有备而来的；而不是之前说的意外意占领的。A 说这些人是 lost 到这些岛上来的，反了；B 说两批人，第一批是 lost 的，后来有人装满了东西加入了他们，和原文逻辑矛盾，内容出入较大，jioned later 随意改写了原文的意思；C 也说 lost，注意 although 后面的文字与句子的真实意思相反；所以只有 D 对。

question_stem: The word “undisputed” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: mysterious

tag: B
text: unexpected

tag: C
text: acknowledged

tag: D
text: significant
answer_key: C
explanation: dispute: 争辩，undisputed: 无可辩驳的，毫无疑问的。所以 C 的 acknowledged（广为承认的）正确。A 是神秘的；B 是意外的，出乎意料的；D 是重大的，有意义的。对应原文：The undisputed pre-Columbian presence in Oceania of the sweet potato, which is a New World domesticate, has sometimes been used to support Heyerdahl’s “American Indians in the Pacific” theories.原文说一个什么样的证据能够用来支持某人的理论，AB 明显不靠谱，significant 貌似正确，但是和 dispute 的意思毫无关联，也不对。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, which of the following is NOT an explanation for why a group of people might have wanted to colonize the Pacific islands?
choices: tag: A
text: As their numbers increased, they needed additional territory.

tag: B
text: The winds and currents made the islands easy to reach.

tag: C
text: The political situation at home made emigration desirable.

tag: D
text: They found exploration challenging and exciting.
answer_key: B
explanation: EXCEPT 题，排除法，ACD 都定位到第三句话：These expeditions were likely driven by population growth and political dynamics on the home islands, as well as the challenge and excitement of exploring unknown waters. A 选项的 their number increased 对应原文第三句的 population growth；正确，不选；C 的 political situation at home 对应第三句中的 political dynamics on the home islands，正确，不选；D 选项的 challenging and exciting 对应第三句中的 challenge and excitement，正确，不选；B 没说，选。

question_stem: Why does the author mention the views of “Patrick Kirch"
choices: tag: A
text: To present evidence in favor of Heyerdahl’s idea about American Indians reaching Oceania

tag: B
text: To emphasize the familiarity of Pacific islanders with crops from many different regions of the world

tag: C
text: To indicate that supposed proof for Heyerdahl’s theory has an alternative explanation

tag: D
text: To demonstrate that some of the same crops were cultivated in both South America and Oceania
answer_key: C
explanation: 功能目的题，往前看，however 句与前句有紧密的衔接，所以再往前看一句。说甜土豆的出现支持了 H 的理论，紧接着就来了个转折，说明 PK 的观点不支持 H 的观点，A 反了；C 的 alternative explanation 正确；B 和 D 都没说。