There is mounting evidence that the frequency and magnitude of landsliding is changing in many parts of the world in response to climate change. This is not surprising, given that precipitation is one of the two external triggering mechanisms--the other being seismic activity--involved in the formation of landslides. Evidence from the past clearly indicates that cycles of elevated landslide activity have been followed by cycles of low activity, and that these are correlated with climate fluctuations over a variety of timescales.
What sets current changes in landslide activity apart is the likely influence of anthropogenic [i.e., human-caused] factors, either acting alone or in concert with climate, which can further modify the process of landsliding and the nature of ecosystem responses. Among these factors, deforestation and land-use change have the potential to influence the frequency and magnitude of landsliding because of their direct effects on vegetation attributes that influence slope stability. The extent and conditions under which mountain ecosystems are resilient to these changes--that is, the amount of disturbance they can absorb before changing into states with different structure and function--are not known. Addressing this issue is crucial for the long-term conservation of mountainscapes.
1. The author of the passage cites “evidence from the past” in order to
A. support a partial explanation
B. concede a potential objection
C. dismiss an apparent counterexample
D. highlight a scientific consensus
E. account for a historical anomaly
101给的答案是D,我个人选的是A,因为觉得evidence from the past只能支撑climate这一种解释,支持不了seismic或anthropogenic,所以选的support a partial explanation(支持了部分解释)。D当时看到a scientific consensus觉得有点指代不明,不知道说的是所有的影响因素还是其中某一个影响因素,所以就排了。