The significance of hot spots is not confined to their role as a frame of reference. It now appears that they also have an important influence on the geophysical processes that propel the plates across the globe. When a continental plate come to rest over a hot spot, the material rising from deeper layer creates a broad dome. As the dome grows, it develops seed fissures (cracks); in at least a few cases the continent may break entirely along some of these fissures, so that the hot spot initiates the formation of a new ocean. Thus just as earlier theories have explained the mobility of the continents, so hot spots may explain their mutability (inconstancy).

　　67. The author believes that _____.

　　[A] the motion of the plates corresponds to that of the earth’s interior

　　[B]) the geological theory about drifting plates has been proved to be true

　　[C] the hot spots and the plates move slowly in opposite directions

　　[D] the movement of hot spots proves the continents are moving apart

　　[答案] B

　　[解题思路]

　　本题也需要与文章具体内容进行一一对应以便排除错误选项。首先，第二段第四句话谈到“The relative motion of the plates carrying these continents has been constructed in detail, but the motion of one plate with respect to another cannot readily be translated into motion with respect to the earth’s interior”(带着两个大陆板块漂移的相对运动已经能够被详细地阐述出来，但一个板块相对另一板块的运动还不能轻易地解释为它们相对于地球内部的运动)，因此A选项显然与原文表述是矛盾的。接下来第五句话进一步说“It is not possible to determine whether both continents are moving in opposite directions or whether one continent is stationary and the other is drifting away from it”(人们还不能确定两个大陆是在朝相反的方向运动，也不能确定是否一个大陆停止不动而另一个离它而去)，因此C、D选项也与原文不符合。而第二段第一句话明确指出“That the plates are moving is not beyond dispute”(板块漂移这一理论现在是无可争辩的了)，可见B选项符合正确答案。

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