次の学生と教授の対話を読み、下記の(16)～(20)の間の答えとして最も適切なものを、それぞれ(a)～(d)の中から選びなさい。

Student: Thanks for seeing me. Dr. Barton.
Professor: No problem. It's my office hour. What did you want to talk about?
Student: I wanted to discuss the topic I’ve chosen for the paper. I'm supposed to be writing for your anthropology course. The topic I'm thinking about is a bit unusual.
Professor: Oh you know, it has to be related to some aspect of anthropology that we’re studying. What topic did you have in mind?
Student: I wanted to write about a test used by the Rot fan military to test soldiers' eyesight.
Professor: Hmm…an eyesight test used by the Roman military? Are you sure this is related to our anthropology class? Well, tell me about it. What is this eyesight test that the Roman military used?
Student: Well, it was a test that the Romans used to determine if their soldiers would fight as foot soldiers on the front lines or as archers^*2 behind the front lines. Roman soldiers were required to undergo certain tests to determine their ability to perform as soldier. One of these tests was simply to count the stars in the constellation^*3, the Big Dipper^*4. This test determined the acuity^*5 of their vision. See. Look at this picture of the Big Dipper. You can see the seven stars in the Big Dipper. The star at the bend of the handle of the Big Dipper is called Mizar, and Mizar is a binary star^*6. If you look closely, there’s a second star called Alcor next to Mizar. If a Roman soldier's eyesight was good enough to see Alcor, he could fight as an archer. lf he couldn't see Alcor, he had to fight as a foot soldier on the front lines.
Professor: So this eye test was based on the ability of the soldier to see Alcor next to Mizar.
Student: Yes, exactly.
Professor: Well, that's a very interesting test, but I'm not sure that it's related to the material in our anthropology class. Well, let's put it this way. How would you relate it?
Student: I'd relate it to the idea of “survival of the fittest.”
Professor: Um…interesting…and how would you relate it to this concept? Survival of the fittest has to do with the idea that those who're strongest or have some other physical or mental advantage will be more likely to survive.
Student: Well, this test for eyesight was used not only by the Romans but also other groups of people for hundreds of years. The interesting point is that over time more people have been able to pass the test and the fact that more people have been able to pass this test over time has been attributed to survival of the fittest. It was certainly true for Roman soldiers that those who passed the test had a better chance of surviving for longer.
Professor: And why is that? Why did Roman soldiers who passed the test stand a better chance of surviving longer?
Student: Well, soldiers with better eyesight were not in direct enemy contact. Those with worse eyesight were sent to the front lines and, more often than not, were killed by the enemy. Archers stood a better chance of survival and had more chance to father children, who would also tend to have better eyesight than those who failed the test. This is what supports the concept of survival of the fittest.
Professor: Hmm. That's an interesting idea. As long as you concentrate on the idea of survival of the fittest in your paper and use this example of an eye test to support the concept. I think you would have a solid paper.
Student: That's what I’ll do then. Thanks. Dr. Barton.

出典: Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test iBT, Second Edition, by Deborah Phillips, p.585 © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

注:
• ^*1 anthropology 「人類学」
• ^*2 archers 「射手」
• ^*3 constellation 「星座」
• ^*4 the Big Dipper 「北斗七星」
• ^*5 acuity 「鋭敏さ」
• ^*6 binary star 「連星」(二つの恒星が両者共通の重心の周りを公転している天体)

• (16) Why does the student go to see the professor?
  • (a) To take a test lie has missed.
  • (b) To discuss the suitability of a particular topic.
  • (c) To ask a question about material from life course text.
  • (d) To ask why certain material has been assigned.
• (17) How does the professor respond to tile student's visit?
  • (a) She assures the student that it is convenient for her to talk with him right now.
  • (b) She apologizes for delaying the meeting.
  • (c) She indicates that the student is late for an appointment.
  • (d) She is embarrassed because she has to head for a lecture in a few minutes.
• (18) What is the topic the student wants to use for his paper?
  • (a) The use of stars in navigation.
  • (b) Various positions in the Roman military.
  • (c) A method of determining the roles for certain soldiers.
  • (d) The importance of astronomy in ancient Rome.
• (19) Which statement best describes the possible outcomes from the Roman eyesight test?
  • (a) A soldier would fight as an archer or a stone thrower.
  • (b) A soldier would fight on foot or on horseback.
  • (c) A soldier would remain a soldier or become an officer.
  • (d) A soldier would fight in a very dangerous position or from a less dangerous position.
• (20) How does the term, “survival of the fittest” relate to the test that the student describes?
  • (a) Tile soldiers in the best physical shape tended to survive in battles.
  • (b) The soldiers will better eyesight would more likely survive to pass on this physical advantage to their offspring.
  • (c) The fittest Romans were not in the military and therefore tended to survive.
  • (d) Those who could not see Alcor did not survive the Roman military tests.