The concept of 'environmental determinism' has long been debated in geography. This theory posits that human behavior and societal development are predominantly shaped by climatic and geographical conditions. Early proponents, such as Ellsworth Huntington, argued that temperate climates fostered industriousness, while tropical regions supposedly led to lethargy. However, modern scholars reject this simplistic causality, pointing to counterexamples like the advanced civilizations of the Maya in tropical lowlands. Instead, they advocate for 'possibilism', which acknowledges that environment offers a set of constraints and opportunities, but human agency and cultural innovation play decisive roles in shaping outcomes. This shift reflects a broader academic trend toward recognizing the complex interplay between nature and culture, rejecting deterministic frameworks in favor of nuanced, multi-causal analyses.
❓ 본문에 따르면, 현대 학자들이 환경 결정론에 대해 제기하는 주요 비판은 무엇인가?
A. 그것은 사회 발전에 있어 인간의 혁신이 차지하는 역할을 과대평가한다.
B. 첨단 사회가 도전적인 기후에서 번성했던 사례들을 설명하지 못한다.
C. 그것은 열대 기후가 인간 행동에 미치는 영향을 완전히 무시한다.
D. 이는 모든 문명이 지리적 위치와 관계없이 동등하게 발전한다는 것을 시사한다.
✅ 正确答案
It fails to account for cases where advanced societies thrived in challenging climates.
IELTS Reading Tips
Skim the questions first, underline keywords, then locate in the passage
Watch for paraphrasing; correct answers are often reworded
Be wary of absolute statements (all, always, never) — usually wrong
Pay attention to content after transition words (however, but, yet)
Manage time: about 20 minutes per passage; skip difficult questions first