Where Have Allthe Bees Gone?
Scientists who study insects have a real mystery on theirhands.All across the country,honeybees are leaving their hives and neverreturning. Researchers call this phenomenon colony-collapse1 disorder.Accordingto surveys of beekeepers across the country,25 to 40 percent of the honeybeesin the United States have vanished from their hives since last fall.So far,noone can explain why.
Colony collapse is a serious concern because bees playan important role in the production of about one-third of the foods we eat.Asthey feed,honeybees spread pollen from flower to flower.Without this process,aplant cant produce seedsor fruits.
Now,a group of scientists andbeekeepers have teamed up to try to figure out whats causing the alarmingcollapse of so many colonies. By sharing their expertise in honeybee behavior,health,and nutrition,team members hope to find out whats contributingto thedecline and to prevent bee disappearance in the future.
Itcould be that disease is causing the disappearance of the bees. To explore that possibility,Jay Evans,a researcher at the United States Department ofAgriculture Bee Research Laboratory2,examines bees taken from coloniesthat are collapsing.We know what a healthy bee should look like on theinside,and we can look for physical signs of disease, he says. And bees fromcollapsing colonies dont look very healthy. Their stomachs are worndown,compared to the stomachs of healthy bees, Evans says.It may be that aparasite is damaging the bees digestive organs. Their immune systems may not be working as they should.Moreover,they have high levels of bacteria inside theirbodies.
Another cause of colony-collapse disorder may be certain chemicalsthat farmers apply to kill unwanted insects on crops,says Jerry Hayes,chief beeinspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture3.Some studies,hesays,suggest that a certain type of insecticide affects the honeybees nervoussystem and memory.It seems tike honeybees are goingout and getting confused about where to go and what to do, he says.
If itturns out that a disease is contributing to colony collapse,bees genes couldexplain why some colonies have collapsed and others have not.In any group ofbees there are many different kinds of genes.The more different genes a grouphas,the higher the groups genetic diversity.So far scientists haventdetermined the role of genetic diversity in colony collapse,but its a promisingtheory,says Evans.
词汇:
honeybee/5hQnIbi:/n.蜜蜂 parasite/5pArEsait/n.寄生虫;寄生生物
hive/haiv/n.蜂巢;蜂箱 digestive/di5dVestiv,dai-/adj.消化的
pollen/5pClEn/n.花粉 immune/i5mju:n/adj.免疫的
beekeeper/5bi:ki:pE /n.养蜂人 insecticide/in5sektisaid/n.杀虫剂
expertise/7ekspE5ti:z/n. diversity/dai5vE:siti/n.多样性
专门知识,专长注释:
1. colony-collapse:群体瘫痪。colony有殖民地的意思,在此意为:a groupof the same kind of animals,plants,or one-celled organisms living or growingtogether.一群生活或生长在一起的同种动物、植物或单细胞有机体。
2. the United States Department ofAgriculture Bee Research Laboratory:美国农业部蜜蜂研究实验室。
3. the FloridaDepartment of Agriculture:佛罗里达农业局。佛罗里达是美国东南部的一个州,濒临大西洋和墨西哥湾。
练习:
1. What is the mystery that researchers find hard to explain?
A Honeybeesare flying all across the country.
B 25-40 percent of the honeybees inthe US have died.
C Honeybees are leaving their hives and do not return.
D Honeybee hives are in disorder.
2. Why are researchersseriously concerned with the phenomenon of colony-collapsedisorder?
A Because honeybees produce one-third of the foods we eat.
B Becausehoneybees feed on flowers.
C Because honeybees eat seeds of flowers.
D Both B and C.
3. What are the possible causes of colony-collapsedisorder given by the scientists?
A Worsening environment.
B Diseaseand chemicals.
C Dwindlingnumber of flowers around.
D Changes ingenes structures.
4. According to the fifth paragraph,which of thefollowing about bees genes istrue?
A Bees genes allow them toexpand their colonies.
B Beesgenes help keep them in their hives.
C Beesgenes make them fly from flower to flower.
D Beesgenes couldexplain the collapse of some colonies.
5. What explanation is given byJerry Hayes to the phenomenon?
A Farmers apply certain chemicals to killunwanted bees.
B The insecticide destroys the honeybees nervous system.
C The insecticide affects the honeybees memory.
D All of theabove.
答案与题解:
1. C 短文第一段的第一句和最后一句告诉我们,昆虫学家正面临一个不可解释的谜。第二句解释了这个谜,给出了答案。
2. A 短文第二段的第一句提供了答案。蜜蜂传播花粉能使植物结果,因此为人类提供食物。
3. B 第四段的开头是It could be thatdisease is causing the disappearance of the bees.第五段的开头是Another cause ofcolony-collapse disorder may be certain chemicals that,这是科学家给出的两个可能造成这种现象的原因。
4. D 第六段的句子:beesgenes could explain why some colonies have coilapsed andothcrs have not。这是选择D的依据。选项A、B、C的内容文章中都没有出现,所以不是答案。
5. D 第五段描述了另一个可能的原因,即农夫使用的杀虫剂可能破坏了蜜蜂的神经系统和记忆。所以D是正确选择。
大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(24)
英语四级指导系列:完型填空解题思路
英语四级阅读中常见四大逻辑关系盘点
12月大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(14)
12月大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(17)
四级完型填空逻辑词汇
大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(13)
考前必备:英语四级完型突破要则
2012年12月四级六级阅读模拟试题
英语四级完型填空选词技巧例题辨析
大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(3)
2012年6月英语四级阅读:电脑文字隐藏功能
2012年6月英语四级阅读:男女合校
大学英语四级完型填空解题突破法
2012年6月英语四级阅读:从颜色洞察人格
2015年6月大学英语四级考试完型填空突破(1)
2014年12月大学英语四级考试完型填空突破(2)
每天三分钟英语轻松学:大学英语四级完形填空训练(1)
2012年6月英语四级阅读:旅游业发展模式
12月大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(25)
英语四级阅读模拟题:TED的绝妙创意
12月大学英语四级完形填空模拟题(6)
四级仔细阅读点拨:有效定位 拨开迷雾
2012年6月英语四级阅读:明星的生活
英语四级阅读理解模拟题及答案
2012年英语四级快速阅读攻略:略读和跳读配合
解读英语四级完型填空及答题步骤
2012年英语四级考试阅读理解试题及答案
CET4指南:完形填空的测试形式
2015年6月大学英语四级考试完型填空突破(4)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |