Small, Smart, and Strong—Ants 小螞蟻的大世界
by Rachel Black
Man has long considered the ant to be a hardworking, well-organized creature. This social insect lives in an ordered colony that may contain millions of _(1)_. There are currently 11,880 known species of ants in the world, many of _(2)_ share common characteristics. Ants have three body segments, six legs, and can lift _(3)_ 20 times their body weight. A colony of 40,000 of these creatures has the same amount of brain cells _(4)_ a single human brain. Don't let their size fool you, though. It is believed that ant brains have the processing power of some of the computers of the early 1980s.
Like humans, ants have specific jobs to do within society. Each colony may have one or more queens whose job is to _(5)_ eggs. The sterile worker ants care for the young, hunt for food, and protect the colony from unwanted visitors. This is important _(6)_ one species might attempt to steal the pupae of another species.
Most humans seem to tolerate ants. However, in 2004, fire ants made their way to Taiwan and many people were _(7)_ of being bitten. After all, the sting of this foreign species could cause a deadly allergic reaction. Nevertheless, ants are usually harmless organisms whose constant activity should motivate us to get off the sofa and work a little harder.
1. (A) passengers (B) inhabitants (C) civilians (D) populations
2. (A) them (B) these (C) whom (D) which
3. (A) up to (B) such as (C) next to (D) plenty of
4. (A) by (B) like (C) as (D) within
5. (A) drop (B) lay (C) form (D) release
6. (A) if (B) while (C) because (D) although
7. (A) fearful (B) doubtful (C) shameful (D) harmful
原來(lái)如此
1. This social insect lives in an ordered colony that may contain millions of inhabitants.
理由:
a.(A)passenger n. 乘客
(B)inhabitant n. 居住者
(C)civilian n. 平民,百姓
(D)population n. 人口
注意:
population 為集合名詞,常用單數(shù)形,或與不定冠詞 a 并用。
a large/small population 人口眾多∕稀少
a population of 200,000 二十萬(wàn)的人口
b. 根據(jù)語(yǔ)意、用法,可知應(yīng)選 (B)。
2. ...11,880 known species of ants in the world, many of which share common characteristics.
理由:
a. 本空格測(cè)試下列句構(gòu):
主要子句 + 逗點(diǎn) + 數(shù)量詞(some, many...)+ of + 關(guān)系代名詞(whom, which)引導(dǎo)的形容詞子句
注意:
本句構(gòu)兩句中間以逗號(hào)相隔,因此須用關(guān)系代名詞 whom/which 來(lái)連接兩句。
例: Kent has lots of baseball cards, some of which are worth thousands of dollars.
(肯特?fù)碛性S多棒球卡,其中有些價(jià)值數(shù)千元。)
b. 根據(jù)上述,可知 (A)、(B) 不可選。whom 只能用來(lái)修飾其前表人的名詞,故 (C) 亦不可選。僅 (D) 為正選。
3. Ants have three body segments, six legs, and can lift up to 20 times their weight.
理由:
a.(A)up to + 數(shù)字 多達(dá)∕高達(dá)……
例: That girl can eat up to five bowls of beef noodles in one sitting.
(那女孩一餐可以吃到五碗牛肉面。)
(B)such as... 諸如……(其前與復(fù)數(shù)名詞并用)
例: We ordered a lot of dishes, such as fried rice and peppers with beef.
(我們點(diǎn)了許多菜,像是炒飯和青椒炒牛肉等。)
(C)next to... 在……旁邊;次于……
(D)plenty of... 許多的……
b. 根據(jù)語(yǔ)意、用法,可知應(yīng)選 (A)。
4. ...has the same amount of brain cells as a single human brain.
理由:
a. 本空格測(cè)試下列固定用法:
the same + N + as... 和……相同的……
注意:
原句原為:...has the same amount of brain cells as a single human brain (has).
此處的 as 為準(zhǔn)關(guān)系代名詞,在引導(dǎo)的子句中作 has 的受詞。
例: She bought the same jeans as her older sister.
(她和姐姐買(mǎi)同一款牛仔褲。)
b. 根據(jù)上述,可知 (C) 應(yīng)為正選。
5. Each colony may have one or more queens whose job is to lay eggs.
理由:
a.(A)drop vt. 丟
(B)lay vt. 產(chǎn)(卵)
動(dòng)詞三態(tài):lay, laid, laid。
例: The chicken can lay between 180-230 eggs per year.
(母雞每年可下 180 到 230 個(gè)蛋。)
(C)form vt. 形成
(D)release vt. 釋放
b.空格后為名詞 eggs(卵、蛋),可知應(yīng)選 (B)。
6. This is important because one species might attempt to steal the pupae of another species.
理由:
a.空格前后為兩個(gè)子句,可知應(yīng)置入連接詞加以連接。
b.四個(gè)選項(xiàng)均為副詞連接詞,但 (A) if(如果)、(B) while(當(dāng))、(D) although(雖然)置入后語(yǔ)意皆不合而不可選。(C) because(因?yàn)?置入后符合前后的因果關(guān)系,故為正選。
7. ...and many people were fearful of being bitten.
理由:
a.(A)fearful a. 害怕的
be fearful of... 害怕……
例: I've always been fearful of clowns because of their scary make-up.
(我一直很害怕小丑,因?yàn)樗麄兊膴y畫(huà)得很恐怖。)
(B)doubtful a. 懷疑的
be doubtful of... 懷疑……
例: Please don't be doubtful of my intentions.
(請(qǐng)不要懷疑我的動(dòng)機(jī)。)
(C)shameful a. 可恥的
It is shameful + that 子句 ……是可恥的
例: It is shameful that you've been cheating on your wife.
(你一直對(duì)太太不忠真是可恥。)
(D)harmful a. 有害的
be harmful to... 對(duì)……有害
例: The strike was harmful to management and labor alike.
(這場(chǎng)罷工讓勞資雙方兩敗俱傷。)
b.根據(jù)語(yǔ)意,可知應(yīng)選 (A)。
精解字詞詞組
1.colony n.(螞蟻、黃蜂等的)群
例: A colony of wasps built a hive in a hole in the wall.
(一群黃蜂在墻上的洞穴筑了蜂窩。)
2.characteristic n. 特征,特性 & a. 特有的
be characteristic of... 是……的寫(xiě)照∕特有的
例: Black and white stripes are characteristic of zebras.
(黑白相間的條紋是斑馬特有的。)
3.attempt to V 企圖∕試圖(做)……
例: William attempted to live out his own dream through his son.
(威廉試圖透過(guò)兒子實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的夢(mèng)想。)
4.allergic a. 過(guò)敏的
be allergic to... 對(duì)……過(guò)敏
例: Bill is allergic to bees and one sting could kill him.
(比爾對(duì)蜜蜂過(guò)敏,被叮一下就可能要了他的命。)
5.motivate sb to V 激發(fā)∕激勵(lì)某人(做)……
例: Sara's heart attack finally motivated her to lose weight.
(莎拉心臟病發(fā)作,終于激發(fā)她減肥。)
單字小鋪
1.hardworking a. 努力工作的
2.social a. 群居的
3.ordered a. 有秩序的
4.currently adv. 目前
5.species n. 物種(單復(fù)數(shù)同形)
6.segment n.(昆蟲(chóng)的)節(jié);部分
7.process vt. 處理(數(shù)據(jù)、數(shù)據(jù)等)
*本文中為現(xiàn)在分詞作形容詞用。
8.specific a. 特定的
9.sterile a. 無(wú)法生育的
10.pupae n. 蛹(復(fù)數(shù))
pupa n. 蛹(單數(shù))
11.tolerate vt. 容忍
= put up with...
12.sting n.(昆蟲(chóng)等的)叮咬
13.reaction n. 反應(yīng)
14.organism n. 生物,有機(jī)體
詞組小鋪
1. care for... 照顧……
2. protect sb/sth from N/V-ing 保護(hù)某人∕某物免于……
3. make one's way to + 地方名詞 前進(jìn)至……(地方)
4. after all 畢竟
中文翻譯&標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案
人類(lèi)一直認(rèn)為螞蟻是勤奮工作和有組織的生物。這種群居性的昆蟲(chóng)住在有秩序的巢穴中,一個(gè)蟻穴就有好幾百萬(wàn)只螞蟻。目前已知全世界有一萬(wàn)一千八百八十種螞蟻種類(lèi),其中許多都擁有相同特征。螞蟻的身體分為三節(jié),有六只腳,可以舉起比身體重二十倍的東西。一群四萬(wàn)只螞蟻的腦細(xì)胞加起來(lái)和一個(gè)人類(lèi)的腦細(xì)胞一樣多。別被牠們的體積騙了。據(jù)說(shuō)螞蟻大腦處理事情的能力和某些八十年代的計(jì)算機(jī)相同。
就像人類(lèi)一樣,螞蟻在社會(huì)中有特定分工。每一群螞蟻都有一只或多只的蟻后負(fù)責(zé)產(chǎn)卵。不能生育的工蟻照顧小螞蟻、尋找食物和保護(hù)蟻群遠(yuǎn)離不速之客的打擾。這是很重要的工作,因?yàn)橐环N螞蟻可能會(huì)試圖偷取另一種螞蟻的蛹。
大部分人對(duì)螞蟻都很容忍。然而,2004 年紅火蟻大舉入侵臺(tái)灣,許多人都害怕被叮咬。畢竟,被這種外來(lái)螞蟻叮咬可能會(huì)引發(fā)致命的過(guò)敏反應(yīng)。然而,螞蟻一般是無(wú)害的生物,牠們的勤奮可以激發(fā)我們遠(yuǎn)離沙發(fā),努力工作。
標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案:
1. (B) 2. (D) 3. (A) 4. (C) 5. (B) 6. (C) 7. (A)