Hero worms 小虫大用

时间:2024-03-07 03:23:43

(单词翻译:单击)

  Hero worms 小虫大用
 
  小小蠕虫默默无闻、粘粘乎乎,还扭来扭去,但它们为什么被称为 “大英雄”?作为蠕虫的一种,蚯蚓可通过松动和混合土壤来助农耕者一臂之力;人们还发现蜡虫的唾液中含有可分解塑料的酶;血虫的口部为建筑师带来了设计灵感。原来小虫子真能帮大忙!
  词汇:worms 蠕虫
  Are worms the heroes we didn't know we needed? Silent, slimy and wriggling1, you might think that worms are good for nothing except bait on the end of a fishing rod. However, there is more to the humble2 worm than meets the eye.
  The British naturalist3 Charles Darwin said that no other animal has "played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures". They have lived on Earth for 600 million years and have even survived five mass extinctions. So, what do worms do that is so great?
  Earthworms literally4 move the earth, and this is why farmers love them. As they travel, they aerate5 the soil by loosening, mixing and oxygenating it, which increases the ground's capacity to hold and drain water. They are effectively a small but very efficient plough. But it's not just earthworms that deserve praise.
  In 2022, a group of scientists at the Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research isolated6 enzymes7 found in wax worm saliva8 which are plastic-eating. These can break down polyethylene, a very common plastic that normally degrades over many years. It's hoped that by producing these enzymes on an industry-level scale, we will have a more environmentally friendly way to reduce plastic pollution.
  And worms are even inspiring the building industry. Bloodworms are small sea creatures which burrow9 into the mud of the ocean floor. Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have been studying their jaws10, which are made up of 10% copper11 proteins and are so strong that they last the worm's entire five-year lifespan. Because of this research, engineers may start using the jaws as inspiration for the design and manufacture of materials like concrete.
  So, next time you see a worm, show it a little respect. They really are changing the world!
  词汇表
  worm 蠕虫
  slimy 黏糊糊的
  wriggling 蠕动着的,扭动着的
  bait (鱼)饵
  humble 不起眼的,普通的
  naturalist 博物学家
  lowly 低等的
  creature 动物,生物
  mass extinction (生物)聚群绝灭
  earthworm 蚯蚓
  aerate 使(土壤)透气
  soil 土壤
  loosen 松动
  oxygenate 给…供氧
  plough 犁
  enzyme 酶
  wax worm 蜡虫
  saliva 唾液
  plastic-eating 分解塑料的
  bloodworm 血虫
  burrow 钻,打洞
  jaws 口部
 

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1 wriggling d9a36b6d679a4708e0599fd231eb9e20     
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等);蠕蠕
参考例句:
  • The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
  • Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句
2 humble ddjzU     
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
参考例句:
  • In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
  • Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
3 naturalist QFKxZ     
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
参考例句:
  • He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业,同时是个博物学爱好者。
  • The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。
4 literally 28Wzv     
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实
参考例句:
  • He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
  • Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。
5 aerate 7fsyF     
v.充气,让空气进入
参考例句:
  • It were an aquarium,complete with an air pump to aerate the running water.但最让我难忘的礼物否则玩具,而是唯一带空气泵、能通气的鱼缸。
  • Each insect contributes something just as ants aerate the soil.每一种昆虫都贡献了一些事情,就象蚂蚁松土给土壤增加空气一样。
6 isolated bqmzTd     
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句:
  • His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
  • Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。
7 enzymes 7881ad8ce9c83424f7874e70266ed2d8     
n. 酶,酵素
参考例句:
  • It was said that washing powders containing enzymes remove stains more efficiently. 据说加酶洗衣粉除污更有效。
  • Among the enzymes which are particularly effective are pepsin, papain. 在酶当中特别有效的是胃朊酶、木瓜酶。
8 saliva 6Cdz0     
n.唾液,口水
参考例句:
  • He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
  • Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。
9 burrow EsazA     
vt.挖掘(洞穴);钻进;vi.挖洞;翻寻;n.地洞
参考例句:
  • Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
  • The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。
10 jaws cq9zZq     
n.口部;嘴
参考例句:
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
11 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

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