2007年VOA标准英语-Scientists Target Australia's Cane Toads With N
时间：2019-01-08 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA标准英语（六月）
By Phil Mercer
Sydney
28 June 2007
A parasitic 1 worm is emerging as a potent 2 weapon against one of Australia's most resilient pests - the cane 3 toad 4. The toxic 5 amphibians 6 have spread across the country since they were introduced into Queensland in the 1930s in an attempt to combat the cane beetle 7. As Phil Mercer in Sydney reports, tens of millions of dollars have been spent over the years to keep the nation's ugliest pest at bay.
This sign indicates the extent of the effort to fight the spread of cane toads in Australia
As many as 100 million cane toads are spread across tropical northern Australia.
The toads were introduced to the northern Australian state of Queensland from Hawaii in 1935 to eradicate 9 cane beetles 10, which were destroying sugar cane crops.
The experiment failed. But the cane toad has succeeded in spreading across a country where it has few enemies, and it has caused massive environmental damage.
The toxic pests eat other frogs as well as small reptiles 11, birds and mammals. Crocodiles and dingoes have also died after eating their poisonous skins.
Cane toad
But Australian scientists are celebrating a big step forward in the fight against the cane toad.
Professor Rick Shine from Sydney University's School of Biological Science says that a parasitic worm could be a powerful weapon against the marauder.
"There's a small parasite 12 that occurs in Australian frogs in Queensland, and it's moved across to the cane toad, and the research is showing that it kills baby toads in fantastic numbers and the ones that survive grow slowly and can't move so well," he said. "And we're hopeful that it may offer a real breakthrough as an opportunity for controlling cane toad populations.
So far the lungworm parasite has only been found in cane toad populations in Queensland.
Researchers hope to introduce it in other areas to stop the toads' advance through the Northern Territory and into Western Australia.
There is no broad agreement as to the best way to control toad numbers.
One Australian politician sparked outrage 13 when he suggested that residents should beat cane toads to death with golf clubs or cricket bats.
Animal welfare groups have promoted what they consider a more humane 14 method. They advise placing toads in a freezer until they die.
Earlier this year a giant cane toad the size of a small dog and nicknamed Toadzilla was captured in northern Australia.
Toadzilla was the biggest cane toad ever found in the Northern Territory and weighed about a kilogram.
- Will global warming mean the spread of tropical parasitic diseases?全球变暖是否意味着热带寄生虫病会蔓延呢？
- By definition,this way of life is parasitic.从其含义来说，这是种寄生虫的生活方式。
- The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
- We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。
- This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
- English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。
- Both the toad and frog are amphibian.蟾蜍和青蛙都是两栖动物。
- Many kinds of toad hibernate in winter.许多种蟾蜍在冬天都会冬眠。
- The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
- There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。
- The skin of amphibians is permeable to water. 两栖动物的皮肤是透水的。
- Two amphibians ferry them out over the sands. 两辆水陆两用车把他们渡过沙滩。
- A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
- He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。
- All toads blink when they swallow. 所有的癞蛤蟆吞食东西时都会眨眼皮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Toads have shorter legs and are generally more clumsy than frogs. 蟾蜍比青蛙脚短，一般说来没有青蛙灵活。 来自辞典例句
- These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
- They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。
- Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
- I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。
- When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
- We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。