时间:2018-12-08 作者:英语课 分类:2018年VOA慢速英语(六)月


英语课

‘Citizen Scientists’ Seek Solutions to Bumblebee’s Problems


Hundreds of amateur 1 “citizen scientists” have begun studying the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. They are seeking to learn more about the nearly 30 species 2 of bumblebees that live there.


Bumblebees are important for the growth of wild and agricultural plants. They help spread the substances that make it possible for flowers to reproduce 3 through the process known as pollination 4.


But some bumblebee species have disappeared from the places where they were once common.


The new, three-year-long research effort is known as the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas 5 project. Organizations in Idaho, Oregon and Washington are working together as part of it.


Researchers hope to collect enough information to suggest ways to protect bumblebees and their habitat.


Ann Potter works with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She told the Associated Press it is important for humans to study honeybees – “the little guys that make the world go around.”


Rich Hatfield works with the conservation group the Xerces Society. He noted 6 that there is growing interest in returning the habitats for pollinators to their earlier, healthier conditions.


The project’s leadership is sending citizen scientists to selected one-hectare sites. They will have tools to capture insects, as well as plant and bee guides. The amateur researchers will also have a special application, or app, on their smartphones. The app makes it so that findings can be recorded, photographed, mapped and sent to a central database 7.


Researchers say a little more than 200 people have agreed to visit 400 sites through the end of August. Hatfield said more volunteers are needed, especially to work in more difficult-to-reach areas.


For the study, the bees are captured and put in a low-temperature container so that they go into a sleep-like state. Photos are taken that examine the condition of the bees. The bees are then released unharmed once they warm up.


Unlike honeybees, bumblebees do no spend the winter living in their self-made structures known as hives. Instead, they usually spend the winter in holes in the ground. There are usually only a few hundred individual bumblebees left alive by the time fall arrives. Any honey they produce they eat.


When winter begins, all bumblebees die except a few pregnant 8 queen bees. In the spring, those queens head out alone to start a new structure to live and produce worker bees in, beginning the process all over again.


Andony Melathopoulos is with Oregon State University. His research interest centers on this period of bumblebees’ lives when they live alone.


“Here’s a species that spends a big part of its life as a vulnerable 9 queen,” he said.


Honeybees first came to the United States from Europe. People brought them in order to help with the pollination of their crops.


But when it comes to native North American plants and some crops, bumblebees are much more useful. They are much stronger and can hold onto an entire flower, shaking loose the necessary substance for plant reproduction. For some plant species, the bumblebee is the only insect strong enough to do so.


The Western bumblebee was once considered common and widespread. But it has since disappeared from many of the areas it once lived in. And experts for the current study are hoping to find reasons for the sudden decrease in Western bumblebee populations.


Ross Winton of Idaho Fish and Game admitted that scientists do not know much about bumblebees.


“The more we learn, the more concerned we get,” he added.


In the end, the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas could be an example for other states interested in learning more about how their bumblebee populations are doing.


Melathopoulos said, “I think everyone is looking at the Pacific Northwest and this initiative 10 as a test case.”


The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is paying for the research done in Idaho and Washington. In Oregon, another government group called the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research is providing financial support.


I’m Pete Musto.


Words in This Story


amateur – adj. describing a person who does something such as a sport or hobby for pleasure and not as a job


species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants


pollination – n. the process of moving the very fine, usually yellow dust that is produced by a plant for reproduction to another plant


habitat – n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows


smartphone(s) – n. a mobile telephone that can be used to send and receive e-mail, connect to the Internet and take photographs


hive(s) – n. a place where bees live and usually lay eggs or take care of their young


honey – n. a thick, sweet substance made by bees


vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically 11, mentally, or emotionally


initiative – n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem



1 amateur
adj.业余的,非专业的;n.业余爱好者
  • He made an amateur attempt to build a cupboard.他很外行地试做了一个碗柜。
  • Although Tom's only an amateur he's a first-class player.虽然汤姆只是个业余爱好者,但却是一流的高手。
2 species
n.物种,种群
  • Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗?
  • This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。
3 reproduce
v.生育,繁殖,复制,重做
  • The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
  • The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。
4 pollination
n.授粉
  • The flowers get pollination by insects.这些花通过昆虫授粉。
  • Without sufficient pollination,the growth of the corn is stunted.没有得到充足的授粉,谷物的长势就会受阻。
5 atlas
n.地图册,图表集
  • He reached down the atlas from the top shelf.他从书架顶层取下地图集。
  • The atlas contains forty maps,including three of Great Britain.这本地图集有40幅地图,其中包括3幅英国地图。
6 noted
adj.著名的,知名的
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
7 database
n.数据库 (=databank)
  • I discovered some new information in the database.我在资料库里发现了一些新信息。
  • We planned to build an online database.我们计划建一个联机数据库。
8 pregnant
adj.怀孕的,怀胎的
  • She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
  • She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。
9 vulnerable
adj.易受伤的,脆弱的,易受攻击的
  • He volunteered to protect her as she looked so vulnerable.她看上去很脆弱,他就主动去保护她。
  • The company is in an economically vulnerable position.该公司目前经济状况不稳定。
10 initiative
n.主动性,首创精神,主动权(的行动),倡议
  • He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
  • His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。
11 physically
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
学英语单词
acetylphosphoric acid
approbated
arteriola efferens
assembler loader package
babusar pass
basivolsella
beef stroganoffs
biosphere reserve
black teals
blandished
board bridge
breanna
calcium pyrophosphate
chemical insecticide
clear panel key
colouring book
computer forensics
cool-summer damage due to impotency
Cuproartinite
customs compound
customs supervision
decaudates
direct current source
documents-against-payment bill
DTRTT
electric resistance wire
enthalpy-entropy chart
excess mean portfolio return
firmware support
food-purchasing
four-address code
friction pressure
ghiaour
greys
Hawkins Point
hedonic price method
high-tempreature strain gauge
hovde
hyperpipecolatemia
intraploidy
job-lot production
kellwood
Keota
Koh Sla, Stung
lightly deformed crystal
lindeberg's condition
liquefaction temperature
Lloyd's anchors and chains proved
Loxwood
lymphonoduli aggregati
Madipelesa
magnaliums
mark sth up
megawatt (mw)
micromechanically
momentum cutoff
muhs
myristicic acid
nonutilized
obituarial
OGRL
Omlet
on-line cipher
orbiculately
ortho-nitraniline
Os Draconis
philosoph
piratesses
possessive pronoun
pritchie
pseudoprognathism
pulpitless
Q clearance
R. M. S.
rauca
reattend
remote sensing for atmospheric pollution
residual current operated protective device
Rhododendron mainlingense
sassen
sea language
see ... do
self-redemptions
simple HISAM data base
Skave
steam water interface
steering gear tube cam
stratum compactum of integument
stress bolt
suicide bombing
synchronization
tatouay
Thai Ridgebacks
thorotrast
turite
type of machine
varnish-treated tape
vigna angulariss
wage tax
wheeler and dealer
worm-gears