职称英语理工AB级阅读理解精讲.docx

1、职称英语理工AB级阅读理解精讲职称英语理工AB级阅读理解精讲(1)Where Have All the Bees Gone?Scientists who study insects have a real mystery on their hands. All across the country, honeybees are leaving their hives and never returning. Researchers call this phenomenon colony-collapse1 disorder. According to surveys of beekeepers

2、 across the country, 25 to 40 percent of the honeybees in the United States have vanished from their hives since last fall. So far, no one can explain why.Colony collapse is a serious concern because bees play an important role in the production of about one-third of the foods we eat. As they feed,

3、honeybees spread pollen from flower to flower. Without this process, a plant cant produce seeds or fruits.Now, a group of scientists and beekeepers have teamed up to try to figure out whats causing the alarming collapse of so many colonies. By sharing their expertise in honeybee behavior, health, an

4、d nutrition, team members hope to find out whats contributing to the decline and to prevent bee disappearances in the future.It could be that disease is causing the disappearance of the bees. To explore that possibility, Jay Evans, a researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) B

5、ee Research Laboratory2, examines bees taken from colonies that are collapsing. “We know what s healthy bee should look like on the inside, and we can look for physical signs of disease,” he says. And bees from collapsing colonies dont look very healthy. “Their stomachs are worn down, compared to th

6、e stomachs of healthy bees,” Evans says. It may be that a parasite is damaging the bees digestive organs. Their immune systems may not be working as they should. Moreover, they have high levels of bacteria inside their bodies.Another cause of colony-collapse disorder may be certain chemicals that fa

7、rmers apply to kill unwanted insects on crops, says Jerry Hayes, chief bee inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture3. Some studies, he says, suggest that a certain type of insecticide affects the honeybees nervous system (which includes the brain) and memory. “It seems like honeybees are

8、going out and getting confused about where to go and what to do,” he says.If it turns out that a disease is contributing to colony collapse, bees genes could explain why some colonies have collapsed and others have not. In any group of bees there are many different kinds of genes. The more different

9、 genes a group has, the higher the groups genetic diversity. So far scientists havent determined the role of genetic diversity in colony collapse, but its a promising theory, says Evans.词汇：honeybee n. 蜜蜂parasite n. 寄生虫;寄生生物hive n. 蜂巢; 蜂箱digestive adj. 消化的pollen n. 花粉immune adj. 免疫的beekeeper n. 养蜂人in

10、secticide n. 杀虫剂expertise n. 专门知识，专长diversity n. 多样性注释：1. colony-collapse：群体瘫痪。Colony有“殖民地”的意思，在此意为： a group of the same kind of animals, plants, or one-celled organisms living or growing together. 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 of Agriculture (USDA) Bee Research Laborator

11、y：美国农业部蜜蜂研究实验室。3. the Florida Department 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) Honeybees are flying all across the country.B) 25-40 percent of the honeybees in the US have died.C) Honeybees are leaving their hives and do n

12、ot return.D) Honeybee hives are in disorder.2. Why are researchers seriously concerned with the phenomenon of colony-collapse disorder?A) Because honeybees produce one-third of the foods we eatB) Because honeybees feed on flowers.C) Because honeybees eat seeds of flowers.D) Both B and C.3. What are

13、the possible causes of colony-collapse disorder given by the scientists?A) Worsening environment.B) Disease and chemicals.C) Dwindling number of flowers around.D) Changes in genes structures.4. According to the fifth paragraph, which of the following about bees genes is true?A) Bees genes allow them

14、 to expand their colonies.B) Bees genes help keep them in their hives.C) Bees genes make them fly from flower to flower.D) Bees genes could explain the collapse of some colonies.5. What explanation is given by Jerry Hayes to the phenomenon?A) Farmers apply certain chemicals to kill unwanted bees.B)T

15、he insecticide destroys the honeybees nervous system.C)The insecticide affects the honeybees memory.D) All of the above.答案与题解：1.分析文章标题：Where have all the bees(蜜蜂) gone(去)?文章将分析造成蜜蜂离去的原因, 参看文章开头部分的语句或文章中的用词特点，以进一步了解文章主题：Scientists who study insects have a real mystery on their hands. All完全地 across(越过

16、， 到.的对面) the country, honeybees are leaving(离开) their hives(蜂巢) and never returning(返回).(第3句) Researchers(研究者) call this phenomenon(现象) colony-collapse1 disorder(混乱， 紊乱). According to surveys of beekeepers across the country, 25 to 40 percent of the honeybees in the United States have vanished from

17、their hives since last fall. So far, no one can explain why.Colony(生物)群体) collapse(崩溃) is a serious concern because bees play an important role in the production of about one-third of the foods we eat. As they feed, honeybees spread pollen from flower to flower. Without this process, a plant cant pr

18、oduce seeds or fruits.Now, a group of scientists and beekeepers have teamed up to try to figure out whats causing the alarming collapse of so many colonies. By sharing their expertise in honeybee behavior, health, and nutrition, team members hope to find out whats contributing to the decline and to

19、prevent bee disappearances in the future.It could be that disease is causing the disappearance of the bees. To explore that possibility, Jay Evans, a researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Bee Research Laboratory2, examines bees taken from colonies that are collapsing. “We

20、know what s healthy bee should look like on the inside, and we can look for physical signs of disease,” he says. And bees from collapsing colonies dont look very healthy. “Their stomachs are worn down, compared to the stomachs of healthy bees,” Evans says. It may be that a parasite is damaging the b

21、ees digestive organs. Their immune systems may not be working as they should. Moreover, they have high levels of bacteria inside their bodies.Another cause of colony-collapse disorder may be certain chemicals that farmers apply to kill unwanted insects on crops, says Jerry Hayes, chief bee inspector

22、 for the Florida Department of Agriculture3. Some studies, he says, suggest that a certain type of insecticide affects the honeybees nervous system (which includes the brain) and memory. “It seems like honeybees are going out and getting confused about where to go and what to do,” he says.If it turn

23、s out that a disease is contributing to colony collapse, bees genes could explain why some colonies have collapsed and others have not. In any group of bees there are many different kinds of genes. The more different genes a group has, the higher the groups genetic diversity. So far scientists haven

24、t determined the role of genetic diversity in colony collapse, but its a promising theory, says Evans.分析：文章主题涉及对蜜蜂群体崩溃现象的讨论。2. 直接解题：1. What is the mystery(神秘， 神秘的事情)that researchers(研究者)find hard(困难的，硬的， 坚固的， 努力地) to explain(解释) ?A) Honeybees(蜜蜂) are flying all (完全地)across the country(国家， 乡村)(遍及全国).

25、B) 25-40 percent(百分之，百分数) of the honeybees in the US have died(死亡).C) Honeybees are leaving their hives(蜂巢) and do not return(返回).D) Honeybee hives(蜂箱) are in disorder(紊乱， 混乱).1.C. 细节题。 该题可以借助文章主题的提示直接判定C是答案， 也可以参考文章中的相关内容来判断答案。 利用问题句中的细节信息词(mystery, researcher)及备选项中的细节及特征结构(A：all cross the country;

26、 B：25-40 percent of honeybees in the US, C/D: honeybee hives)共同作为答案线索， 在文章中查找答案相关句：(第一段)Scientists (与问题句中的researchers词义相关)who study insects (昆虫)have a real(真正的) mystery (神秘的事情)on their hands(正在处理.). All across the country(遍及全国), honeybees are leaving their hives and never returning(不再返回). Researcher

27、s call this phenomenon colony-collapse1 disorder. According to (根据)surveys of beekeepers across the country, 25 to 40 percent of the honeybees in the United States have vanished (消失)from their hives since. So far(到目前为止), no one can explain why.答案相关句(第一段的第一句和第二句)告诉我们，昆虫学加家正面临一个不可解释的谜：蜜蜂飞出蜂巢后，不再返回。2.

28、Why are researchers(研究者) seriously(认真地，严肃地) concerned with (关注.,关心.)the phenomenon(现象) of colony(群体)-collapse(崩溃) disorder(混乱)?A) Because honeybees(蜜蜂) produce(生产，引起， 结(果实) one-third(1/3) of the foods(食物) we eatB) Because honeybees feed on (以.为食)flowers(鲜花， 开花).C) Because honeybees eat seeds(种子) of

29、flowers.D) Both B and C.2. A。 细节题。 利用问题句中的细节信息词(researchers)及备选项中的细节信息及特征结构(A：one-third of the foods; B：flowers; C：seeds of flowers)共同作为答案线索， 在文章中查找答案相关句：(第一题答案相关句)Scientists who study insects have a real mystery on their hands. All across the country, honeybees are leaving their hives and never ret

30、urning. Researchers call this phenomenon colony-collapse1 disorder. According to surveys of beekeepers across the country, 25 to 40 percent of the honeybees in the United States have vanished from their hives since last fall. So far, no one can explain why.Colony collapse (群体崩溃/问题句中的核心词语)is a seriou

31、s(认真的) concern(关注， 关心，关注的事情/问题句中的核心词concerned的家族词) because bees play an important role in (在.方面起了很重要的作用)the production(生产)of about one-third of the foods we eat.As they feed, honeybees spread pollen from flower to flower. Without this process, a plant cant produce seeds or fruits.答案相关句(短文第二段的第一句)说：蜜

32、蜂直接关系到人类所需的1/3的食物的生产， 因此A是答案。提示： 如果答案相关句中出现了问题句或被选项中的近义词/家族词汇/甚至是反义词，则这个答案相关句很可能就是直接答案相关句，而有时就可能直接对比这个答案相关句的结构和用词， 对比被选项中的结构和用词， 直接判断答案。该题考查短语结构(play a role in./在.方面起作用)3. What are the possible(可能的) causes(原因，造成) of colony-collapse disorder(混乱)given by the scientists?A) Worsening(恶化的) environment(环境).B) Disease(疾病) and chemicals(化学制品).C) D