1. remarkable (adj.) 卓越的、显著的
→phenomenal (adj.) 非凡的、出众的
e.g.: Some of the most remarkable beetles are the dung beetles.
2. breed (v.) 生产、繁殖
e.g.: The dung beetles spend almost their whole lives eating and breeding in dung.
3. evolve (v.) 进化、发展= develop
evolution (n.)
e.g.: More than 4000 species of these remarkable creatures have evolved and adapted to the world’s different climates.
4. adapt (v.) vt. 调整 vi. 适应
adaptation (n.) adaptable (adj.)
e.g.: More than 4000 species of these remarkable creatures have evolved and adapted to the world’s different climates.
5. native (adj.) 本土的、当地的
→ indigenous / local
e.g.: Australia’s native dung beetles are scrub and woodland dwellers.
6. dweller (n.) 居民
同义替换:inhabitants, settler
e.g.:Australia’s native dung beetles are scrub and woodland dwellers, specialising in coarse marsupial droppings and avoiding the soft cattle dung in which bush flies and buffalo flies breed.
7. import (v.) 进口
importation (n.)
反义: export (v.) exportation (n.)
e.g.: The CSIRO imported insects from about 50 different species of dung beetle.
8. integrate (v.)使成整体,使合并
同义替换:consolidate, unify
e.g.:Of the 26 species that are known to have become successfully integrated into the local environment, only one, an African species released in northern Australia, has reached its natural boundary.
9. release (v.) 释放
e.g.:Only one, an African species released in northern Australia, has reached its natural
boundary.
10. pasture n.牧场 v.作为牧场
e.g.:Introducing dung beetles into a pasture is a simple process: approximately 1,500 beetles are released, a handful at a time, into fresh cow pats2 in the cow pasture.
11. permanent (adj.) 永久的
e.g.: The beetles, if they successfully adapt to their new environment, soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology.
12. sustain (v.) 维持、持续
sustainable (adj.)
→maintain
→ retain
e.g.: The beetles, if they successfully adapt to their new environment, soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology.
13. ecology (n.) 生态学、生态
ecological (adj.)
→ ecosysytem
→ ecotourism
e.g.: The beetles, if they successfully adapt to their new environment, soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology.
14. predator (n.) 食肉动物,捕食者
→prey (n.) 猎物 prey (v.) 捕食
e.g.: Dung beetles work from the pat so they are sheltered from predators such as birds and foxes.
15. originate (v.) 发源,发生、创始
→origin (n.) original (adj.)
e.g.: Some large species originating from France excavate tunnels to a depth of approximately 30 cm below the dung pat.
16. roll (n. v.) 滚动、卷
e.g.: Some surface dwelling beetles cut perfectly shaped balls from the pat, which are rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.
17. attach (v.) 系、连接、固定
反义:detach
e.g.: Some surface dwelling beetles cut perfectly shaped balls from the pat, which are rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.
18. overlap v.与…重叠,与…部分一致
e.g.:For maximum dung burial in spring, summer and autumn, farmers require a variety of species with overlapping periods of activity.
19. offspring (n.) 子孙、后代、幼仔
e.g.: The former produce only one or two generations of offspring from late spring until autumn.
20. annual (adj.) 每年的、年度的
e.g.: The latter produce two to five generations annually.
21. initial (adj.) 最初的
initiate(v.)发起、创始 initiative (n.) 主动
e.g.: Dung beetles were initially introduced in the late 1960s.
22. fertilizer (n.) 化肥
fertile (adj.) fertilize (v.)
e.g.: The residue is a first-rate source of fertilizer.
23. habitat (n.) 栖息地
e.g.: The abandoned burrows are an attractive habitat for soil-enriching earthworms.
24. deprive v.是不能享受,剥夺
deprive sb. Of sth.剥夺某人某物
deprivation (n.)
e.g.:Without the beetles to dispose of the dung, cow pats would litter pastures making grass inedible to cattle and depriving the soil of sunlight. Australia’s 30 million cattle each produce 10-12 cow pats a day.