【高二 拓展阅读-生物】Valuable Vultures

ValuableVulturesWhatdoyouthinkofwhenyouheartheword“vulture”（秃鹫）？Manypeoplethinkvulturesareicky（令人厌恶的）becausetheyeattheremainsofotheranimals.Whileit’struethatmostvulturesarescavengersthateatcarrion（腐尸）,thisisactuallyareallygoodthing！Byeatingcarrion,vultureshelppreventthespreadofdiseaseintooursoilandwater.Thismakesvulturesveryvaluable.Biologistsdividevulturesintotwogroups--oldWorldandNewWorld.OldWorldvulturesliveinAfrica,Asia,andEurope.NewWorldvulturesliveinNorth,Central,andSouthAmerica.TherearenovulturesinAustraliaorAntarctica.oldWorldandNewWorldvulturesarenotcloserelatives.Still,theydohavethingsincommonmanyhavebaldorlightlyfeatheredheads.Thishelpskeeptheirheadscleanwhentheyconsumethemeatofotheranimals.Theyhavesharp,hooked（钩状的）beaksforrippingmeatapart.Theirstrongstomachacidskillbacteriathatwouldmakemostanimalssick.Also,both.OldWorldandNewWorldvultureshavelargewingsandcanglidewithoutflappingthem.Thishelpsthemsaveenergywhenthey’researchingforfoodThisisespeciallyimportantforlarge,heavyvultureslikeSouthAmerica’sAndeancondor(秃鹫),NorthAmerica’sextremelyendangeredCaliforniacondor,andAsia’sHimalayanvulture.Vultureshuntduringtheday,whenmostotheranimalscavengersaresleeping.OldWorldvulturesoftenglideoveropenareaslikegrasslandsanddeserts.Greateyesighthelpsthemspotdeadanimals.ManyNewWorldvulturesliveinrainforestswhereplantsmakethegrounddifficulttosee.Threespecies,theturkeyvultureandthegreaterandlesseryellowheadedvultures,usetheirgreatsenseofsmelltofindfood.Thisisunusualsincemostbirdscanbarelysmellatall.Vulturesmusteatfast,orrisklosingfoodtolargervultures.Theystoremostoftheirmealinathroatpouch(喉囊)(orcrop)foreatingatanothertime.Inordertofindtheirnextmeal,vultureswilloftenwatchothervulturesandfollowtheonewho’sfoundsomethingtoeat.Notallvulturesrelysolelyonscavengingtogettheirfood.Forexample,someOldWorldvulturesusetheirtough,eagle-likefeetandsharpbeakstohuntandkillprey,aswellaseatingcarrion.YoumightbesurprisedtolearnthatoneOldWorldvulture,thepalm-nutvulture,isprimarilyvegetarianWhileitdoeseatmeat,itprefersthefruitofoilpalms.Ithasafeatheredhead,andwhenitdoeseatmeat,it’susuallysmallliveanimals,notcarrionNowyouknowthatvulturesaren’tjustvaluable,there’squiteavarietyofthem!

ReadingComprehensionChoosethecorrectanswerforeachquestion1.Inthethirdlineofthefirstparagraph,whatdoes“scavenger”mean?A.AnanimalthatlikestohuntandkillpreyB.AnanimalthatonlyeatsliveanimalsC.AnanimalthatisavegetarianD.Ananimalthateatsdeadanimals2.Whyarethevulturesveryvaluable?A.TheyhelppreventthespreadofdiseaseB.TheyeattheremainsofotheranimalsC.TheyhaveunusualfivesensesD.Theyareendangeredspecies3.WhatcanwelearnaboutoldWorldvultures?A.TheycanbedividedintotwogroupsB.TheyliveinNorth,Central,andSouthAmericaC.TheyarecloserelativesofNewWorldvulturesD.Manyofthemhavebaldorlightlyfeatheredheads4.Howdoestheturkeyvulturespotdeadanimals?A.ByusingitsgreateyesightB.ByfollowingothervulturesC.ByusingtheirgreatsenseofsmellD.Byscanningwithitsbuilt-inradar.5.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTtrueaccordingtothelastparagraph?A.VultureseatfasterthanotherscavengersB.VulturesoftenfollowothervulturestofindtheirnextmealC.AllvulturesrelyonscavengingtogetfoodD.SomevultureseatsmallliveanimalsVocabulary基础词remains n.[pl.]遗体,遗骸；遗物；遗迹 记词根记忆：re（一再）+main（逗留）+s→一再留下→遗迹；遗骸spread n.\v.[spread-spread]传播；延伸,展开 记联想记忆：sp+read（阅读）→通过阅读来拓展我们的视野→延伸 搭spreadout展开disease n.病,疾病 搭aninfectiousdisease一种传染病valuable adj.贵重的,有价值的 记词根记忆：valu（价值）+able（具有…性质的）→有价值的relative n.亲缘物种；亲戚；亲属 搭aclose/distantrelative一位近远亲bald adj.秃（头）的 记和bod（adj.大胆的）起记stomach n.胃部 搭havenostomachforsth.对…没胃口acid n.酸 记词根记忆：ac（酸）+d酸especially adv.特别,尤其 记来自especial（adj.特别的）extremely adv.极其地,极端地,非常地 英（usuallywithadjectivesandadverbs）toaveryhighdegreeturkey n.火鸡 记联想记忆：感恩节的火鸡（turkey）,要从土耳其（Turkey）进口sense n.感觉官能；感觉；意识英apoweryourbodyusestogetinformationabouttheworldaroundyou 搭senseofsight视觉senseofhumour幽默感

Vocabulary进阶词biologist n.生物学家搭marinebiologist海洋生物学家consume vt.吃,喝；消耗,损耗；消费记词根记忆：con（表加强）+sum（拿,取）+e→全部拿出来（花掉）消费 搭consumeenergy消耗能量beconsumedwithguilt深感内疚beak n.乌嘴,喙 例Thebirdhasastrongbeak.这种鸟有坚硬的喙。rip v.扯破,撕坏n.裂口,裂缝 搭ripup撕碎,撕毁ripoff[俚]偷窃；欺诈glide vi./n.滑行,滑翔 记联想记忆：和side（n.\v.滑动）起记例Thepilotmanagedtoglidedowntoasafelanding.飞行员成功地使飞机向下滑行并安全着陆。endangered adj.濒危的,将要灭绝的英animalswhichmaysoonnotexistbecausethereareveryfewnowalivebarely adv.几乎没有；几乎不；仅仅 英inawaythatisjustpossiblebutonlywithdifficultysole