【高二 拓展閱讀-生物】Valuable Vultures

ValuableVulturesWhatdoyouthinkofwhenyouheartheword“vulture”（禿鷲）？Manypeoplethinkvulturesareicky（令人厭惡的）becausetheyeattheremainsofotheranimals.Whileit’struethatmostvulturesarescavengersthateatcarrion（腐尸）,thisisactuallyareallygoodthing！Byeatingcarrion,vultureshelppreventthespreadofdiseaseintooursoilandwater.Thismakesvulturesveryvaluable.Biologistsdividevulturesintotwogroups--oldWorldandNewWorld.OldWorldvulturesliveinAfrica,Asia,andEurope.NewWorldvulturesliveinNorth,Central,andSouthAmerica.TherearenovulturesinAustraliaorAntarctica.oldWorldandNewWorldvulturesarenotcloserelatives.Still,theydohavethingsincommonmanyhavebaldorlightlyfeatheredheads.Thishelpskeeptheirheadscleanwhentheyconsumethemeatofotheranimals.Theyhavesharp,hooked（鉤狀的）beaksforrippingmeatapart.Theirstrongstomachacidskillbacteriathatwouldmakemostanimalssick.Also,both.OldWorldandNewWorldvultureshavelargewingsandcanglidewithoutflappingthem.Thishelpsthemsaveenergywhenthey’researchingforfoodThisisespeciallyimportantforlarge,heavyvultureslikeSouthAmerica’sAndeancondor(禿鷲),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基礎詞remains n.[pl.]遺體,遺?。贿z物；遺跡 記詞根記憶：re（一再）+main（逗留）+s→一再留下→遺跡；遺骸spread n.\v.[spread-spread]傳播；延伸,展開 記聯(lián)想記憶：sp+read（閱讀）→通過閱讀來拓展我們的視野→延伸 搭spreadout展開disease n.病,疾病 搭aninfectiousdisease一種傳染病valuable adj.貴重的,有價值的 記詞根記憶：valu（價值）+able（具有…性質的）→有價值的relative n.親緣物種；親戚；親屬 搭aclose/distantrelative一位近遠親bald adj.禿（頭）的 記和bod（adj.大膽的）起記stomach n.胃部 搭havenostomachforsth.對…沒胃口acid n.酸 記詞根記憶：ac（酸）+d酸especially adv.特別,尤其 記來自especial（adj.特別的）extremely adv.極其地,極端地,非常地 英（usuallywithadjectivesandadverbs）toaveryhighdegreeturkey n.火雞 記聯(lián)想記憶：感恩節(jié)的火雞（turkey）,要從土耳其（Turkey）進口sense n.感覺官能；感覺；意識英apoweryourbodyusestogetinformationabouttheworldaroundyou 搭senseofsight視覺senseofhumour幽默感

Vocabulary進階詞biologist n.生物學家搭marinebiologist海洋生物學家consume vt.吃,喝；消耗,損耗；消費記詞根記憶：con（表加強）+sum（拿,取）+e→全部拿出來（花掉）消費 搭consumeenergy消耗能量beconsumedwithguilt深感內疚beak n.烏嘴,喙 例Thebirdhasastrongbeak.這種鳥有堅硬的喙。rip v.扯破,撕壞n.裂口,裂縫 搭ripup撕碎,撕毀ripoff[俚]偷竊；欺詐glide vi./n.滑行,滑翔 記聯(lián)想記憶：和side（n.\v.滑動）起記例Thepilotmanagedtoglidedowntoasafelanding.飛行員成功地使飛機向下滑行并安全著陸。endangered adj.瀕危的,將要滅絕的英animalswhichmaysoonnotexistbecausethereareveryfewnowalivebarely adv.幾乎沒有；幾乎不；僅僅 英inawaythatisjustpossiblebutonlywithdifficultysole