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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
In this barren sea of sand, it's harder for larger animals to find enough to eat. You've got to be a real specialist, like the Namib sand snake. By sidewinding, it can swim its way up the dunes2. But in such an open arena3, ambush4 is tricky5, it's speed that counts. The wedge-snouted lizard6 can afford to be blase7. It has a secret weapon, rocket propulsion. Then it's under the sand as fast as you can , the best place to escape predators8 and the sun.
Here in the Namib, shelter is sparse9. What little there is, is fiercely protected. Colonies of dune1 ants monopolise the tough Namib grasses. Though aggressive to most invaders10, the ants do tolerate the presence of small sap-sucking bugs11 which they get to milk for precious sugary water. In their grassy12 home, the ants are shaded from the worst of the sun. But out on the surface of the sand, the temperature can reach a blistering13 60 Celsius14.
Spoor spiders have an extraordinary survival strategy. With nowhere to hang their webs, they spin their silk on the ground, meshing15 sand grains together. The result: a mini blanket which serves as a sunscreen. But these sandy blankets do more than shelter. They are beautifully camouflaged16 sticky traps.
Dune ants get most of the food they need on their doorstep. But to supplement their diet they must also venture out onto the sand. Their long legs lift them above the baking ground to where the temperature is slightly cooler. But they must still tread carefully, it's a minefield out there.
propulsion:the force that drives a vehicle forward 推进力
monopolise:to have complete control over something so that other people cannot share it or take part in it 垄断 独占
camouflage:the way that the colour or shape of an animal protects it by making it difficult to see in the area in which it lives 伪装 拟态
1 dune | |
n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘 | |
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2 dunes | |
沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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3 arena | |
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台 | |
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4 ambush | |
n.埋伏(地点);伏兵;v.埋伏;伏击 | |
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5 tricky | |
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的 | |
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6 lizard | |
n.蜥蜴,壁虎 | |
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7 blase | |
adj.厌烦于享乐的 | |
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8 predators | |
n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 );奴役他人者(尤指在财务或性关系方面) | |
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9 sparse | |
adj.稀疏的,稀稀落落的,薄的 | |
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10 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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11 bugs | |
adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误 | |
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12 grassy | |
adj.盖满草的;长满草的 | |
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13 blistering | |
adj.酷热的;猛烈的;使起疱的;可恶的v.起水疱;起气泡;使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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14 Celsius | |
adj.摄氏温度计的,摄氏的 | |
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15 meshing | |
结网,啮合 | |
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16 camouflaged | |
v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 );掩盖;伪装,掩饰 | |
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