托福阅读详解之大米草（Spartina）

 托福频道在此与大家分享托福阅读之大米草 Spartina，其中包括托福阅读词汇及词汇在文中的使用以及相关题目。希望对大家复习托福阅读有所帮助。

　　P1： Spartina alterniflora, known as cordgrass, is a deciduous¹, perennial² flowering plant native to the Atlantic coast and the Gulf³ Coast of the United States. It is the dominant⁴ native species of the lower salt marshes⁶ along these coasts, where it grows in the intertidal zone (the area covered by water some parts of the day and exposed others).

　　难词解析：

　　deciduous adj. 落叶的;短暂的

　　perennial adj. 不断出现的;多年生的

　　dominant adj./n.处于支配地位的;占优势的人

　　expose v. 使显露;揭露

　　难句解析：

　　Spartina alterniflora, (known as cordgrass, ) is a deciduous, perennial flowering plant native to the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast of the United States.

　　大米草，俗称网茅，是一种落叶的多年生开花植物，原产自美国大西洋沿岸和墨西哥湾地区。

　　P2： These natural salt marshes are among the most productive habitats in the marine⁷ environment. Nutrient-rich water is brought to the wetlands during each high tide, making a high rate of food production possible. As the seaweed and marsh⁵ grass leaves die, bacteria break down the plant material, and insects, small shrimp⁸ like organisms, fiddler crabs¹⁰, and marsh snails¹² eat the decaying plant tissue, it, and excrete wastes high in nutrients¹³. Numerous insects occupy the marsh, feeding on living or dead cordgrass tissue, and redwing blackbirds, sparrows, rodents¹⁴, rabbits, and deer feed directly on the cordgrass. Each tidal cycle carries plant material into the offshore¹⁵ water to be used by the subtidal organisms.

　　难词解析：

　　productive adj. 生产力高的;富有成效的

　　break down 故障;崩塌;中断

　　organism n. 微生物

　　fiddle⁹ v./ n. 不停摆弄;调试;弦乐器

　　snail¹¹ v./ n. 蜗牛;缓慢行动

　　excrete v. 排泄;分泌

　　难句解析：

　　As the seaweed and marsh grass leaves die,] bacteria break down the plant material, and insects, small shrimplike organisms, fiddler crabs, and marsh snails eat the decaying plant tissue, it, and excrete wastes high in nutrients.

　　随着海草和沼泽禾草叶子的死亡，细菌将植物体分解，昆虫、小型虾状浮游生物、招潮蟹和沼泽蜗牛吃掉了腐烂的植物组织，消化后排出富含营养的排泄物。

　　P3： Spartina is an exceedingly competitive plant. It spreads primarily by underground stems; colonies form when pieces of the root system or whole plants float into an area and take root or when seeds float into a suitable area and germinate¹⁶. Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt¹⁷ to gravel¹⁸ and cobble and is tolerant of salinities ranging from that of near freshwater (0.05 percent) to that of salt water (3.5 percent). Because they lack oxygen, marsh sediments¹⁹ are high in sulfides that are toxic²⁰ to most plants. Spartina has the ability to take up sulfides and convert them to sulfate, a form of sulfur²¹ that the plant can use; this ability makes it easier for the grass to colonize²² marsh environments. Another adaptive advantage is Spartina’s ability to use carbon dioxide more efficiently²³ than most other plants.

　　难词解析：

　　exceedingly adj. 非常的;超越的

　　germinate v./ n. 发芽

　　convert v. / n. 转变;改建;换算

　　adaptive adj. 能适应的

　　难句解析：

　　Spartina has the ability to take up sulfides and convert them to sulfate, a form of sulfur (that the plant can use); this ability makes it easier for the grass to colonize marsh environments.

　　这种能力使得米草属植物能够在沼泽环境中生存。另一个适应性优势就是米草属植物比其他植物能更有效的利用二氧化碳的能力。

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　　P1: 大米草及其生长区域__________

　　P2: _____环境营养丰富高产(部分原因是因为米草属植物)

　　P3: 大米草极具竞争力

　　竞争优势1________________

　　竞争优势2________________

　　ANSWERS：

　　P1： Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast of the United States

　　P2: marine environment

　　P3: Spartina has the ability to take up sulfides and convert them to sulfate; Spartina’s ability to use carbon dioxide more efficiently than most other plants

1 deciduous   

adj.非永久的；短暂的；脱落的；落叶的

参考例句：

• Overgrown deciduous shrubs can be cut back at this time of year.过于繁茂的落叶灌木可以在每年的这个时候修剪。
• Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn.落叶树木在秋天落叶。

2 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

5 marsh   

n.沼泽，湿地

参考例句：

• There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
• I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。

6 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

9 fiddle   

n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动

参考例句：

• She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
• Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。

10 crabs   

n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• As we walked along the seashore we saw lots of tiny crabs. 我们在海岸上散步时看到很多小蟹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 snail   

n.蜗牛

参考例句：

• Snail is a small plant-eating creature with a soft body.蜗牛是一种软体草食动物。
• Time moved at a snail's pace before the holidays.放假前的时间过得很慢。

12 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

15 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

16 germinate   

v.发芽；发生；发展

参考例句：

• Seeds will not germinate without water.没有水，种子是不会发芽的。
• Can thin and hollow seeds germinate?瘦瘪的种子能够发芽吗？

17 silt   

n.淤泥，淤沙，粉砂层，泥沙层；vt.使淤塞；vi.被淤塞

参考例句：

• The lake was almost solid with silt and vegetation.湖里几乎快被淤泥和植物填满了。
• During the annual floods the river deposits its silt on the fields.每年河水泛滥时都会在田野上沉积一层淤泥。

18 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

19 sediments   

沉淀物( sediment的名词复数 )； 沉积物

参考例句：

• When deposited, 70-80% of the volume of muddy sediments may be water. 泥质沉积物沉积后，体积的70-80％是水。
• Oligocene erosion had truncated the sediments draped over the dome. 覆盖于穹丘上的沉积岩为渐新世侵蚀所截削。

20 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

21 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

22 colonize   

v.建立殖民地，拓殖；定居，居于

参考例句：

• Around 700 Arabs began to colonize East Africa.公元700年阿拉伯人开始把东非变为殖民地。
• Japan used to colonize many countries in Asia.日本曾经殖民过许多亚洲国家。

23 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。