环球英语 — 101：Gecko Feet

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Elizabeth Lickiss.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live
Voice 1
My son is called Sam. He is sixteen years old. Sam has always been interested in lizards² and reptiles³. Most people do not like them very much. But Sam loves cold blooded creatures such as snakes, geckos and chameleons⁴. In fact, he owns two geckos! They are black and yellow. And they are about as long as my finger.
Voice 2
On today’s Spotlight programme we find out about geckos. Why are scientists, as well as Sam, interested in them?!
Voice 1
Living with geckos is not always easy. Geckos eat crickets and other insects. Sam keeps lots of crickets in boxes. He feeds them to his geckos. These small insects can make a big noise. They make the noise by rubbing their legs together. Sam’s crickets often keep us awake at night. Sometimes they escape. We find them in the bedroom or in the room where we eat. Sam keeps his geckos in a vivarium - a special box. The vivarium keeps the atmosphere the correct temperature. Sam has made the vivarium look like a desert. It has sand, rocks and a few heat loving plants. Sam’s geckos are now very much part of the family. He has had them for three years now. At first I was not very happy about them. But, I admit, I have also started to enjoy them. Even these small creatures are a wonderful part of God’s creation. Have you seen the way they can run up walls? They can even hang on smooth surfaces. How do they do that?!
Voice 1
Well a group of scientists believe they have the answer. They work at the University of California in the United States. They have studied geckos for many years. The team discovered that geckos have millions of hair-like structures on their feet. These structures are called setae. The setae create forces. The scientists call them Van Der Waals forces. The molecules⁵ in the setae and the wall pull towards each other, and form a link. This happens because of unbalanced electrical charges in the molecules. And it is because the small setae are very close to the wall. The large numbers of setae produce very strong forces. They give the geckos wonderful ‘sticking’ power. The geckos can climb up walls. They can even hang upside down from a shiny surface. The creatures stay safely attached until they remove their feet from the surface. Then the link between the molecules breaks.
Voice 2
Many companies have been interested in using this information. They hope to copy the idea and create a new material. The material would have many uses. Imagine what you could do with clothes made of the material. You could climb up a wall like the imaginary hero ‘spider man’. What fun!
Voice 1
Gecko technology is difficult to copy. But scientists at the BAE systems company in England believe that they have managed to do it. They have produced a material that they say will stick anything to anything. It is a plastic called ‘Synthetic⁶ Gecko’. The scientists claim that one metre square of the material could suspend an average family car. Doctor Saiad Haq has been working on the material. He believes it could have many uses.
Voice 3
‘Synthetic Gecko could be used for so many things. Doctors could use it in hospitals to repair damaged skin. The material is strong - it could even repair damage to airplane wings. But use your imagination. The window cleaners of the future could stop using ladders. They could simply climb up the wall using the material on their feet and hands’.
Voice 2
Synthetic Gecko is not only strong. It is clean too. People can buy other strong substances for fixing things. But these substances can damage surfaces. The new material does not. When the scientists remove it from a surface, it does not leave a mark.
Voice 1
The material is made using a process called photo-lithography. Scientists use this process for making silicon⁷ computer chips. It is a common technology. Photo-lithography uses light to create shapes in the plastic . The shapes look like the sticks, the stems, that support plants. But there are millions of them. They work in the same way as the setae on the feet of geckos. They produce the same Van Der Waals forces.
Voice 2
So far the team have produced several pieces of the material. Each piece measures one hundred millimetres in diameter. The development is still new. But Doctor Haq is hopeful. He believes that Synthetic Gecko will be quick and easy to make. He thinks that many people will find it useful. He believes the company will make a lot of money. But Doctor Haq wants to make one point. The material may be able to hold a car. It may be able to support an elephant. It may let us climb up walls without equipment. But it will be long time before humans can climb and move like geckos. They are the experts at speed and performance.
Voice 1
Scientists like Doctor Haq look at the small gecko and it fills them with wonder. What other secrets do the creatures of the natural world hold?
Voice 2
Doctor David Wilkinson is a scientist and a Christian⁹. He has spent many years looking at the world. He has observed that the smallest of creatures is wonderfully and beautifully made. Doctor Wilkinson says he looks at creation and sees the hand of a designer - God.
Voice 1
Who would have thought there was so much to learn from such a small creature? We would not normally look to a gecko to find the answers to human problems! Modern technology seems to offer us all the answers we need.
Voice 2
Marcus Stutton is a zoologist¹⁰ - he is an expert on animals. He believes that there is a danger in this way of thinking. He says it can stop us from considering the existence of God! But Marcus says that observing nature can help us get close to God. He makes this suggestion. Take a look at the smallest creature you can find. Look at it carefully and wonder at its detail and design. Then ask yourself - did this really happen just by chance or was it designed? Have we really got all the answers? As Marcus says, let God speak to you through his creation.
Voice 2
The writer of today’s programme was Elizabeth Lickiss. The voices you heard were from United Kingdom. Computer users can hear our programmes on our website:
Voice 3
Spotlight on the Internet. Visit our website at http://www.english.radio.net.
Voice 2
This programme is called ‘Gecko feet’.
Voice 1
If you have comments or questions about our programmes you can reach us by e-mail. Our address is radio @ english . net. Thank you for joining us in today’s Spotlight programme. Goodbye.
CommentsMr Minh said on September 02, 2009
For more than 50 years now I have been an avid⁸ fan of David Attenborough of the BBC television service. Watched with fascination¹¹ as his tv programmes articulate the magnificent natural world which our God bequeathed to us
Favourite programmes include Orchid¹² flowers which can mimic¹³ a wasp¹⁴ in order to get fertilized¹⁵, trees which deploy¹⁶ six rotored helicopter wings on their spores¹⁷ to ensure they spread out, right through to the stunning¹⁸ sting ray, equipped with seventeen different sensor¹⁹ systems to detect it’s enemies & an extraordinary ability to change its color to match the terrain²⁰ over which it moves
Also, he famously described the Gecko’s abilities in similar terms to Spotlight. Shot, as I remember it, in Thai restaurants
To me, at least, our natural world is far more wonderful & strange than anything conceived in science fiction, far beyond our ability to conceive or even imagine
Surely as night follows day, the solution to mankind’s energy problems lies in our understanding how plants derive²¹ theirs directly from sunlight
I confess to subscribing²² to Darwin’s theory of evolution “The Origin of Species”, insofar as it goes, that is
I believe that all life on earth emanated²³ from simple organs residing in some kind of primordial²⁴ soup. I believe that mankind evolved from our ancestors, monkey’s & apes and that animals in different continents, such as Australia, will spawn²⁵ alternative life forms
But this is just “The Origin of Species”, not at all the process of creation, which it doesn’t begin to address
Does the development of life forms depend on mutation²⁶, chance or accident ? Did we humans acquire our love of music or dancing via a bolt of lightning altering our genetic²⁷ structure ?  How about the age old, eternal, battle between Bacteria and our bodies immune systems, a process far more immediate²⁸ & striking than anything buried in the eons of time in which evolution sits. Does a cold spell alter the DNA²⁹ of Bacteria so it can suddenly, but temporarily, supercede the laws of attack & defence ? Did an equivalent mutation strike our bodies defence system , enabling us to deal with it ?
Hardly
Am I being asked to believe that something as fantastic as the human eye, heart or brain is a result of “mutations” ??? Are the 2.5 billion molecules in a single human DNA cell the result of chance ? Is the miracle of birth the result of an environmental accident ?
I don’t think that mankind begins to understand the creative process of life on earth
Great story, Great question Spotlight.
Keep ‘em coming

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

3 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 chameleons   

n.变色蜥蜴，变色龙( chameleon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Insects, birds and baby rats are the main food of chameleons. 昆虫、小鸟和幼鼠等是避役主要的食物。 来自互联网
• A bronze chariot ridden by chameleons radiating flaring lights. 一辆被燃烧的蜥蜴覆盖的青铜战车。 来自互联网

5 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

6 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

7 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

8 avid   

adj.热心的；贪婪的；渴望的；劲头十足的

参考例句：

• He is rich,but he is still avid of more money.他很富有,但他还想贪图更多的钱。
• She was avid for praise from her coach.那女孩渴望得到教练的称赞。

9 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 zoologist   

n.动物学家

参考例句：

• Charles darwin was a famous zoologist.查尔斯达尔文是一位著名的动物学家。
• The zoologist had spent a long time living with monkeys.这位动物学家与猴子一起生活了很长时间。

11 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

12 orchid   

n.兰花，淡紫色

参考例句：

• The orchid is a class of plant which I have never tried to grow.兰花这类植物我从来没种过。
• There are over 35 000 species of orchid distributed throughout the world.有35,000多种兰花分布在世界各地。

13 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

14 wasp   

n.黄蜂，蚂蜂

参考例句：

• A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
• Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。

15 Fertilized   

v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of psychology has recently been widely cross-fertilized by new discoveries in genetics. 心理学研究最近从遗传学的新发现中受益匪浅。
• Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. 花常在蜜蜂采蜜时受粉。

16 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

17 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

18 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

19 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

20 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

21 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

22 subscribing   

v.捐助( subscribe的现在分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意

参考例句：

• I am subscribing for some of the books of a book club. 我预订了几本这家书刊俱乐部出版的书。 来自辞典例句
• I am glad to have such a pleasant opportunity of subscribing myself. 今后益望努力前途，为国效力。 来自互联网

23 emanated   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Do you know where these rumours emanated from? 你知道谣言出自何处吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rumor emanated from Chicago. 谣言来自芝加哥。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

24 primordial   

adj.原始的；最初的

参考例句：

• It is the primordial force that propels us forward.它是推动我们前进的原始动力。
• The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors.的尼安德特人是我们的原始祖先之一.

25 spawn   

n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产

参考例句：

• The fish were madly pushing their way upstream to spawn.鱼群为产卵而疯狂地向上游挤进。
• These fish will lay spawn in about one month from now.这些鱼大约一个月内会产卵。

26 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

27 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

28 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

29 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。