甘肃 王玲秀
人们普遍认为沙漠是所有生命的禁区，然而，研究人员发现，在干燥的沙漠地带，竟然还生存着鱼类……
篇幅：362词 难度：★★★ 建议用时：7分钟?
1How life manages to continue in unpredictable and extreme environments is a major question in evolution. For aquatic (水生的) animals, extreme environments include those with little water, such as the deserts of Central Australia.
2Researchers believe that the ability to adapt the environment can ensure the populations of desert fish survive in difficult conditions. They focused on populations of Desert Rainbowfish collected from across the Australian desert and found that populations from drier regions of the desert are more isolated (隔绝的) and smaller, but also show stronger capacity to adapt to tough and dry environments. This turns on its head traditional thinking that small populations are evolutionary dead ends. Life finds a way, even in the most extreme and unpredictable environments on the Earth.
3Genetic diversity helps populations evolve in response to environmental changes,so maintaining a large gene pool is very important, but understanding how small populations of desert fish survive, especially when located in isolated pockets of water, has remained a mystery.
4Generally speaking, a small gene pool can lead to inbreeding and poor health,which is sometimes seen in endangered species. However, researchers have found that desert fish in Australia can hold on to life through adapting to tough environments,breeding and spreading during rare flooding events.
5The genes adapted to the drought can spread when the fish migrate along temporary streams and floodwaters. These fish and their adapted genetic make-up are then ready for the next drought. The most attractive difference is in a gene coding for the proteins that are used in fish for taste and smell. They can be used to find out water flow and control light sensitivity for vision. The different protein in fish from the western parts of drought areas may improve their environmental sensors.
6Genes adapted to drought may allow species to keep existing as dry regions expand and have more extreme environmental changes under future climate change. The results of the recent study suggest that adaptations of genetic diversity can take place even in small populations, as long as natural connectivity during floods takes place. The findings that small populations can evolve in extreme environments have some influence on studies of adaptation to climate change and conservation science.
Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text
However, researchers have found that desert fish in Australia can hold on to life through adapting to tough environments, breeding and spreading during rare flooding events. 然而，研究人员发现，澳大利亚的沙漠鱼可以通过适应恶劣环境来维持生命，在罕见的洪水暴发期繁殖和扩散。
【点石成金】本句中，that引导宾语从句；
through adapting to tough environments为介词短语作状语；
breeding and spreading during rare flooding events为非谓语动词作结果状语。
Ⅱ. Text-centered chunks
adapt to 适应
turn sth on its head 使人完全改变思路；
使人从反面思考
in response to 对……做出反应
generally speaking 一般说来
lead to 导致
as long as 只要
take place 发生
have some influence on 对……有一些影响
猜你喜欢 点石成金介词谓语 命题小品——点石成金中等数学(2022年2期)2022-06-05创意条形码少年文艺·开心阅读作文(2021年8期)2021-09-05Gu Qingsheng, the guardian of Shennongjia 古清生，神农架的守护者疯狂英语·读写版(2019年10期)2019-09-10短句—副词+谓语娃娃画报(2019年8期)2019-08-05介词不能这样用高中生·天天向上(2018年2期)2018-04-14点石成金红领巾·萌芽(2015年10期)2015-09-10非谓语动词时代英语·高三(2014年5期)2014-08-26非谓语动词用法大比拼中学英语之友·高三版(2008年2期)2008-04-08介词填空专练中学英语园地·教研版(2008年1期)2008-03-20看图填写介词初中生·博览(2004年3期)2004-03-07