 |  | A Better Beehive 蜂巢 風潮 by Paul Hines | The Flow Hive is creating quite a buzz!
流動蜂箱正掀起一股熱潮！ | Bees are an essential part of the ecosystem▼ because they pollinate many of the fruits and vegetables that feed the world. In recent years, the problem of colony collapse disorder▼ (CCD) has drastically reduced the bee population. The cause of the problem is still unknown, but hundreds of scientists and researchers are frantically▼ trying to find the cause, and in turn, a solution to save the bees. Failing to do so may have dire▼ consequences for the long-term survival of humanity. However, there has been a major breakthrough in assisting bees, but it hasn't come from a laboratory; it has come from an idea thought up by the son of an Australian honey farmer.
The Anderson family has been keeping bees for several generations. A decade ago, Cedar Anderson suggested a better way to harvest the honey. His father, Stuart, thought the idea was brilliant, and for 10 years, they worked together refining the new beehive. Like many brilliant ideas, it is very simple. Anderson's beehive provides a method of harvesting the honey using a tap without disturbing the bees. Beekeepers and the honey industry will no longer have to wear protective clothing and use smoke to protect themselves when collecting the honey. This means that anyone with a backyard will be able to have a beehive and produce honey simply.
To raise the money to put the Flow Hive into production and introduce it to the marketplace, the Andersons have turned to a public crowdsourcing▼ campaign, which has created quite a buzz. They have already raised a staggering US$12 million… Sweet!
1. Who discovered the cause of colony collapse disorder?
(A) Hundreds of scientists and researchers.
(B) The son of an Australian honey farmer.
(C) The cause is still not known.
(D) It came from a laboratory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. How long has the Anderson family been keeping bees?
(A) For several generations.
(B) About 20 years.
(C) A decade or so.
(D) In recent years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. What is implied in the article?
(A) Keeping bees will be easier in the future.
(B) Keeping bees nowadays requires high technology.
(C) People don't keep bees because it is too expensive.
(D) People don't keep bees because of colony collapse disorder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Who has funded the production of the Flow Hive?
(A) The Anderson family.
(B) The public.
(C) The government.
(D) The honey industry.
|  |  | | | |  | ▼ ecosystem n. 生態系統
▼ colony collapse disorder 蜂群崩壞症候群
colony n. 群體
▼ frantically adv. 狂熱地；發狂地
▼ dire a. 可怕的；悲慘的
▼ crowdsourcing. 群眾外包
（一種新的商業模式，意即企業利用網路把工作切分成方便整合與可以驗證的任務，透過平臺讓大批志工執行。）
| |  | - fail to V 未能（做）……
衍: never fail to V 總會……
The doctor failed to save his patient's life.
那名醫生未能拯救他患者的性命。
These old photos never fail to remind me of my carefree childhood.
這些舊照片總會讓我想起無憂無慮的童年。 - think up... 想出……
同: come up with...
Nina was trying to think up an excuse for coming home late.
妮娜正試圖想出晚回家的藉口。 - turn to sb 求助於某人
Steve has had a similar experience, so you can turn to him for advice.
史提夫有過類似的經驗，所以你可以尋求他的建議。 | |  | The cause of the problem is still unknown, but hundreds of scientists and researchers are frantically trying to find the cause, and in turn, a solution to save the bees.
注意
比較 in turn 與 in return 的區別
in turn 因此；接著
Jill is unhappy, and in turn, makes everyone around her unhappy as well.
吉兒不開心，因此也讓她周遭所有人都快樂不起來。
in return 作為回報
Bill donated a lot of money to charity and asked for nothing in return.
比爾捐了一大筆錢給慈善機構，而且不求任何回報。 | |  | - beehive n. 蜂巢
同: honeycomb n.
Visitors are told to stay away from the beehives.
遊客被告知要遠離蜂巢。 - buzz n. 熱潮；嗡嗡聲 & vt.（按電鈴）呼叫
I slept poorly last night because of the buzz of mosquitoes.
我昨晚因為蚊子的嗡嗡聲睡得很不好。
＊mosquito n. 蚊子
Tina buzzed the security guard to open the door, but no one answered.
蒂娜按電鈴請警衛開門，但卻沒人回應。 - bee n. 蜜蜂
衍: hornet n. 大黃蜂
wasp n. 黃蜂
be as busy as a bee 像蜜蜂般地忙碌
Bees gather nectar and make it into honey.
蜜蜂採集花蜜並釀成蜂蜜。
＊nectar n. 花蜜
The workers are as busy as bees during this time of year.
工人們每年此時都忙得不可開交。 - pollinate vt. 為（植物）授花粉
Many kinds of plants, trees, and grasses need bees to pollinate them.
許多種植物、樹木及草地都需要蜜蜂來傳播花粉。 - drastically adv. 大大地；徹底地
Paul's outlook on life changed drastically after surviving the plane crash.
在空難中倖免於難後，保羅對人生的看法徹底改變。 - consequence n. 後果，結果
衍: as a consequence of... 由於……
= as a result of...
= because of...
John was late again as a consequence of a traffic jam.
約翰因為塞車又遲到了。 - laboratory n. 實驗室（常簡寫為 lab）
- harvest vt. 採收，收割
The farmer spent the whole day harvesting the rice in his fields.
那位農夫花了一整天的時間收割他田裡的稻米。 - refine vt. 使精煉；提煉
同: improve vt.
Reading good books helps to refine our speech and writing.
讀一些好書有助於使我們的言談及寫作更優雅。
The country refines three million barrels of crude oil every year.
該國每年提煉三百萬桶原油。
＊crude oil 原油 - tap n. 水龍頭（英式）& vt. 輕拍
同: faucet n. 水龍頭（美式）
The tap is off, but it is still dripping water.
水龍頭開關關了，但仍在滴水。
I tapped John on the shoulder to get his attention.
我輕拍約翰的肩膀，想引起他的注意。 - disturb vt. 干擾，打擾
All of a sudden, a loud noise outside our window disturbed our sleep.
突然間，窗外傳出的巨大噪音干擾了我們的睡眠。 - staggering a. 驚人的
A staggering sum of money was spent on the couple's wedding.
那對新人結婚的費用高得驚人。 - imply vt. 暗示，暗指
Nina didn't mean to imply that you copied her work when she said your piece looked familiar.
當妮娜說你的作品很眼熟時，她不是在故意暗指你抄襲她。 | | | |
 | 蜂巢 風潮
流動蜂箱正掀起一股熱潮！
蜜蜂是生態系統中不可或缺的一部份，因為牠們為許多供應全世界的水果和蔬菜傳授花粉。近年來，蜂群崩壞症候群（簡稱 CCD）的問題已大大減少蜜蜂的數量。該問題的起因仍是未知數，不過數百名科學家和研究人員正拼命地試著找出原因，希望因此找出拯救蜜蜂的解決方案。如果不這麼做的話可能會對人類長期生存帶來可怕的後果。然而，在協助蜜蜂方面已有一大突破，但該突破並非來自實驗室；而是來自一個由澳洲蜂農的兒子所想出的點子。
安德森家族幾世代以來都在養殖蜜蜂。十年前，西德•安德森提出了一項更好的方法來採集蜂蜜。他的父親史都華認為這個點子相當聰明，十年來他們共同合作改良這個新蜂箱。如同許多聰明的點子一樣，這個點子非常簡單。安德森的蜂箱提供一種運用水龍頭而不會干擾蜜蜂作息的採蜜程序。養蜂人以及蜂蜜產業在採蜜時將不再需要穿戴防護衣和使用煙霧來保護自己了。這意味著，任何人只要有一個後院就能擁有一個蜂箱並輕易地生產蜂蜜。
為了籌措資金好讓流動蜂箱投入生產並將它引進市場，安德森一家人已轉求於公共群眾外包活動的幫忙，該活動已掀起了一股熱潮。他們已經籌得了驚人的一千兩百萬美元資金……收穫真甜美啊！ 1. 誰發現了造成蜂群崩壞症候群的原因？
(A) 數百名科學家以及研究人員。
(B) 澳洲蜂農的兒子。
(C) 原因仍然不明。
(D) 起因來自一個實驗室。
題解：根據本文第一段，近年來，蜂群崩壞症候群（簡稱 CCD）的問題已大大減少蜜蜂的數量。該問題的起因仍是未知數，不過數百名科學家和研究人員正拼命地試著找出原因，希望因此找出拯救蜜蜂的解決方案，故 (C) 項應為正選。
2. 安德森家族至今已養殖蜜蜂多長的時間？
(A) 好幾世代。
(B) 大約二十年。
(C) 十年左右。
(D) 近年才開始養殖。
題解：根據本文第二段，安德森家族幾世代以來都在養殖蜜蜂，故 (A) 項應為正選。
3. 本文暗指何事？
(A) 在未來，養蜂將變得更容易了。
(B) 當今養蜂需要高科技。
(C) 大眾不養蜂，因為養蜂所費不貲。
(D) 大眾由於蜂群崩壞症候群的緣故而不養蜂了。
題解：根據本文第二段，養蜂人以及蜂蜜產業在採蜜時將不再需要穿戴防護衣和使用煙霧來保護自己了。這意味著，任何人只要有一個後院就能擁有一個蜂箱並輕易地生產蜂蜜，故 (A) 項應為正選。
4. 誰資助流動蜂箱的生產？
(A) 安德森家族。
(B) 大眾。
(C) 政府。
(D) 蜂蜜產業。
題解：根據本文第三段，為了籌措資金好讓流動蜂箱投入生產並將它引進市場，安德森一家人已轉求於公共群眾外包活動的幫忙，該活動已掀起了一股熱潮，故 (B) 項應為正選。 答案： 1. C 2. A 3. A 4. B | | | | | |  |  | 開學優惠專案！啟動我的英文大腦2.0！
﹥全館單筆滿500就送浪漫巴黎仿皮64K筆記本！滿1,000則送黑白貓不�袗�真空保溫杯！ |  |  | 學好英文開啟大視野！
﹥現在訂雜誌半年就送常春藤IVY熊可愛書籤筆！訂一年則送美國名牌危客運動型耳掛耳機！ | |  | 賀！常春藤學習APP榮登暢銷排行囉！
﹥常春藤超實用免費學習英文App，讓你隨時隨地掌握英文，走到哪學到哪！ | | |  | | | | | |
沒有留言:
張貼留言