托福阅读详解之大米草（Spartina）

　　和谐英语网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 deciduous, perennial floweringplant native to the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is the dominant native speciesof the lower salt marshes along these coasts, where it grows in the intertidalzone (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, perennialflowering plant native to the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast of the UnitedStates.

　　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 marineenvironment. Nutrient-rich water is brought to the wetlands during each hightide, making a high rate of food production possible. As the seaweed andmarsh grass leaves die, bacteria breakdown the plant material, and insects, small shrimp like organisms, fiddler crabs, and marsh snails eat the decaying plant tissue,it, and excrete wastes high in nutrients. Numerous insects occupy the marsh,feeding on living or dead cordgrass tissue, and redwing blackbirds, sparrows,rodents, rabbits, and deer feed directly on the cordgrass. Each tidal cyclecarries plant material into the offshore water to be used by the subtidalorganisms.

　　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

　　fiddle v./ n. 不停摆弄;调试;弦乐器

　　snail 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 plantmaterial, and insects, small shrimplike organisms, fiddler crabs, and marshsnails eat the decaying plant tissue, it, and excrete wastes high innutrients.

　　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. Itspreads primarily by underground stems; colonies form when pieces of the rootsystem or whole plants float into an area and take root or when seeds float intoa suitable area and germinate.Spartina establishes itself on substrates ranging from sand and silt to graveland 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 sediments are high in sulfides that are toxic to most plants. Spartinahas the ability to take up sulfides and convert them to sulfate, a form ofsulfur that the plant can use; this ability makes it easier for the grass tocolonize marsh environments. Another adaptive advantage is Spartina’sability to use carbon dioxide more efficiently 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, aform of sulfur (that the plant can use); this ability makes it easier for thegrass 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 UnitedStates

　　P2: marine environment

　　P3: Spartina has the ability to take up sulfides andconvert them to sulfate; Spartina’s ability to use carbon dioxide moreefficiently than most other plants