SSS 2009-08-11
时间：2019-01-08 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(八)月
It’s been called the “vine that ate the south.” Kudzu grows so fast it can completely cover a cabin in the woods in a couple of days. The invasive plant takes over another 150,000 acres every year. Which costs another $6 million to control.
But plant pathologists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research Service have gotten promising 1 results with a fungus 2 that itself rapidly spreads in kudzu. The fungus is called Myrothecium verrucaria. In early tests, the fungus killed all kudzu seedlings 3 and at least 90 percent of older plants. Most important, Myrothecium did little or no damage to the species that commonly live in habitats infested 4 with kudzu, such as pine, oak, cedar 5, pecan, hickory, blackberry and, of course, sassafras.
So what’s the catch? The fungus produces chemicals called tricothecenes, which can damage the health of humans and animals. But the researchers discovered that if they grew the fungus in a fermenter or on a liquid diet, the production of the toxins 6 fell precipitously. If the fungus can be safely let loose one day, it could finally give kudzu the heave-ho.
- The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
- We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
- Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
- This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。
- Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
- The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。
- The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
- She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。