节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-05-15
难易度:Low
关键字:pop out, reduce, species, creature, fungus, puddle
Today we're learning all about a tiny animal called a springtail that is one of
nature's greatest success stories.
We've learned that they are able to jump, or spring, more than 100 millimeters
into the air,
which is very interesting because they are very tiny and only a few millimeters
long.
Their tails pop out, and they spring away.
Well, we have much more to learn about this very interesting animal in the next
part of our reading.
Let's do that now.
(Music).
Springtails.
These tiny insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups.
Some areas have as many as a million springtails per acre of soil!
That's why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals
on Earth.
In 1996 in Austria, firemen were called about a chemical spill.
They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn't chemicals, but several
million springtails.
Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles.
They jump together in the same direction.
People watching might think a giant puddle is moving!
Wow! These certainly are interesting little creatures.
We are learning about the springtails.
And let's go to the beginning of this section.
These tiny insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups.
So they're insect-like creatures that live in soil.
And of course, you need soil if you're going to grow plants.
Wet oil is good for plants, so.
Springtails kind of probably live with plants.
And these are creatures, too.
This is a word from our Word Bank.
Carolyn, what is a creature?
Well, a creature is something that is alive, so.
We might use this when we're talking about different kinds of animals.
We also might say it is a kind of creature.
So here we aren't really sure.
Is it an animal?
Is it an insect?
What do we call it?
We can call it a creature.
That's right.
It's a kind of creature.
Well, what is your favorite kind of creature?
Of course there are so many creatures in the world today.
Talk about that in English, your favorite kind of creature.
These are insect-like creatures.
They're kind of like insects.
And we continue in our lesson.
Some areas have as many as a million springtails per acre of soil.
That's a lot of springtails in an acre.
We learned about an acre earlier this month.
And some areas like an acre large might have over a million springtails inside.
That is a very large population for springtails.
And we see that's why some scientists say springtails are among the most
successful animals on Earth.
If there are a million of them in just an acre of land, then how could we
possibly try to count the number in the whole world?
They must be one of the most successful creatures on Earth.
Well, following in our lesson, there is an interesting story about springtails.
Let's read that together.
In 1996 in Austria, firemen were called about a chemical spill.
Well, in Austria.
Have you ever been to Austria?
I almost say "Australia." They're not the same.
Where is Austria, Carolyn?
Well, Austria is a country in Europe.
Australia is not a country... (Nope...) in Europe.
That's right.
Well, let's take a look at a word in this sentence - the words "spill." Usually
I think of this as a verb.
Oops! I spilled my water all over the table.
But here it's a noun.
How do you use this word, Carolyn?
Well, here we're talking about a chemical spill.
But a lot of times in the news we'll hear about an oil spill.
Yeah.
If oil is being transported from one place to another, and something happens to
the ship it's on or whatever happens to be traveling in,
then you might say that there was an oil spill, which means that the oil did
spill out over the ground or the water.
That's right.
Or it could be a big spill of some kind.
Well, let's continue.
They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn't chemicals, but several
million springtails.
Interesting.
So some scientists or some people thought that the road was covered with
chemicals.
There was a chemical spill.
But in fact, what was really there?
Well, when the firemen arrived, they saw that it was springtails, not chemicals.
There... there were millions of springtails.
And we see: Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles.
So they like to travel in large groups.
And here they were on the road.
Interesting.
We see a word there: puddle.
That's a small, tiny little area filled with water, a puddle.
You might go stepping in puddles if it's raining.
Well, we continue learning.
These springtails, they jump together in the same direction.
Interesting.
I think, Carolyn, that we as humans could probably learn from springtails in
this way.
It's good to work together and going the same direction.
It is good to go in the same direction.
If you're trying to jump one way, and another springtail is trying to jump the
other way, you'll... they'll probably run into each other or jump into each
other.
But if you are watching these springtails, people watching might think a giant
puddle is moving because there are millions of springtails all jumping in the
same direction.
Well, it seems like kind of an optical illusion here.
These firemen, they thought it was a chemical spill, but really it was just
millions of springtails jumping in the same direction.
That must look quite interesting.
Well, it's time for us to learn a little bit more with Michelle in the Language
Lab.
(Chinese).
And now let's head back to our teachers.
Well, we've been learning all about springtails today, these tiny little
creatures whose tails pop out if they are disturbed.
Well, what is most interesting about springtails to you from today's lesson?
Carolyn, what did you enjoy learning about springtails?
Well, they are very interesting little creatures that I had never really heard
of.
So I thought most of these facts were quite interesting.
And the fact that they are so tiny but can jump so far compared to their size, I
think it's very impressive.
Yeah, it is impressive.
I'm just really happy that I have heard of springtails now because I'm afraid
that if I saw a springtail and didn't know what it was, I would think it was a
flea.
I don't like fleas.
But I think I'd be OK with a big group of springtails as long as they were
jumping in the same direction away from me.
That would be good.
Well, we hope you've enjoyed today's lesson.
And of course, we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom.
See you then.