Nesting Challenges of the Great Bustard
40min 第一段精读
对生物繁殖的背景信息了解太少
很多环境特征之间的互相矛盾与妥协容易模糊与忽视
雄性与雌性/年幼与年长之间的差异
猎物与捕食者
正确率：4/10
Paragraph 1: Great bustards are found on grasslands across Europe and Asia, where they feed on insects, seeds, and vegetation. These birds nest on the ground, which leaves them vulnerable: many eggs and chicks are lost to predators such as dogs, foxes, ravens, and crows, and the mothers themselves are vulnerable to predators while brooding (sitting on) their eggs. To minimize these risks female great bustards prefer nest sites that conceal the nest from predators while at the same time allowing the brooding female to survey the surrounding area for danger. If the vegetation is too tall or dense, the nest can be ambushed. Even if the predator is detected, dense vegetation may impede escape. Alternatively nesting in open sites such as plowed fields leaves the nest too visible. In the Spanish populations, agricultural fields planted in cereal crops or that are fallow (left unplanted for a period) seem to provide the best compromise between visibility and concealment and are preferred as nest sites. // Successful females also select nest sites that offer some protection from inclement weather. The bodies of newly hatched chicks do not have a well-developed mechanism for maintaining temperature, and cool, rainy weather during the hatching period can cause hitch chick mortality. In central and northwestern Spain, sites on southeast-facing slopes that catch the morning sun but are sheltered from the cool, prevailing northwesterly winds are preferred for this reason.
great bustard 大鸨
feed on v.以……为食；以……为能源
vegetation n.（总称）植物，植被；（植物的）生长；呆板单调的生活
ravens n.乌鸦（raven 的复数）；低质煤
crow n.乌鸦；（公鸡或像公鸡的）啼叫声；克劳人（分布在美国西部的美洲土著居民）；<非正式>妇人，丑妇 v.欢叫，高兴地说；自鸣得意
brood v.孵蛋；沉思，担忧 n.一窝幼雏；一大家孩子；幼蜂
adj.传种的，为繁殖而饲养的
brooding adj.沉思的；徘徊不去的n.孵卵
sit on 开庭审理；成为……的一员；旁听；列席
conceal v.隐匿，隐藏；隐瞒（真实感情或真相）；遮盖，遮住
survey n.民意调查，民意测验；考察，调查；（对课题或情况的）全面考察，概述；测量，勘测；测绘图，勘测记录；测量部门；<英> （尤指为欲购房者所做的）房屋鉴定；查勘报告
v.做民意测验，做民意调查；（尤指认真地）审视，检查；测量，勘测；<英> （尤指为可能的买家）查勘，检视（建筑物的状况）；全面评述，概述
survey the surrounding area 勘查周边区域
ambushed v.伏击（ambush 的过去分词）；埋伏 adj.中埋伏的
impede v.妨碍，阻碍
escape v./n. 逃跑，逃脱
impede escape 阻碍逃生
plowed fields 犁过的田野/田地
fallow adj.休耕的；不活跃的 n.休耕地；休耕 vt.使（土地）休闲；潜伏
inclement adj.天气恶劣的；气候严酷的；狂风暴雨的；潮湿的；寒冷的
hitch
hitch chick
cause hitch chick mortality 导致雏鸡死亡
mortality n.死亡人数，死亡率；必死性，终有一死；死亡
翻译：prevailing northwesterly winds are preferred for this reason
在西班牙中部和西北部，面向东南的斜坡上的场地可以捕捉到早晨的阳光，但不受凉爽的影响，因此流行的西北风是首选。
P1段落大意：主要介绍了 大鸨这种生物如何筑巢，以什么为食。
蛋和雏鸡会被捕食者吃掉———>选择隐蔽的地方筑巢；
植物不能太高或密集，会阻碍大鸨逃生；
耕过的田野，使大鸨太暴露；
Spanish 休耕的土地最为合适：
the best compromise between visibility and concealment可见性和隐蔽性之间的最佳折衷
大鸨也会选择天气状况好的地点：
inclement weather会cause hitch chick mortality让雏鸡死亡。
1. According to paragraph 1, all of the following statements about great bustards are true EXCEPT
A. They eat both plants and insects
B. They build nests on the ground
C. They are at risk from being eaten by dogs, foxes, ravens, and crows.
D. They prefer to nest in locations where chicks are exposed to northwesterly winds.
2. In paragraph 1, why does the author discuss the Spanish populations of great bustards?
A. To indicate that cereal crops are a food source for female great bustards
B. To illustrate the best nesting conditions for female great bustards
C. To highlight the effect of precaution on chick mortality
D. To identify situations in which female great bustards need protection
3. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that female bustards in certain parts of Spain prefer nesting sites on southeast-facing slopes because
A. such areas protect newly hatched chicks from the sun
B. such areas have fewer predators than other areas do
C. such areas tend to be warmer than other areas
D. such areas provide the best compromise between visibility and concealment
❓【1】错选C ❎｜正解 D ✅ <——eggs & chicks 会被dogs, foxes, ravens, and crows吃掉
【2】B <——the best compromise
【3】C<——catch the morning sun
Paragraph 2: Chicks that escape these early dangers face the challenge of obtaining enough toads. Food scarcity seems to be an ever-present threat for great bustards, and females often fail to obtain enough food to support themselves and their chicks. Researchers Maine' MO rates, dean Alonso, and aver Alonso conducted an eleven-year study of female reproductive success in a population of great bustards in northwest Spain, and their results starkly illustrate the crucial dependence of bustards on their food supply. In this region breeding females increase their body mass by about sixteen percent just prior to egg laying, and they depend on the spring flush of annual herbaceous (soft-stemmed) vegetation to do so. When winter rainfall is above average, the density of herbaceous vegetation is high, and more females attempt to breed. Females breeding in those years also lay more eggs, and the eggs have success. Abundant winter rain also increases the density of the annual grasses, and these provide food for the crass snoopers and crickets that become the main food for great bustard chicks. Chick growth and survival during the critical first three months after hatching depend strongly on food abundance and so abundant summer food means more and larger chicks leaving the nest in fall. The net result is that abundant winter rains leak to more breeding females, more eggs per female, greater hatching success of eggs, and better chick growth and survival. Conversely, in years of low winter rainfall and hence low food abundance, bustard productivity falls close to zero with as few as four chicks produced per one hundred adult females.
toad n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆；（侮辱性用语）讨厌鬼
scarcity n.不足，缺乏
reproductive adj.生殖的，繁殖的；翻印的，复制的
starkly adv.严酷地；明显地；毫无掩饰地
herbaceous adj.草本的；绿色的；叶状的
stemmed adj.去掉茎或梗的；有茎或梗的；装有……柄的
v.起源于（stem 的过去分词形式）；除去……的茎；给（假花等）装梗
soft-stemmed
crass snoopers
crass adj.愚钝的；粗鲁的；非常的
snooper n.刺探者；爱管闲事
cricket n.蟋蟀；板球（运动） / ˈkrɪkɪt /
leak v.渗入，漏出
P2 段落大意：
食物短缺问题一直是鸨的威胁。
很多研究人员生进行了在northwest Spain大鸨生殖成功的研究学习，结果证明了大鸨对食物供给的严重依赖。
降雨量多好，利于下蛋、孵化、成长
降雨量⬆️ 食物⬆️
降雨量⬇️ 食物⬇️
翻译：bustard productivity falls close to zero with as few as four chicks produced per one hundred adult females. 鸨的产量几乎为零，每100只成年母鸨只产4只雏鸟
4. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A. A long-term study in northwest Spain showed that the reproductive success of female great bustards depends greatly upon their food supply.
B. A research study showed that female great bustards in northwest Spain required more than eleven years of steady food supply to achieve reproductive success
C. Researchers in northwest Spain conducted a study illustrating that great bustards are particularly successful there because of the food supply
D. The results of an eleven-year study clearly illustrate the reproductive success of populations of female great bustards in northwest Spain.
5. The word "Conversely” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. On the other hand B. Consequently C. Of course D. Similarly
6. According to paragraph 2, why is a high density of herbaceous vegetation important for great bustards in northwest Spain?
A. Females lay their eggs in nests made of soft herbaceous vegetation.
B. Herbaceous vegetation helps protect eggs from above-average winter rains.
C. Females use herbaceous vegetation to gain weight before they lay eggs.
D. Herbaceous vegetation is the main food eaten oy in the spring.
【4】
Researchers [主语] Maine' MO rates, dean Alonso, and aver Alonso conducted [谓语] an eleven-year study [宾语] of female reproductive success in a population of great bustards in northwest Spain, and their results starkly illustrate the crucial dependence of bustards on their food supply
长难句分析
==> female great bustards depends greatly upon their food supply
A ✅
【5】 相反 另一方面 降雨多 vs 降雨少
Consequently adv.因此，结果
错选B ❌
A ✅
【6】粉色高亮部分
increase their body mass 增加她们的体重
繁殖的雌性在产卵前体重增加了大约16%
C ✅
Paragraph 3: The energetic costs of producing eggs and rearing chicks probably contribute to the extreme body-size differences between the sexes in great bustards by favoring relatively smaller body sizes in females than in males. The core of this argument is simply that females have to provide food for both themselves and their chicks and the less they need for their own maintenance, the more is available for egg production or to be fed directly to the growing chicks. When food is scarce as it often is for great bustards. Larger individuals may not be able to obtain sufficient calories to both sustain themselves and allocate energy to reproduction. The trade-off between self-maintenance and reproduction is manifest every time a brooding mother forgoes a search for food to sit longer on her nest or feeds a prey item to her chick rather than eating herself. Eating it herself improves her own body condition and enhances her chances of reproducing in the coming spring but at the cost of diminishing the potential growth, survival, and future reproductive success of her chicks. As a consequence of this trade -off, great bustard females that successfully rear a chick in one year seldom have sufficient energy reserves to breed successfully the following spring.
rear v.养育，饲养
allocate v.分配，分派，划拨
trade-off n.平衡，协调；妥协，让步
self-maintenance 自我维护
manifest adj.明显的，显而易见的
brooding adj.沉思的；徘徊不去的 n.孵卵
forgoes
forgo vi.放弃；停止；对…断念 vt.放弃；停止；对…断念
diminishing v.减少；递减；衰减；削弱……的权势（diminish 的现在分词）
adj.逐渐缩小的；衰减的
reserves v.储备；保留；预订（reserve 的第三人称单数）
n.储量；准备金；后备队；自然保护区（reserve 的复数）
breed v.交配繁殖；饲养，培育；养育，培养；引起，酿成；（通过核反应）增殖可裂变物质
n.品种；（人的）类型，种类
P3段落大意：产蛋和育雏的能量消耗可能导致了大鸨在性别上的巨大体型差异，雌鸨比雄鸨更倾向于较小的体型。
孵卵的妈妈需要平衡自我维护和储存能量为了繁殖。
在养育宝宝的那一年，妈妈很少有足够的能量，是为了把能量留给后代。
7. The word "diminishing" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. destroying B. stopping C. delaying D. reducing
8. According to paragraph 3, which of the following does the relatively smaller size of female great bustards allow them to do?
A. Remain hidden while sitting on their nests
B. Use more food for producing eggs and feeding chicks than larger birds could
C. Search for food more efficiently than larger birds could
D. Attract mates more effectively than larger birds could
【7】reducing
n.减低；减轻体重法，减肥法（如节食）
v.减少，降低；使（液体）变稠（reduce 的现在分词）
D ✅
【8】错选C
AD 均为提及
B ✅ relatively small size 一般是雌性
C ❌Larger birds search for food 一般是雄性
Paragraph 1: Great bustards are found on grasslands across Europe and Asia, where they feed on insects, seeds, and vegetation. These birds nest on the ground, which leaves them vulnerable: many eggs and chicks are lost to predators such as dogs foxes, ravens, and crows, and the mothers themselves are vulnerable to predators while brooding sitting on) their eggs. To minimize these risks female great bustards prefer nest sites that conceal the nest from predators while at the same time allowing the brooding female to survey the surrounding area for danger. If the vegetation is too tall or dense, the nest can be ambushed. ■ Even if the predator is detected, dense vegetation may impede escape. ■ Alternatively nesting in open sites such as plowed fields leaves the nest too visible. ■ In the Spanish populations, agricultural fields planted in cereal crops or that are fallow (left unplanted for a period) seem to provide the best compromise between visibility and concealment and are preferred as nest sites. ■ Successful females also select nest sites that offer some protection from inclement weather. The bodies of newly hatched chicks do not have a well-developed mechanism for maintaining temperature, and cool, rainy weather during the hatching period can cause high chick mortality. In central and northwestern Spain, sites on southeast-facing slopes that catch the morning sun but are sheltered from the cool, prevailing northwesterly winces are preferred for this reason
9. Look at the four squares passage that indicates where the following sentence could be added
But safety from predators is not the only factor in choosing a nesting site.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage
错选C
A ✅
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the 3 answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong.
Great bustards living on the grasslands of Europe and Asia face a number of challenges to successful reproduction
P1段落大意：主要介绍了 大鸨这种生物如何筑巢，以什么为食。
蛋和雏鸡会被捕食者吃掉———>选择隐蔽的地方筑巢；
植物不能太高或密集，会阻碍大鸨逃生；
耕过的田野，使大鸨太暴露；
Spanish 休耕的土地最为合适：
the best compromise between visibility and concealment可见性和隐蔽性之间的最佳折衷
大鸨也会选择天气状况好的地点：
inclement weather会cause hitch chick mortality -让雏鸡死亡
P2 段落大意：
食物短缺问题一直是鸨的威胁。
很多研究人员生进行了在northwest Spain大鸨生殖成功的研究学习，结果证明了大鸨对食物供给的严重依赖。
降雨量多好，利于下蛋、孵化、成长
降雨量⬆️ 食物⬆️
降雨量⬇️ 食物⬇️
P3段落大意：产蛋和育雏的能量消耗可能导致了大鸨在性别上的巨大体型差异，雌鸨比雄鸨更倾向于较小的体型。
孵卵的妈妈需要平衡自我维护和储存能量为了繁殖。
在养育宝宝的那一年，妈妈很少有足够的能量，是为了把能量留给后代。
A. Although great bustards can detect and escape predators, they have in recent years lost many eggs and chicks to predators and this has affected the population growth of Great bustards.
B. An important compromise female bustards must consider is the need for a warm nesting site versus the need for a site with abundant winter rain.
C. Females must balance the need for calories to maintain themselves as well as reproduce against the need to provide energy for their chicks to grow and survive.
D. The best nesting sites provide concealment as well as easy escape from predators and protection against inclement weather.
E. Food for great bustard females and their young is often scarce. but when winter rain is plentiful, food is abundant and increases the chances of reproductive success.
F. Studies have found differences in body size between male and female great bustards, but the reasons for these differences have not been fully explained.
vesus prep.（比赛或诉讼中）以……为对手，与……竞争；与……相对，与……相比
CDE ✅
A ❌affected the population growth of Great bustards 并不只是因为predator 且选择了很好的筑巢地之后，predator的影响更加小了。
B ❌ 原因之1⃣️：the best compromise between visibility and concealment and are preferred as nest sites
原因之2⃣️：warm & winter rain在文章中并非比较对象！
F❌ 已经解释了： The energetic costs of producing eggs and rearing chicks
（于 2023-05-04 13:00:50 发布）
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