Level 1 Reading 6A

Ch.11

第11章

Reading 6A IN ONE CUBIC FOOT In any environment—forest, mountain, water—you always see the big animals first: birds, mammals, fish. But under your feet, both on land and in the water, there are many smaller organisms: insects, tiny plants, miniature sea creatures. They may seem unimportant, but, in fact, these sea creatures and ground dwellers are "the heart of life on Earth," according to naturalist E. O. Wilson. Without them, our world would be a very different place. The Cycle of Life Most organisms on Earth live on the ground or just below it. Here, they are part of an important cycle. When plants and animals die, they fall to the ground. Later, tiny insects and other organisms break down the dead plant and animal material. This process eventually returns nutrients to the soil and gives living plants energy. These plants can then help to maintain a healthy environment for humans and other animals.

阅读6A 1立方英尺 在任何环境中——森林、山脉、水域——你总是首先看到大型动物：鸟类、哺乳动物、鱼类。 但在你的脚下，无论是在陆地上还是在水中，都有许多较小的生物：昆虫、微小的植物、微型海洋生物。 它们可能看起来不重要， 但事实上，根据博物学家E.O.威尔逊的说法，这些海洋生物和地面生物是“地球上生命的核心”。 没有他们，我们的世界将是一个非常不同的地方。 生命周期 地球上的大多数生物都生活在地面上或地下。 在这里，它们是一个重要循环的一部分。 当植物和动物死亡时，它们会掉到地上。 后来，微小的昆虫和其他生物会分解死去的动植物。 这一过程最终将养分归还给土壤，并为活植物提供能量。 这些植物可以帮助人类和其他动物维持健康的环境。

Discoveries in a Cube Despite their importance, scientists know very little about most ground organisms. To learn more, photographer David Liittschwager went to different places around the world, including a forest and a coral reef. In each place, he put a green 30-centimeter cube on the ground or in the water. Then he and his team counted and photographed the organisms that lived in or moved through the cube. Often they discovered hundreds of organisms, some only a millimeter in size. "It was like finding little gems," he says. Coral Reef Moorea, French Polynesia Here, Liittschwager photographed over 600 creatures in the cube. The team identified as many as possible, but it was difficult. Many of the animals they found were new species. Tropical Cloud Forest Monteverde, Costa Rica There are many different types of plants in this region. Almost 125 species that live here are found nowhere else on Earth.

立方体中的发现 尽管它们很重要，但科学家对大多数地面生物知之甚少。 为了了解更多，摄影师David Liittschwager去了世界各地的不同地方，包括森林和珊瑚礁。 在每个地方，他都会在地上或水中放置一个30厘米的绿色立方体。 然后，他和他的团队计算并拍摄了生活在立方体中或在立方体中移动的生物。 他们经常发现数百种生物，其中一些只有一毫米大。 他说：“这就像找到了小宝石。”。 珊瑚礁 法属波利尼西亚莫雷阿 在这里，Liittschwager拍摄了立方体中的600多种生物。 该团队确定了尽可能多的人，但这很困难。 他们发现的许多动物都是新物种。 热带云雾林 哥斯达黎加蒙特维德 这个地区有许多不同类型的植物。 生活在这里的近125种物种在地球上其他地方都找不到。

♪