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Looks Aren’t Everything 「物种」不可貌相

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With its short legs moving furiously, a tiny, flat-faced pug reminds one of a stuffed toy. In contrast, the wolf-like Siberian husky moves with the skill of an experienced wild hunter. Strangely, these two animals with drastically different appearances belong to the same species, Canis Familiaris, better known as dogs. Physical differences are causing scientists to rethink how they differentiate between species.

四条短腿快速移动时，脸扁扁的小哈巴狗让人想到填充玩具。而哈士奇犬外貌似狼，动作宛如老练的野地猎食者。奇怪的是，这两种外貌迥异的动物属于同一物种Canis familiaris，也就是大家熟悉的狗。动物的外貌差异，让科学家重新思索如何区分物种。

Since an animal’s appearance is not always a clear indication of its species, scientists have begun using DNA to help with identification. The Barcode of Life project is aimed at researching a single gene that has a unique sequence in each species. Using that gene as a bar code, they will then be able to sort similar animals into groups. Animals with the same sequence would be part of the same species.

既然无法总是依动物的外貌来区别物种，科学家已开始使用DNA来协助辨识。「生命条形码计划」专门研究每一物种具有独特序列的单一基因。科学家将这个基因当作条形码，用来将相似的动物归类为同一群。基因序列相同的动物就是来自同一物种。

This method will not only help identify current species, but also provide insight into species evolution. For example, through DNA research, scientists have discovered that domestic dogs are descended from wild gray wolves that were domesticated by humans long ago. The Barcode of Life project is definitely helping scientists gain a better understanding of the animal kingdom.

这种方法不仅有助于辨识目前的物种，也能帮我们了解物种的演化。比如说，透过DNA研究，科学家已经发现，家犬是从很久以前被驯化的野生灰狼演化而来。「生命条形码计划」确实有助于科学家进一步了解动物王国。

−by Alan Campana & Michael Evans

Vocabulary

单词发音

furiously [ˋfjʊərɪəslɪ] adj. 猛烈地

species [ˋspiʃiz] n.【生】种

physical [ˋfɪzɪk!] adj. 身体的，肉体的

identification [aɪ͵dɛntəfəˋkeʃən] n. 识别；鉴定

sequence [ˋsikwəns] n.【数】序列

descend [dɪˋsɛnd] v. 传下来，来自于[（+from）]

More Information

单词发音

pug [pʌg] n. 哈巴狗

stuffed [stʌft] toy 填充毛绒玩具

Siberian [saɪˋbɪrɪən] adj. 西伯利亚的

husky [ˋhʌskɪ] n. 爱斯基摩犬

bar code 计算机条形码

domestic [dəˋmɛstɪk] adj. 家庭的; 驯养的

domesticate [dəˋmɛstə͵ket] v. 驯养（动物）；驯化

kingdom [ˋkɪŋdəm] n.（动、植、矿物）界

Reading Questions

1. What is true of both the pug and the Siberian husky?

A. They are both domestic dogs.

B. They have similar appearances.

C. They both look like cute toys.

D. They are very skilled hunters.

2. What will the Barcode of Life project help scientists do?

A. Keep track of animals in the wild.

B. Find out the existing number of each animal.

C. Learn how animals survive in the wild.

D. Correctly group animals into species.

3. What is the main purpose of this article?

A. To describe how different two animals of the same species can look.

B. To explain a new method being developed for determining species.

C. To describe the ways in which dogs have helped us understand genes.

D. To show how researching evolution can be a very difficult thing to do.

Answer