PAGE 94: READING
Friend or Enemy?
'Kill it!' cried Debbie.
'Certainly not,' said Simon.
'Why? You're not frightened of it, are you?It's only an insect.'
'It isn't an insect,Debbie,though it might look like one.
Actually, it's a very useful creature.
The programme I watched last night has completely changed my views on spiders.
Do you want to hear about it?'
'Not really,' sighed Debbie'but I suppose you're going to tell me anyway.'
'Spiders,' said Simon,ignoring her remarks,
'are the enemies of insects and the friends of humans.
That's something that Chinese farmers realized years ago
and scientists are only beginning to understand today.
'Do you know that in parts of China,in the autumn,
farmers build shelters for spiders and put them all over their fields?
They're like little cone-shaped tents made of straw
and the spiders can survive the winter in them.
When spring comes, the spiders emerge healthy and hungry,
at the same time as millions of insects arrive to attack the farmers' crops.'
So the spiders fill their empty stomachs,
and the farmers whose fields are protected are happy.
They've saved their crops and their money.
Because of the spiders their expenditure on insecticides is nil.'
'So everyone's happy except the insects,' said Debbie.
'Right,and now this natural method of pest control is being copied all over the world.'
'Interesting,'said Debbie.'But now I really must go and...'
'Wait,'cried Simon.
'There's more.Do you know what is stronger than steel, lighter than a feather and as elastic as a rubber band?'
'No. What is it?'
'It's the silk that spiders make their webs with.
And scientists are trying to develop a material with similar properties.
They plan to use it in spacecraft,artificial organs like hearts,
and to make really bullet-proof vests.'
'I still think spiders are nasty,' said Debbie.
'Their bites are poisonous, aren't they? They're dangerous.'
'To insects, yes, but to people, rarely.
But even their poison is useful.
Doctors think it might be used to treat brain disorders in humans.'
'That's good news for you, then,'laughed Debbie.
'But seriously,I get your point, Simon.
We should try to understand things in nature and not destroy them.'

朋友還是敵人
“快弄死它”黛比大叫。
“當然不行”賽蒙說。
“為什么？你不是怕它吧？只不過是一只小蟲?！?br> “這不是小蟲，黛比，雖然它看起來的確比較像。”
“事實上，它是一種非常有用的小生物。
我昨晚看得電視節(jié)目已經(jīng)讓我對蜘蛛完全改觀了。
你想聽聽嗎？”
“不太想”黛比嘆氣到?！安贿^建議你還是多多少少告訴我一點好了?！?br> “蜘蛛，”賽蒙說，完全不聽黛比的評論繼續(xù)說道，
“是昆蟲的天敵，人類的朋友。
這是中國的農(nóng)民許多年前就發(fā)現(xiàn)了的
科學(xué)家們現(xiàn)在才開始明白其中的道理?！?br> “你知不知道在中國某些地方的秋季里，
農(nóng)民們會幫蜘蛛建造庇護所，并把蜘蛛們放到他們的田地里？
他們就像是稻草做的錐形小帳篷
蜘蛛在里面就可以安然的度過寒冷的冬天。
當春天到來的時候，饑餓的蜘蛛就會健康的從小帳篷里出來
在這個時候，成千上萬小昆蟲就會農(nóng)民的田里來吃‘莊稼’
這樣蜘蛛就會把它們吃了來填飽肚子，
這樣農(nóng)民也因為自己的農(nóng)田被保護了而感到高興。
他們保護了自己的莊稼又省了錢。
多虧了蜘蛛他們完全不需要花購買殺蟲劑的錢。”
“所以大家皆大歡喜?！摈毂日f。
“沒錯，現(xiàn)在這種靠自然資源的害蟲防治已經(jīng)遍及全球了?！?br> “真有意思，”黛比說?！暗乾F(xiàn)在我得走了...”
“等等”賽蒙大叫到。
“還有呢。你知道有什么是比鋼鐵還要強，比羽毛還要輕，和橡皮筋一樣有有彈性嗎？”
“不知道。是什么？”
“是蜘蛛直往用的蜘蛛絲。
而且科學(xué)家正在努力研制一種和蜘蛛絲性能相似的材料。
他們計劃把這種材料用在航天器還有心臟這種人造器官上，
還可以制造真正的防彈背心。”
“我還是覺得蜘蛛很惡心，”黛比說。
“它們咬人的時候可是有毒的，不是嗎？它們很危險?！?br> “對于其他昆蟲，的確是，但是對于人類就幾乎沒有危險。
但是即使是它們的毒液也是大有用處的。
醫(yī)生們認為它們的毒液可以用來治療人類的癡呆癥。”
“這對你來說可真是個好消息，”黛比大笑到。
“但是說真的，我明白你的意思，賽蒙。
我們應(yīng)該努力了解大自然的生靈而不是摧毀他們?！?/div>

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