Yellow Crazy Ants 長足捷蟻

托福 073 考題符合托福 iBT 整合寫作的標準格式：在閱讀內容部分，作者提出三種可能用以消滅入侵的長足捷蟻的方法。而在講課內容部分，則對此三項主張一一提出反駁。

在閱讀內容方面出現一些專業術語，但是都不難理解，因為文章都有附上補充說明。而在講課內容中，均沿用閱讀段落的術語，並沒有出現新的專業詞彙，所以不會有聽力部分遭到突襲的憂慮。

整篇難度屬於中等程度。只要能夠掌握整合寫作的聽力技巧、寫作格式、並通曉評分原則，應該能夠拿到至少 25 分。

本份考題英文原文與對應之中文翻譯整理如下。練習作答解題時若有對語意不清楚之處，請仔細查閱對照，以提升閱讀與聽力的理解能力。

Reading 閱讀內容

1.  

   The yellow crazy ant is one of the world's most destructive invasive species (species that are not native to an area but rather introduced to it). It has spread to many regions of Earth and caused great damage to native ecosystems. In recent decades, the crazy ant has invaded part of a unique palm forest on one of the Seychelles Islands off the coast of Africa. Some strategies are being considered to stop the ant from spreading farther and damaging the unique ecosystem of the palm forest.

   點此看中文翻譯

   長足捷蟻 (yellow crazy ants) 是世界上最具破壞性的入侵物種之一（即並非一個地區的原生物種，而是引進的物種）。它已經蔓延到地球上的許多地區，並對本地生態系統造成了巨大的破壞。近幾十年來，長足捷蟻已經入侵了非洲海岸邊的塞席爾群島之一的部分獨特的棕櫚樹森林。人們正在考慮採取一些策略，以阻止這種螞蟻向更遠的地方蔓延並破壞棕櫚林的獨特生態系統。

2.  

   One of the strategies proposed to stop the ants is to use traps containing a low concentration of chemicals that are toxic to the ants. These ant traps have been successfully used in other locations, such as an island near Australia, where up to 99 percent of the invasive ant population has been killed by traps.

   點此看中文翻譯

   提出的阻止螞蟻的策略之一是使用含有對螞蟻有毒的低濃度化學品的誘捕器。這些螞蟻陷阱已經在其他地方成功使用，例如澳大利亞附近的一個島嶼，那裡有高達 99% 的入侵螞蟻被陷阱殺死。

3.  

   Another strategy would be to cut down broad-leaved trees, which are the ants favorite habitat. Broad-leaved trees host a type of insect that provides food (a sugary substance) for the yellow crazy ants. The broad-leaved trees are not native to the palm forest; they were introduced there recently. Removing the trees would not damage the palm forest ecosystem, but it would reduce the extent of the habitat preferred by the invasive ants, which might reduce their population.

   點此看中文翻譯

   另一個策略是砍掉闊葉樹，這是螞蟻最喜歡的棲息地。闊葉樹上有一種昆蟲，為長足捷蟻提供食物（一種含糖物質）。闊葉樹不是棕櫚樹森林的原生植物；它們是最近被引進的。移除這些樹木不會破壞棕櫚林的生態系統，但會減少入侵螞蟻喜歡的棲息地範圍，這可能會減少它們的數量。

4.  

   Finally, it has been noted that ant populations are significantly denser near areas with human activity. Recently, a sharp increase in yellow crazy ants has been observed at one edge of the palm forest where a new visitor center was built, which suggests that more ants were transported to the area with construction material used for the center and that the ants have been eating food left behind by visitors there. Limiting human activity near the palm forest could help reduce ant populations.

   點此看中文翻譯

   最後，人們注意到，在有人類活動的地區附近，螞蟻的數量明顯密集。最近，在棕櫚樹森林的一個邊緣觀察到長足捷蟻的急劇增加，那裡建了一個新的遊客中心，這顯示更多的螞蟻隨著中心所用的建築材料被運到該地區，而且這些螞蟻一直在吃那裡的遊客留下的食物。限制棕櫚樹森林附近的人類活動可以幫助減少螞蟻的數量。

Lecture 講課內容

提供講課內容的中文翻譯有兩個目的。首先是幫助聽力有困難的同學能夠快速且精確地了解原文的意思。而更重要的原因是，提供給練習英語口語表達的讀者訓練的素材。

由於每個人的知識範疇各不相同，因此碰到超出自己專長的領域，常常會啞口無言，無話可說。這對練習英語表達是一項非常難以克服的障礙。所以參考托福整合寫作英語原稿，既可以讓自我練習英語聽力或會話時有貼切適當的素材，同時也能學些道地的表達方式，實是一舉數得。

使用上，可以在聽完一、兩次原始音檔之後，試著一邊看中文譯稿，一邊流利、正確地用英語說出文中的內容。多次練習之後，未來自然能夠在碰到同樣主題時與人侃侃而談。

1.  

   Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

   Unfortunately, the suggestions you read about are unlikely to work in this case. First of all, using toxic ant traps would cause some unintended harm. You see, these traps do not differentiate between the yellow crazy ants and other native species of ants. That means that the native ants can be harmed by the traps. The island near Australia you read about does not have any native ants. So no unintended harm was done there. But in the palm forest on the Seychelles islands, there are native ant species present that we want to protect, and these ants would certainly be killed by the toxic traps.

   點此看中文翻譯

   現在請聆聽關於你剛剛讀到的主題的部分講座。

   不幸的是，你讀到的建議在這種情況下不太可能起作用。首先，使用有毒的螞蟻陷阱會造成一些意想不到的傷害。你知道，這些陷阱並不區分長足捷蟻和其他本地品種的螞蟻。這意味著本地螞蟻可能會受到陷阱的傷害。你讀到的澳大利亞附近的那個島嶼沒有任何本地螞蟻。所以那裡沒有造成意外的傷害。但是在塞席爾群島的棕櫚林中，有我們想要保護的本地螞蟻物種存在，這些螞蟻肯定會被有毒的陷阱殺死。

2.  

   Second, cutting down broad-leaved trees might not solve the problem. You see, yellow crazy ants can thrive in several different kinds of habitats. Yes, they thrive in a habitat with broad-leaved trees. However, they also do well in habitats like open areas with increased sunlight. The trouble is, if we cut down the broad-leaved trees, we would create areas of increased sunlight inside the palm forest. So in other words, if we cut down broad-leaved trees, we might destroy one type of habitat that the ants like, but we'll be creating a new habitat that is also very friendly to the yellow crazy ants. So we won't get rid of the ants that way.

   點此看中文翻譯

   第二，砍掉闊葉樹可能無法解決問題。你看，長足捷蟻可以在幾種不同的棲息地茁壯成長。是的，它們在有闊葉樹的棲息地茁壯成長。然而，它們在像有更多陽光的開放區域這樣的棲息地也表現良好。問題是，如果我們砍掉闊葉樹，我們就會在棕櫚樹林內創造出陽光充足的區域。因此，換句話說，如果我們砍掉闊葉樹，我們可能會破壞螞蟻喜歡的一種棲息地，但我們將創造一個新的棲息地，這個棲息地對長足捷蟻也非常友好。所以我們無法以這種方式擺脫螞蟻。

3.  

   Finally limiting human activity around the forest might slow down the ant spread a little, but it might lead to a serious economic problem. You see, the island’s palm forest is the region’s main tourist attraction, and the unique trees and animals that live in the palm forest attract not just tourists, but also scientists who conduct studies on the region’s rare species. In fact, tourism and visits from scientists are the most important sources of income for the local people. Therefore, trying to limit human presence around the forest would negatively affect the economy of the whole region.

   Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on the specific solutions proposed in the reading passage.

   點此看中文翻譯

   最後限制森林周圍的人類活動可能會減緩螞蟻的傳播，但它可能會導致一個嚴重的經濟問題。你瞭解，島上的棕櫚林是該地區的主要旅遊景點，生活在棕櫚林中的獨特樹木和動物不僅吸引了遊客，還吸引了對該地區稀有物種進行研究的科學家。事實上，旅遊業和科學家的造訪是當地人最重要的收入來源。因此，試圖限制人類在森林周圍的出現會對整個地區的經濟產生負面影響。