If there were a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ants，Matthias Wittlinger of the University of Ulm，in Germany，would probably be top of its hate list．The reason is that Dr Wittlinger and his colleagues have，as they report in this week’s Science，been chopping the feet off ants．And not 0nly that．They have been making other ants walk around on stilts．
Saharan desert ants of the genus Cataglyphis have to travel long distances to discover food in their impoverished，sandy environment．How they find their way home once they have done so is a mystery． Ants in more temperate climates often lay down chemical trails，but Cataglyphis，apparently，does not． Like honeybees and ancient mariners，they can navigate by the sun，so they know the general direction in which to travel．But，als0 1ike ancient mariners(who knew their latitude，but not their longitude)，such solar reckoning cannot tell them when to stop．
Dr Wittlinger，therefore，decided to investigate a century-old hypothesis that desert ants have internal pedometers--in other words，they count their steps out，and they count them back．oWhen one total matches the other，they are home．To test this idea he trained his ants to walk from their nests to a feeding station through a ten-metre-long channel．When they had picked up the food，he caught them and made them return through a different channel，which also led to the nest．When they made this return journey，they began their characteristic nest-searching behaviour，quartering the ground in detail looking for the entrance．after travelling about ten metres．
Once the ants had mastered this trick，the experiment proper begam Some ants，when they arrived at the feeding station，had the ends of their legs amputated，to shorten their stride length．Others．were fitted with stilts in the form of pig-bristles glued to their feet．Both lots were then returned to the feeding station，to make the journey home．
As predicted，the ants on stilts，whose stride-length meant their internal pedometers had not clicked enough times，walked blithely past their nests，and were left stranded almost five metres on the far side before they started looking for the hole．④Meanwhile，the poor stumped ants travelled only about six metres before they started their search．
The story，however，has a happy endin9．Having proved his point，Dr Wittlinger returned both sturoped and stilted ants to the nest and gave them a few days to recover．Then he let them out for another run．Now that they could re-count their outbound journeys，they were able to calculate the journey home correctly．Ants may not be very bright，but it seems they have a head for figures．[452 words]
1．Aceording to the text，Dr Wittlinger______．
A．is extremely cruel to ants
B．is interested in a function of ants
C．is most hated by a Royal Society of Ants
D．specializes in protecting ants from being hurt
2．The word“longitude”in the second paragraph most probably refers t0______．
A．the way to go home
B．the general direction
C．the distance travelled
D．navigation by the sun
3．It can be inferred from the text that______．
A．the stumped ants walk faster than the stilted ants
B．the stilted ants walk faster than the stumped ants
C．both stumped and stilted ants can find their way home
D．desert ants are by nature able to measure how far they walk
4．The experiment designed by Dr Wittlinger______．
A．failed to verify the hypothesis about desert ants
B．verified that desert ants have internal pedometers
C．was proper enough to verify a scientific hypothesis
D．illustrated that desert ants are the most intelligent creature
5．It has been proved by Dr Wittlinger that______．
A．desert ants can count their walking steps
B．desert ants excel in elementary mathematics
C．desert ants can be taught to find their way home
D．desert ants are good at complicated calculations[NextPage]
难句透析
①Dr Wittlinger，therefore，decided to investigate a century—old hypothesis[that desert ants have internal pedome— ters]一一in other words，they count their steps out，and they count them back．
【结构】方括号所标示的“that desert ants have internal pedometers”是“hypothesis”的同位语从旬。破折号后面的部分是对这个“hypothesis”的补充说明。
【释义】因此，卫凌格博士决定研究一个具有百年历史的假说。这个假说认为，沙漠蚂蚁有内在的计步功能，换言之，它们外出时计步数，然后依据这个步数走回来。
②When they made this return journey，they began their characteristic nestIsearching behaviour，[quartering the ground in detail(100king for the entrance)，after travelling about ten metres]．
【结构】方括号所标示的现在分词短语“quartering the ground…metres”用做主句的补充说明状语。圆括号所标示的现在分词短语“looking for the entrance”是现在分词短语“quarterin9…”中的状语。
【释义】 回程时，这些蚂蚁走出大约l0米后，就开始了其特有的寻巢行动，他们仔细计量步数，寻找洞口。
③Some ants，when they arrived at the feeding station]，had the ends of their legs amputated，[to shorten their stride length]．
【结构】方括号所标示的“when they…feeding station”是时间状语从句。方括号所标示的动词不定式短语“to shorten their stride length”用做目的状语。
【释义】一些蚂蚁到达饲喂站后被砍掉脚尖以缩短步幅。
④As predicted，the ants on stilts，[whose stride-length meant(their internal pedometers had not clicked enough times)]，”walked blithely past their nests，and were left stranded almost five metres on the far side r before they started Iooking for the hole]．
【结构】方括号所标示的“whose stride-length…enough times”是主句主语“the ants on stilts”的后置定语从句，其中圆括号所标示的“their internal pedometers…times”是“meant”的宾语从句。主句有两个并列的谓语动词“walked”和“were left”。方括号所标示的“before they…the hole”是时间状语从句。
【释义】正如人们所料，接上“高跷”的蚂蚁们并没有注意到自己实际的步幅，而是按照内置的步程计欢天喜地地大步前进，直至超过洞巢5米处才开始四下寻找入口。
⑤[Having proved his point]，Dr Wittlinger returned both stumped and stilted ants to the nest and gave them a few days to recover．
【结构】方括号所标示的现在分词短语“Having proved his point”用做状语。本句有两个并列的谓语动词“returned”和“gave”。
【释义】证实了自己的假说之后，卫凌格博士把被“截肢”的和踩“高跷”的蚂蚁们都放回洞巢中休养生息。[NextPage]
全文翻译
假设的确存在以防止残害蚂蚁为宗旨的皇家学会的话，德国乌尔姆大学的马泰斯·卫凌格可能会位列此学会黑名单榜首。因为据卫凌格博士和他的同事们刊登在本周的《科学》杂志上的报告称，他们不仅仅砍掉了一些蚂蚁的双脚，而且让另一些蚂蚁足踩“高跷”行走。
由于生存环境贫瘠多沙，箭蚁属撒哈拉沙漠蚂蚁不得不长途跋涉去觅食。它们如何准确地找到自己的巢穴一直以来都是个谜。在较温和的气候中，蚂蚁通常会沿途留下化学物质作为记号，但很明显，箭蚁属蚁类不这样做。同蜜蜂或是古时的水手一样，箭蚁属蚁类也通过观察太阳来判断方向，所以它们能够判断出大致的方向。但正如古时的水手只知道自己所处的纬度而不知道经度一样，这种依赖于太阳的方法并不能提示箭蚁应该何时停下脚步。
因此，卫凌格博士决定研究一个具有百年历史的假说。这个假说认为，沙漠蚂蚁有内在的计步功能，换言之，它们外出时计步数，然后依据这个步数走回来。它们明白，当这两个数字完全吻合时它们就到家了。为了验证这个假设，卫凌格博士训练他的蚂蚁们从洞巢出发，穿过一条l0米长的通道到达饲喂站。当蚂蚁们拿到食物后，他又迫使它们经过另一条通向洞巢的通道返回。回程时，这些蚂蚁走出大约l0米后，就开始了其特有的寻巢行动，他们仔细计量步数，寻找洞口。②
一旦蚂蚁们了解了这个骗局，试验就真正开始。一些蚂蚁到达饲喂站后被砍掉脚尖以缩短步幅。③而另一些蚂蚁的腿上被粘接猪鬃样的东西。之后它们被放回到饲喂站，重新开始从饲喂站返家的旅程。
正如人们所料，接上“高跷”的蚂蚁们并没有注意到自己实际的步幅，而是按照内置的步程计欢天喜地地大步前进，直至超过洞巢5米处才开始四下寻找入口。④同时，被“截肢”的蚂蚁们仅行进了6米便开始寻找洞巢入口。 然而，最终这个试验有了一个圆满的结局。证实了自己的假说之后，卫凌格博士把被“截肢”的和踩“高跷”的蚂蚁们都放回洞巢中休养生息。然后让它们再次行走。既然蚂蚁们可以重新计算出发时的步数，返回时也能够准确地抵达洞巢。或许蚂蚁并不聪明，但它们似乎对数字异常敏感。
超纲词汇
stump 绊倒，难住，截去
stride 步幅
bristle n．短而硬的毛
stilt n．高跷，支柱，脚柱
strand vt．／vi．搁浅
pedometer n．计步器
reckon vt．／vi．计算
outbound adj．开往海外的，开往外国的
amputate vt．切除(手臂，腿等)
Sahara 撒哈拉沙漠
impoverish vt．使贫穷，使枯竭
mariner 水手
quarter vt．四等分，分为四份
blithely 愉快地，快乐地
genus n．种，类
参考答案：1．B 2．C 3．D 4．B 5．A
