新西兰英语 611 Queensland Fruit Fly in New Zealand

 　　One male Queensland Fruit Fly was found in a trap¹ in Mt Roskill, Auckland² this week. Biosecurity New Zealand is worried that there could be more of these insects. In the meantime³, people who live in that area and nearby Avondale cannot take fruit out to other areas. Biosecurity is asking people to put all their fruit and vegetable rubbish in a special air-tight bin⁴. They must not compost the rubbish.

　　The Queensland fruit fly is a terrible problem in parts of Australia, especially this year. It attacks over 100 different kinds of fruit and fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, pumpkins⁵ and egg plant. The female⁶ makes a very small hole in the skin of ripe fruit and lays her eggs inside the fruit. The maggots hatch⁷ and eat the fruit from the inside, then they leave the fruit and drop down to the ground. The fruit looks good from the outside but inside is mushy and brown.

　　In many states of Australia, you are not allowed to carry fruit or vegetables, especially near fruit-growing areas. Growers are worried that travellers⁸ could bring the Queensland Fruit Fly into their area. Australia calls this the World’s Worst Fruit Pest. Growers say it costs $100m in lost fruit and for chemicals to kill the fly.

　　How did the Queensland Fruit Fly get into New Zealand?

　　When you arrive in New Zealand, Biosecurity checks luggage. Sometimes sniffer dogs sniff⁹ your bags, including your hand luggage. They can smell fruit. Anyone who tries to bring fruit into New Zealand has to pay a large fine.

　　The other way that insects can get into New Zealand is from imported fruit but New Zealand does not buy fruit from areas with Queensland Fruit Fly.

　　Listen to March 25th 2010 to hear more about Biosecurity and unwanted pests.

　　Vocabulary

　　?A trap – this hangs in a fruit tree and contains chemicals which attract the fly and kill it

　　?The job of Biosecurity New Zealand is to keep out plants and animals we do not want.

　　?air-tight – air cannot get in (water-tight = water cannot get in)

　　?compost – a bin in the garden where plant rubbish and leaves make good food for your garden

　　?fruiting vegetable has a flower which forms the vegetable

　　?maggots –small insect which comes out of the egg

　　?hatch – a live animal (maggot, chicken) comes out of an egg

　　?mushy – soft like baby food

　　?pest – a plant or animal you don’t want. It can cause a problem.

　　?sniff – smell, take air in your nose

1 trap   

vt.使陷入困境，使受限制；设陷，坑害；n.陷阱，诡计；困境；活板门，存水弯；（双轮）轻便马车；vi.设圈套，设陷阱

参考例句：

• The hunter laid a trap for the tiger.猎人设置了陷阱捕捉老虎。
• Cheese is very good for luring a mouse into a trap.奶酪是引诱老鼠上钩的极好的东西。

2 Auckland   

n.奥克兰(新西兰港市)

参考例句：

• Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand.奥克兰是新西兰最大的城市。
• Return to auckland by bus in afternoon.下午乘车返回奥克兰。

3 meantime   

n.其时，其间；adv.同时，当时

参考例句：

• I continued working,meantime,he went out shopping.我继续工作，这期间他出去买东西。
• In the meantime we pressed on with the airlift.与此同时，我们加紧进行空运。

4 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

5 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

6 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

7 hatch   

n.孵化，舱口；vt.孵，孵出，策划；vi. 孵化

参考例句：

• No one knows how the new plan will hatch out.谁也不知道这新方案将怎样制订出来。
• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。

8 travellers   

n.旅行者( traveller的名词复数 )；旅游者；旅客；游客

参考例句：

• The unusually heavy rainfall was an ill omen for the travellers. 异乎寻常的大雨是旅行者的不祥之兆。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The travellers looked weather-beaten, there was little spit and polish. 旅客们满面风尘，仪容不整。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。