英语听力文摘 English Digest 52、蚂蚁社会

　　Ants have an amazing ability to communicate with each other and work together to accomplish complex tasks.
Their specialized¹ behavior due to chemical communication is so well developed, in fact, that humans can learn a lot from them about how best to work in teams.
British scientists at the University of Bristol are studying colonies of army ants to understand how they organize themselves and share knowledge. These insects--which come in various sizes--are known for using their bodies as living plugs to cover potholes² on the rough terrain³ between their nest and their prey⁴. When they encounter a hole in their path, they quickly determine which of them is the best fit. The appropriate ant then lies across the gap, allowing the remainder of the group--as many as 200,000 other ants--to step on its back. This important minority of ants optimizes⁵ the food collection of the entire colony by literally⁶ "paving the way" for the others.
The collective behavior that emerges from a group of social insects, such as ants, can be called "swarm⁷ intelligence". Swarm intelligence consists of the self-organization of many individuals that work collectively to find the best solution for a difficult problem.
The concepts of swarm intelligence have been used in a variety of human applications. "Ant colony optimization⁸" has been mimicked⁹ as a routing method that improves the efficiency of cargo¹⁰ transfers on airplanes, and has even become a routing technique for moving data across telecommunications networks more smoothly¹¹. I guess you could say that our daily lives benefit from the tireless work of ants

1 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

2 potholes   

n.壶穴( pothole的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Potholes are also home to tiny desert animals. 洞穴也是弱小动物的家。 来自互联网
• If you're going to enjoy the good times, you've certainly got to deal with some potholes. 如果要享受甜美的胜利果实，当然要应付这些战绩不佳的指责压力。 来自互联网

3 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

4 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

5 optimizes   

v.使最优化，使尽可能有效( optimize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Emerson optimizes PlantWeb engineering work processes by joining Intergraph's SmartPlant alliance program. 加入Intergraph的SmartPlant联盟计划，艾默生优化了PlantWeb工程工作步骤。 来自互联网
• The algorithm optimizes the flow of inter mode of macro-block decision algorithm. 算法优化了宏块帧间模式选择算法的流程。 来自互联网

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

8 optimization   

n.最佳化，最优化；优选法；优化组合

参考例句：

• Development of detergents has required optimization of the surfactants structure. 发展洗涤剂时，要求使用最恰当的表面活性剂结构。 来自辞典例句
• In the case of productivity tools and other non-entertainment-oriented products, this optimization means minimizing work. 对于生产工具和其他非娱乐导向的产品而言，这意味着将工作负荷降至最低。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 mimicked   

v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 )；酷似

参考例句：

• He mimicked her upper-class accent. 他模仿她那上流社会的腔调。 来自辞典例句
• The boy mimicked his father's voice and set everyone off laughing. 男孩模仿他父亲的嗓音，使大家都大笑起来。 来自辞典例句

10 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

11 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。