注释：

1.  the Goethe-Universitat in Frankfurt：德国法兰克福大学，即 Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main ，位于美因和莱茵两河汇流处的法兰克福。

2.   the University of Guelph：圭尔夫大学。该校成立于1964年，是一所公立的综合性大学。在2005年加拿大综合类大学评比中，圭尔夫大学名列第3名，是全加拿大最著名的高等学府之一。

3.  Ontario：安大略。加拿大中东部的一个省。                       

4.  the World Conservation Union：世界自然保护联盟。全球最大、最重要的自然保护网络机构， 它集合了82个国家、111个政府机构、800多个非政府组织以及来自181个国家的约1万多名科学家和专家，形成了世界环保领域里独一无二的全球性合作关系。

练习：

1.       Which of the following about the significance of the research on cryptic¹ species is NOT true?

A) The results of the research can help the development of many other research areas.

B) The results of the research can help the development of biodiversity estimates.

C) The results of the research can help our understanding of infectious disease evolution.

D) The results of the research can help our understanding of “survival of the fittest.”

2.       What was scientists’ understanding of cryptic species?

A) They occurred in equal numbers in all biogeographical regions.

B) They were mostly found in insects and reptiles².

C) They were likely to be in tropical rather than temperate³ regions.

D) Both B and C.

3.  Do scientists know how many cryptic species exist?

A) Not yet.

B) Yes, they do.

C) They will know the answer in another one or two years.

D) They will never know the answer.

4.  Which of the following about the African bush elephant and the African elephant is true?

A) The WCU are interbreeding those elephants.

B) They are interbreeding species.

C) They are two genetically⁴ distant species.

D) They depend on each other for survival.

5.  People were confused in their attempts to control malaria⁵ in Europe in the early 1900s, because scientists

A) identified only one mosquito species instead of six species.

B) thought only three mosquito species transmitted disease.

C) thought there was only one mosquito species.

D) did not know what species was being studied.

答案与题解：

1.  D   短文的第一段第二句的大意是，研究结果为广泛的研究领域提供启示，包括生物多样性研究，还能帮助我们理解传染疾病及其演变。所以，选项 A、B、C 都是正确的，它们不是答案。选项 D 的“适者生存”的内容文章中没有提及，因此是本题的答案。

2.  D   短文的第二段第二句描述的是科学家目前的研究结果，第三段描述的是科学家在这之前对于cryptic species的理解。本题用的是过去式，问的是过去的状况，因此，答案在第三段中，B和C是答案，所以D是正确选择。

3.  A   第三段和第五段提供了答案。第三段的最后一句中的Until …, no one will know just how many cryptic species exist. 其意思就是人们目前还不了解。第五段的最后一句也说明了研究者目前对此尚未了解。

4.  C   答案在第六段中。该段举了非洲大象为例，说明什么是 cryptic species。第六段的句子 “A 2001 study found the elephants were actually two genetically distinct, non-interbreeding species”是选择 C 的依据。选项 A 不对， the WCU 并没有杂交繁殖这两种象。选项 B 不对，短文说这两种象是非杂交物种。选项 D 的内容短文中找不到。

5.  A   短文最后一段告诉我们，由于对蚊子种类不了解，20世纪初期疟疾曾肆虐欧洲，最终，科学家才了解到蚊子这一物种不是由一个种类而是由六个种类组成。所以，应该选择 A。