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The War on Zebra Mussels-空中英語教室
2025/03/29 16:05
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The War on Zebra Mussels「斑馬貽貝」戰爭(上)
空中英語教室 20250328

The War on Zebra Mussels是什麼？
ChatGPT 說：
The War on Zebra Mussels（對斑馬貽貝的戰爭）指的是人們為了控制和防止**斑馬貽貝（zebra mussels）**擴散所做的努力。
什麼是斑馬貽貝？
斑馬貽貝是一種入侵性水生物種，原產於歐洲和俄羅斯的里海地區，後來透過貨船壓艙水和附著在船體的方式傳播到北美等地。
這種貽貝繁殖速度極快，會嚴重影響當地的生態系統和基礎設施，例如：
 堵塞水管（影響供水系統和發電廠）
 破壞本土物種（與當地水生生物競爭資源，導致生態失衡）
 影響漁業和經濟（大量增殖會導致水質惡化、漁業受影響）
為什麼說是「戰爭」？
由於這種生物的擴散難以控制，許多政府機構、環保團體和科學家投入大量資源來防止它們進一步蔓延，就像是在打一場戰爭。
防治方法有哪些？
1 清理船隻：在船隻離開某個水域前，需清洗並排乾船體和馬達內的水，以防止貽貝幼體（larvae）擴散。
2 使用化學或生物控制：某些地方使用化學藥劑或天敵來減少貽貝數量。
3 設置檢查站：某些地區對進入湖泊或河流的船隻進行檢查，確保沒有斑馬貽貝附著。
4 大眾教育與宣傳：提高人們對入侵物種的影響的認識，讓更多人參與防治行動。
這場「戰爭」仍在進行中，因為完全根除斑馬貽貝幾乎是不可能的，但透過這些措施，可以減緩它們的擴散並降低對環境的危害。

只要修正英文文法，不要翻譯，保留原文的中文與英文，再將簡體中文修改為繁體中文
Hi, friends! Welcome back!
My name is John, and today is a great day to learn something new.
So let’s do that together!
Friends, my name is Ann Marie.
This is Studio Classroom, and we’re so happy you’re joining us today!
Ann Marie and I will talk with you about something called invasive species.
Ann Marie, what is an invasive species?
All right!
An invasive species is a type of plant or animal
that isn’t supposed to be in that environment or in that place.
For some reason, they leave their natural habitat and enter a new place.
And they usually cause problems for the animals and plants that live there.
Oh yeah, that sounds bad!
Especially when you live on an island like we do.
When an invasive species comes in, it can be dangerous for local wildlife.
But what is the zebra mussel?
It’s an invasive species—what is it, and what is it doing?
Let’s read together right now!
The War on Zebra Mussels
The problems with this species and what to do about them
When we think of human actions damaging the environment,
we often think of pollution, excessive use of resources,
or destruction of habitats.
But introducing new species into areas where they don’t naturally live
can also be destructive.
One such invasive species is the zebra mussel.
Hi, I’m Jack!
今天的Usage Tip是
one such 和 such a / such an的差別。
如果是舉例前面提到的某個群體，就可以用
one such + 名詞 來表達其中之一。
例如課文中的句子：
"One such invasive species is the zebra mussel."
意思是：「其中一種入侵物種是斑馬貽貝。」
such a / such an + 名詞 則是用來表示「這樣的一個」，強調某人或某事物的特點，但不特指群體中的某一例。
來看一個例句：
"I’ve never met such a patient teacher who explains every concept until we all understand."
「我從未見過這麼有耐心的老師，他會解釋每個概念，直到我們都理解為止。」
Friends, it’s time for "The War on Zebra Mussels"!
This phrase, "the war on something", means "the fight against something."
In this case, it refers to fighting against an invasive species called the zebra mussel.
We begin our article by discussing the problem with this species and what to do about them.
Key Vocabulary Review
When we think of human actions damaging the environment,
we often think of:
1️⃣ Pollution
2️⃣ Excessive use of resources
3️⃣ Destruction of habitats
Before we move on, let’s talk about a few key words from this section!
🔹 Excessive – means more than is necessary, normal, or desirable.
For example, if your friend orders four hamburgers, you might say:
"Wow, I think that’s a little excessive. You don’t need that much food!"
🔹 Destruction – a noun meaning the complete ruin or end of something.
The verb form is destroy.
"The destruction of forests is harmful to many animals."
🔹 Habitat – the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or organism.
"A bear’s natural habitat is the forest."
Sometimes, we also use habitat when talking about zoos.
For example:
"The lion habitat at that zoo was pretty small."
We’ve talked about a few ways humans damage the environment:
Pollution
Excessive use of resources
Destruction of habitats
But introducing new species into areas where they don’t naturally live
can also be destructive.
Here’s another important word:
🔹 Destructive – an adjective meaning "causing damage or harm."
"This invasive species is destructive to local wildlife."
Now, we finally read this sentence:
"One such invasive species is the zebra mussel."
What Does "Invasive" Mean?
An invasive species is a non-native species that is not welcome.
It is an animal or a plant that comes from somewhere else
and is introduced to a different habitat.
Do you remember?
A few years ago, we talked about invasive iguanas
and how they multiply so quickly, destroying crops and animal habitats.
Wow!
A lot of the time, people bring different animals with them
when they move to a new area.
For example, people might bring cows or sheep when settling in a new country.
However, if those domestic animals escape,
they can multiply in a new environment.
This has happened with cats and dogs in many places—such as Australia.
Now, Let’s Learn More About Zebra Mussels!
Let’s continue reading the next section of today’s article:
The War on Zebra Mussels
Zebra mussels live in freshwater
and are native to the Caspian and Black Seas,
which are found between Europe and Asia.
These seas are less salty than most,
so a freshwater species like the zebra mussel can live there
and in nearby lakes.
By latching onto ships, these mollusks have spread across much of Europe and North America,
causing problems for both humans and the environment.
我們先來看 native 這個字。當形容詞時，意思是原生的。
來看例句：
The Formosan pangolin, which is native to the island, is in danger of becoming extinct.
本島原生的台灣穿山甲正面臨滅絕的危險。
Native 也指本國的、土生土長的，譬如：
The hockey players and fans stood and passionately sang the first lines of Canada’s national anthem: "O Canada! Our home and native land!"
曲棍球運動員和球迷起立，熱情高唱加拿大國歌的第一句：「哦，加拿大！我們的家鄉和祖國！」
或是：
The taxi driver looked over his shoulder and asked, "Is this your first time here, or are you native to the area?"
計程車司機轉頭問道：「你是第一次來這裡，還是本地人呢？」
Friends, if you remember back to the days you were learning your ABCs, there’s an animal that is always used for the letter Z.
What is that animal?
Are you talking about the zebra?
I’m talking about the one and only zebra, that striped horse that starts with the letter Z!
But what is a zebra mussel? Is it like a zebra?
Great question! Here is the exact definition of what kind of animal the zebra mussel is.
The zebra mussel is a bivalve mollusk.
Now, bivalve means two or two shells, and a mollusk—we’ll talk about that in a moment.
Zebra mussels are bivalve mollusks that specifically have a pattern on their shell that is black and white, kind of like how a zebra’s coat looks.
哦，酷！真是一種有趣的動物！
It seems like they are really well adapted to their natural habitat.
They live in fresh water and are native to the Caspian and Black Seas, which are found between Europe and Asia.
這些海的鹽度比大多數海域都低。
So, they live in mostly fresh water.
It says that in our article, so when we say that they are native to the Caspian and Black Seas, that means that’s where these mollusks are supposed to be.
That is their actual habitat.
These seas are less salty than most, so a freshwater species like zebra mussels can live there and in nearby lakes.
有趣！所以它們生活在淡水湖泊，而不是鹹水海洋中。
But because they can live in fresh water, this species has spread by latching onto ships.
The mollusks have spread to much of Europe and North America, causing a problem for humans and the environment alike.
To latch onto something—what does that mean?
Well, to latch on means to firmly grab onto something in an immovable way.
For example, do your kids ever latch onto your leg?
Sometimes! And yes, you can use "latch on" in a physical sense, but you can also use this for ideas as well.
If somebody latches onto an idea, it means they are holding onto it and not letting it go.
But it’s time for us to talk about what a mollusk actually is.
Friends, a mollusk is an invertebrate. It doesn’t have a spine, and it has a soft, unsegmented body.
It likes a damp habitat. Some types of mollusks live in the ocean or in the sea.
Some of them are animals like snails that live on land but still like damp environments.
有趣的是，許多軟體動物都能附著在岩石或船隻上，以避免被海浪沖走。
But because these mollusks can latch onto ships, they have spread to other places where they weren’t originally.
So that causes a problem.
I know that you’re from the US, like me.
There’s one place in the US called Florida, which is warm and tropical. A lot of species do really well there, like lizards and snakes from other places.
So, there are a lot of invasive species in the southern U.S.
I wonder, where you live, are there any invasive species? How would you describe them in English?
Well, Amory, it’s time for our InfoCloud, isn’t it?
Let’s go there right now!
Hello, friends! Welcome to InfoCloud.
Rex, did you hear about the new housing development? They stopped working on it before they finished.
Yeah, what a disaster! Everything seemed to be going fine, but someone must have thrown a wrench in the works.
Oh no! I didn’t realize a wrench was involved.
It’s just an expression, Carrot. There’s no real wrench.
I know! When someone "throws a wrench in the works," it means they cause a problem that disrupts everything.
Exactly!
The expression comes from machinery. A machine’s "works" are the parts inside that make it work, like gears.
When you throw a wrench—a kind of tool—into those gears, they get all jammed up and stop working. Then the machine malfunctions.
We basically use the phrase to describe any situation in which some action or event stops an entire process.
So, for example, I could say, "Our project was going fine until poor communication threw a wrench into the works."

throw a wrench in the works
製造問題、讓事情無法順利進行
當一件事情讓整個專案無法正常運作，你可以用 throw a wrench in the works 來形容。
Throw a wrench in the works 字面上的意思是在機械運作中丟進一個扳手，讓機器卡住。
因此，throw a wrench in the works 就有製造問題、讓事情無法順利進行的意思。
Our project was going fine until poor communication threw a wrench in the works.
我們的計畫案原本進行得很順利，直到溝通不良讓事情變得一團亂。
Throw a wrench in the works 可以用來形容生活中各種被打亂的計畫或工作。
這就是今天的 InfoCloud，我們下次雲端見！

The War on Zebra Mussels
When species are abruptly introduced to a new ecosystem,
they often disrupt the balance of that ecosystem, and zebra mussels are no exception.
They feed by filtering phytoplankton and other nutrients out of the water as they pass through their shells—
and they do so with striking efficiency.
This means that when zebra mussels arrive in a new area,
they consume so much phytoplankton that other species that also eat the same food source
struggle to get a sufficient amount of food.
Since those other creatures, in turn, are a food source for still other species,
the zebra mussels invariably harm everything in the lake.
接下來看 abruptly 這個副詞，意思是 突然地。
來看例句：
"Mom! Mom!" the children yelled, running abruptly into the living room and causing their startled mother to spill her coffee.
「媽媽！媽媽！」孩子們大叫著，突然跑進客廳，嚇得媽媽把咖啡灑了出來。
或者是：
Their relationship ended so abruptly that most of their friends still hadn’t heard about the breakup.
他們的關係結束得太突然，以至於他們的大多數朋友都還沒聽說分手的消息。
再看一句：
"I can’t do this anymore. I quit!" the employee said abruptly as he shoved his belongings into his bag.
「我再也無法忍受了，我辭職！」這位員工一邊把自己的東西塞進包包裡，一邊突然說道。
Well, friends, now it’s time for the dangerous question:
What happens when a new species comes to a non-native area, Amory?
All right, let’s read what our article has to say.
Friends, we see:
"When species are abruptly introduced to a new ecosystem, they often disrupt the balance of that ecosystem."
Okay, first of all, we need to define what an ecosystem is.
An ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Ooh, okay.
So you could say lots of different animals live in an ecosystem—
the jungle is a very wet, green ecosystem, right?
That’s right!
But we read on with this sentence:
"They often disrupt the balance of that ecosystem."
Let’s talk about what it means if something is disrupted.
If something is disrupted, or if it disrupts,
it means it negatively affects the peace and order of something.
How can you use the word disrupt in a sentence?
"Please don’t disrupt class by eating."
That means you are bothering everyone around you—you’re being distracting in some way.
But we read on here:
"Zebra mussels are no exception."
This is a wonderful sentence pattern for you to know, friends.
"Something is not an exception."
It means that the thing is included in the previous statement.
So, zebra mussels are being disruptive, okay?
So you talk about an idea, then you say, "Something is no exception."
For example:
"Many people from America love McDonald’s, and I’m no exception."
That means I’m part of that group I mentioned before.
Exactly!
But we read on here, friends:
"They feed by filtering phytoplankton and other nutrients out of the water when they pass through their shells."
John, what is phytoplankton?
Okay, let’s learn this one together.
Phytoplankton are these tiny or microscopic creatures that are made of plants.
So, there are lots of tiny little creatures that are little animals—
they have little legs or something like that—
but these are tiny little plants.
And these mollusks eat those mini plants, which is pretty cool.
That’s right!
And they’re actually filtering them out of the water—
and they’re doing this with striking efficiency.
Now, friends, I did a little extra research because this was really interesting to me,
and I found out that while zebra mussels are edible, you don’t want to eat them!
Because they are so good at filtering water,
they hold a lot of toxins in their shells.
So, if you consume them, you’re essentially eating a lot of toxins.
Too many vitamins, right?
Maybe not vitamins… They’re "too nutritious" with toxins!
So, don’t eat zebra mussels is what I’m hearing!
We also read that "they do this with striking efficiency."
Efficiency means you’re being very good at your job.
But striking—if something is striking,
it means it makes someone watching stop and observe that thing or think about it.
Okay, so what does this all mean?
We read:
"This means that when zebra mussels arrive in a new area,
they consume so much phytoplankton that other species that also eat these phytoplankton
struggle to get a sufficient amount of food."
So, they are removing part of the food chain out of that ecosystem!
Ooh!
Have you ever had a brother or sister that eats a lot of the food before you get there at dinner?
You know how these other species feel!
So, since these other creatures, in turn, are a food source for still other species,
the zebra mussels invariably harm everything in the lake.
Okay, what does this mean?
"Invariably"—this is a good word for you to know, friends.
Invariably means "in every case and on every occasion."
What our writer is saying here is that there is no situation where zebra mussels are beneficial to other species.
They are hurting every single species in an ecosystem.
Oh wow… So when zebra mussels kick out other animals,
it invariably, or definitely, hurts everything.
Wow, that’s kind of sad…
What can we do about this problem?
Hmm… well, the first thing we can do is go to today’s fun fact to learn more!
Hello, fact friends!
I am Detective Ernest Finder, and I have a fun invasive species fact for you today!
Did you know that some invasive species are cute?
Ha! Honeybees and sparrows are invasive!
Haha! Not every species that invades is cute.
Earthworms are invasive in some places, but they’re not very cute.
Anyway, if you have an invasive species,
I guess it’s a good thing if it’s cute!
And that is today’s fun fact!
Well, friends, it’s always fascinating to talk about animals and the way they live.
But I’ve got our Talk About It question!
Are you ready?
I’m ready!
Okay, Talk About It: Do you know of any other invasive species? What are they, and how do they spread?
Ah, great question! I know of one invasive species that I see almost every day here in Taipei.
There’s a type of snail that gets really, really big, and after it rains, those snails come out, and they are all over the place.
I believe they originated in Africa.
Friends, if you know exactly what the story is with these snails, let us know!
But yeah, that’s one that I see every day.
John, fascinating!
Well, friends, it’s interesting how animals travel—
but be very careful if you’re traveling!
Don’t bring any invasive species with you, right?
That’s right!
Well, friends, that’s all the time we have for today.
My name is Anne Marie.
And my name is John.
Friends, thanks for joining us as we talked about zebra mussels today.
We’ll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom! 🚀


The War on Zebra Mussels「斑馬貽貝」戰爭(下)
空中英語教室 20250329
只要修正英文文法，不要翻譯，保留原文的中文與英文，再將簡體中文修改為繁體中文
hey friends
welcome back
my name is John, and today is a great day to learn something new
so let’s do that together, friends
My name is Ann Marie,
and today, here on Studio Classroom,
we are talking about something called an invasive species.
That is an animal that has gone to another part of the world
and is ruining the habitat or the place where animals live.
That’s right! We are talking all about zebra mussels.
These are bivalve mollusks
with a striped pattern on their shells.
Now, as John said, these are invasive species.
They get into ecosystems where they don’t belong,
and they cause a lot of problems.
They do! So, what can people do about these little creatures?
Let’s find out in the first section of our reading together.
The War on Zebra Mussels
Zebra mussels also create problems for humans
because they multiply so quickly.
They often grow on objects made by humans,
and clusters of zebra mussels
can prevent these objects from functioning properly.
For example, zebra mussels
have been known to obstruct the flow of water through pipes,
which can prevent communities from getting clean drinking water.
Zebra mussels attach to these objects so firmly
that they can be difficult and expensive to clean.
Hi everyone, welcome to Language Lab! I’m Jack.
首先，我們來看 "obstruct" 這個動詞，意思是「阻礙」或「阻擋」。
來看例句：
The Fosters were so upset that the new building obstructed their ocean view that they sold their apartment and moved away.
Foster 一家對於新建案擋住了他們的海景感到非常不滿，於是賣掉公寓搬走了。
或者：
If you hide information from the police, you are obstructing justice and could get into serious trouble.
如果你向警方隱瞞訊息，就是妨礙司法，並可能會惹上大麻煩。
"Obstruct" 的名詞是 "obstruction"，意思是「障礙物」。
比如說：
Google Maps says there’s an obstruction on Highway 16, so let’s take a different route.
Google 地圖顯示 16 號高速公路上有障礙物，所以我們走另一條路線吧！
Friends, are you ready to fight in the war on zebra mussels?
Or the war against these invasive species?
I hope so, because as we read, zebra mussels
also create problems for humans. Why?
It says here in our article that they multiply quickly.
Now, "multiply" is a word that means
to increase or cause to increase greatly in number or quantity.
So, the idea here is that there are some zebra mussels originally,
but they become more and more
over a very short period of time.
That’s right! You could say,
"The weeds in my garden multiply so quickly, I can’t keep up with them."
The word "multiply," if you math students remember,
is represented by a little "×".
Sometimes, we say "times," like "two times two" means "two multiplied by two."
That’s right! But let’s continue, friends.
They often grow on objects made by humans.
Now, as you can imagine, friends,
these little mollusks are living in the water.
What kind of things made by humans are also in the water?
Well, we see here that clusters of zebra mussels
can prevent these objects from functioning.
Excuse me, but we have this word "clusters" here.
Can you define that for us, John?
Yeah, okay!
What is a cluster?
Well, a cluster of things means a closely packed group,
often things that are stuck together.
There are clusters of different things sometimes.
Desserts are little clusters of things stuck together by something sweet.
That’s right! Like chocolate clusters, for example.
But we also see this word "functioning" here, friends.
To "function" means to fulfill the task of a specified thing.
So what’s happening is these man-made objects are in the water,
the zebra mussels grow on them,
and then the objects cannot function properly.
Interesting! So maybe if you have a boat propeller,
it would stop functioning if too many clusters of zebra mussels stuck to it.
We also read, for example,
that zebra mussels have been known to obstruct the flow of water through pipes,
which can prevent communities from getting clean drinking water.
So basically, they block the water
that needs to go through a pipe to a community or a town.
That word "obstruct," we learned already.
That’s right! We saw it in our Language Lab, friends.
So this is a big problem for humans, not just animals, right?
If you can’t get clean drinking water to a community...
But we read on.
Here, zebra mussels attach to these objects so firmly
that they can be difficult and expensive to clean.
Now, what does this word "firmly" mean, John?
Okay! "Firmly" means strongly and immovably.
Remember yesterday we learned the term "to latch onto something"?
Well, if you latch onto something,
you are firmly grabbing onto it.
That’s right! So, for example,
things could be said in a firm way—you could say them firmly.
That means that you are not going to change your position.
But as John said,
objects can be rooted firmly or attached firmly to other things as well.
That’s right! And again, this is an adverb.
So you can say, "I stood firmly on the mountaintop."
Or you could say that something is "firm" as an adjective.
For example, "This rock is really firm; it’s not moving when I push it."
Well, we also read that because they are so firmly attached,
they can be difficult and expensive to clean.
I would not want to clean zebra mussels—it sounds hard!
But what else can we do about them?
Let’s find out in the next section of our reading!
The War on Zebra Mussels
Removing zebra mussels is incredibly difficult,
so only by stopping them from spreading
can people limit the trouble they cause.
Governments of areas affected by these mollusks
are taking steps to prevent their spread.
But since they spread mostly by privately owned boats,
the owners of these boats
are responsible for taking their own preventive measures.
接下來看 "removal" 這個名詞，意思是「移開」或「拿掉」。
來看幾個例句：
Do you have a garbage removal company that could take all of this junk away for a decent price?
有沒有哪家垃圾清除公司可以用合理的價格將這些垃圾都運走呢？
在 90 年代的美國愛情喜劇中，摘下眼鏡總能讓平凡、不受歡迎的女孩神奇地變成高中校園美女。
The removal of a pair of glasses always magically transformed plain, unpopular girls into high school beauties in 1990s American romantic comedies.
"Removal" 也指「除去」。
譬如：
Laser hair removal is an effective but somewhat painful way to get rid of hair from unwanted places.
雷射除毛是一種去除不需要毛髮的有效方法，但會有一些疼痛。
Alright, friends,
these mussels are firmly attached, so what can we do?
Well, we read here
that the removal of zebra mussels is incredibly difficult.
So, only by stopping them from spreading
can people limit the trouble they cause.
That word "removal"—we saw it in our Language Lab!
That’s right! So, if I’m understanding correctly,
once zebra mussels are already in a lake or a body of water,
or maybe attached to a boat or something else in the water,
it’s really hard to get rid of them.
That’s not the best way to deal with this problem.
The best way to deal with it is to stop
them from going to a new habitat or ecosystem in the first place.
There is this phrase in English that we can learn,
and it says: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Basically, if you can stop something or prevent it from happening,
even just a little bit,
that can save a lot of trouble or a big cure or solution later on.
That’s a good point! But we read on here, friends.
Governments of areas affected by these mollusks
are taking steps to prevent their spread.
Now, if you "take steps" to do something,
it means that you are beginning a course of action
or implementing an action plan.
That’s right! Have you ever taken steps to improve your grades in school?
Some people take steps to have a healthier diet
when they start a new plan in the New Year.
But here, the governments are taking these steps.
But how are the mollusks usually spread around?
Okay, we find out about that in this next part.
Here, we read:
"But since they spread mostly by privately owned boats,
the owners of these boats are responsible for taking their own preventive measures."
First of all, let’s talk about what our writer means
when she says "privately owned boats."
If something is privately owned,
it means that an individual person,
not a company, a government, or the public, owns it.
Some other things might be publicly owned or government-owned, for example.
But here, we’re talking about people’s small boats.
So, if you own a small boat,
it means that you are responsible for making sure
you are taking preventive measures.
If you’re responsible for something,
it means that you take control of it and do
what is needed to ensure that it doesn’t spread.
And we see here
that there are specific types of measures that need to be taken.
This word is "preventive."
Something that is preventive
is designed to keep something under control,
such as an illness or harm, from happening.
So, it means that you are keeping this bad thing from happening.
You could say:
"While my children were playing on the sofa,
I took preventive measures and put lots of cushions in case they fell off."
Do you ever do anything that is preventive?
Talk about it,
and you can give your friends advice!
That’s right!
Alright, friends, well, we have more to learn about zebra mussels in just a minute.
We are not done talking about what can be done to stop their spread.
But right now, it’s time for us to learn something new with today’s InfoCloud!
Hello, everyone!
Welcome to InfoCloud!
Garrett, you don’t look so good. Are you okay?
Oh, hey, Rex. Not really. My stomach is really hurting.
I really hate going to the doctor, though.
Maybe it will get better on its own.
I think you should just bite the bullet and go anyway.
That way, you’ll know what’s wrong.
"Bite a bullet"? I don’t think that would help...
Oh, wait! You meant the phrase, right?
Yeah! When you "bite the bullet,"
you go ahead and do something challenging or unpleasant,
even though you don’t want to.
It’s usually something you should or must do.
It’s a phrase that might come from older times
when soldiers were given a bullet to bite down on during painful medical procedures.
In that case, "biting the bullet" meant dealing with something as quickly as possible.
Today, we can use this phrase in other situations.
For example, if you’re given a meal that doesn’t look very good and you’re a guest,
you might need to bite the bullet and eat it anyway—
it’s the polite thing to do.
Growing and becoming a better person often forces us to face challenges.
Bite the bullet, friends, and do it anyway!
It’s good for you—probably.

bite the bullet 咬緊牙關
當我們碰到一些令人不舒服的情況，像是看醫生、打針之類的事情，我們需要 "bite the bullet"。
字面上是「咬著子彈」，據說以前的士兵在進行痛苦的手術時，會咬住一顆子彈，試圖減少痛苦。
因此，在今天，"bite the bullet" 就是「咬緊牙關」，去做一些困難或不愉快的事情，即使你不想做。
例如，如果你不喜歡吃蔬菜，有人可能會說：
"You should bite the bullet and finish eating your vegetables."
「你要忍耐，把蔬菜吃完，因為這對身體很好。」
這就是今天的 InfoCloud！我們下次雲端見！

The War on Zebra Mussels
While zebra mussels usually reach new locations by attaching to boats or other objects,
they also produce larvae that are often too small to see.
If these larvae end up in a body of water without zebra mussels,
they can start a new zebra mussel infestation.
Thus, boats and their motors need to be drained
before being moved from one lake to another,
lest they carry these larvae to a place that did not already have zebra mussels.
Doing this not only helps protect the environment
but also prevents damage to infrastructure.
今天的 Usage Tip 要來談談
連接詞lest意思是「以免」或「唯恐」。它是一個正式的書面用語，在 "lest" 引導的子句中，會使用助動詞 "should"，但 "should" 可以省略。
類似的用法是 for fear that，也有「以免」的意思，但較不正式，更適用於口語或一般書面語，而且在 "that" 引導的子句中，無需搭配 "should"。
來看例句：
"The speaker brought a note with him lest he forget what he’d like to say."
演講人隨身帶了一張紙條，以免他忘記想說的話。
這句也可以寫成：
"The speaker brought a note with him for fear that he might forget what he’d like to say."
Now, here’s a question: Why do zebra mussels multiply so quickly?
Well, we read:
"While zebra mussels usually reach new locations by attaching to boats or other objects,
they also produce larvae that are often too small to see."
So they’re producing something—but what are larvae?
Great question! Here’s what larvae are:
It’s a form of an animal that has left its egg,
but it is not yet a mature insect or animal.
So, this is a stage in animal growth.
Okay, I know this! Sometimes beetles will produce eggs,
then larvae that will dig into the ground.
I know that beetle larvae are called grubs,
but I didn’t know about the larvae of zebra mussels.
And what’s the problem with these larvae?
Well, they’re too small to see.
So if you have some water sitting somewhere that has larvae in it,
you might not even know. So what can you do?
Wow, so you need to be careful!
We read:
"If these larvae end up in a body of water without zebra mussels,
they can start a new zebra mussel infestation."
We’ve got some great words here!
First of all, there’s this phrase "end up."
If you "end up" somewhere, it means that place is your final location.
That’s right! And sometimes when you end up somewhere,
the location isn’t a place you were trying to go in the beginning.
For example, you could say:
"We got lost and ended up on the wrong side of town."
That’s kind of what’s going on with these zebra mussels!
We’re not meaning to put them in a new body of water, but they end up there.
We also see another really interesting word in this sentence, friends—"infestation."
Oh, it makes me feel really weird when I read this word!
Because an "infestation" is the presence of large numbers of unwanted insects or animals.
Oh, an infestation!
This word can also be a verb—"to infest" something—or an adjective, "infested."
Perhaps there is a house that has been infested by an infestation of cockroaches.
Cockroaches, rats, raccoons—there are all kinds of different infestations that can happen.
None of them are pleasant!
Okay, so zebra mussels can cause infestations.
Thus—
And here’s our usage tip for today, friends—
"Boats and their motors need to be drained before being moved from one lake to another,
lest they carry these larvae to a place that did not already have zebra mussels."
Oh, okay! So there are those words "thus" and "lest" for you to learn here.
But we read why we do this:
"Doing this not only helps protect the environment but also prevents damage to infrastructure."
We talked about "infrastructure" last month, I believe.
"Infrastructure" usually means the systems or even buildings that are necessary to run something.
So the natural world has an infrastructure,
and the man-made world has other infrastructures, like pipes.
That’s right! Often, when you see this word "infrastructure,"
it’s used with the words "city" or "town"—"the town’s infrastructure" or "the city’s infrastructure."
And you know the word "structure," right?
That’s the way things are organized and shaped.
"Infra-" implies something inside that structure—
like what is right in the middle of making things work.
Well, friends, there’s always a lot of English to learn
when we talk about new and interesting subjects.
Make sure that you practice saying each of these new words out loud,
and your English will get great "infrastructure"!
Fun Fact!
Hello, fact friends!
I am Detective Ernest Finder, and I have a fun fact for you today!
Did you know that on the island of Guam, brown tree snakes are invasive?
That’s right! They’re brown, they can go in trees, and they are snakes!
These snakes eat the local birds and get into houses.
Yikes! I’m never going to Guam!
And that is today’s fun invasive fact!
Talk About It!
Alright, friends, time to practice our English!
This is our "Talk About It" question!
Anne Marie, will you answer for us?
Sure!
Do you think that humans are responsible for the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species?
Why or why not?
Oh, this is a great question! I am going to answer yes.
Humans are definitely responsible for spreading invasive species.
But it’s not always intentional.
Sometimes humans intentionally bring an invasive species in.
For example, maybe you have a pet, such as an iguana,
and you bring it with you to a new place.
Later, someone doesn’t want to take care of that iguana,
so they let it out into the environment. That is intentional.
But as far as zebra mussels are concerned, it seems like they spread by accident!
They’re just living in the water at the bottom of some boats.
That’s right!
Well, friends, whatever you do, make sure you take care of the animals you are responsible for.
And keep practicing your English! You’re responsible for that too, friends!
That’s all the time we have for today.
My name is Anne Marie.
And my name is John.
Friends, thank you for fighting the war on zebra mussels with us yesterday and today!
We will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom!

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