RE4 Unit 2A · Living Light (生物发光) 互动学习中心

🪄 2A 核心词汇表

astonishing /əˈstɒn.ɪ.ʃɪŋ/ adj.

very surprising; difficult to believe

令人惊讶的；难以置信的

A(n) astonishing variety of sea creatures use bioluminescence.

令人难以置信的是，各种各样的海洋生物都会使用生物发光。

countless /ˈkaʊnt.ləs/ adj.

very many; too many to be counted

无数的；数不尽的

Deep in the ocean are countless luminous creatures illuminating the dark.

在海洋深处，有无数发光的生物照亮了黑暗。

descend /dɪˈsend/ v.

to go or come down from a higher place to a lower one

下降；走下；下沉

Secondly, as you descend, sunlight disappears.

其次，随着你不断潜入深处，阳光逐渐消失。

disturb /dɪˈstɜːb/ v.

to interrupt or upset the normal condition or calm of something

打扰；扰乱；惊动

When disturbed, these sea cucumbers break off bioluminescent body parts.

当受到惊扰时，这些海参会断开身体上会发光的部位。

factor /ˈfæk.tər/ n.

a fact or situation that influences the result of something

因素；要素

Lack of sunlight is a major factor influencing deep-sea survival.

缺乏阳光是影响深海生物生存的主要因素。

flash /flæʃ/ v.

to shine brightly for a short time, or to make something shine

闪光；闪亮

Fireflies flash to attract mates on a warm summer night.

萤火虫在温暖的夏夜里闪闪发光以吸引配偶。

invisible /ɪnˈvɪz.ə.bəl/ adj.

impossible to see; not visible to the naked eye

隐形的；看不见的

Their near invisibility makes it easier to escape dangerous predators.

它们的近乎隐形使得逃脱危险的捕食者变得更容易。

layer /ˈleɪ.ər/ n.

a level or sheet of material that is different from higher or lower ones

层；层次

In the ocean's upper layers where light penetrates, creatures need camouflage.

在阳光能够穿透的海洋上层，生物需要保护色。

predator /ˈpred.ə.tər/ n.

an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals

捕食者；食肉动物

A sudden flash of light startles predators, allowing prey to escape.

突然的闪光会吓到捕食者，使猎物得以逃脱。

transparent /trænˈspær.ənt/ adj.

allowing you to see through it clearly

透明的；清澈的

Many creatures are nearly transparent so they blend into open water.

许多生物几乎是透明的，因此它们能完美融入开阔水域中。

📖 课文原文 · Living Light

Paragraph A

The ability of some species to create light, known as bioluminescence, is both magical and commonplace. Magical because of its glimmering beauty, commonplace because many life forms can do it. On land, the most familiar examples are fireflies, flashing to attract mates on a warm summer night, but there are other luminous land organisms, including glowworms, millipedes, and some 90 species of fungus. Even some birds, such as the Atlantic puffin, have beaks that glow in the dark. But the real biological light show takes place in the sea.

Paragraph B

Here, an astonishing number of beings can make light. Some, such as ostracods, are like tiny neon signs, flashing to attract mates. Others illuminate themselves in order to avoid being eaten. Why is bioluminescence so common in the ocean? The answer has to do with light and darkness.

Paragraph C

Firstly, sunlight disappears rapidly as you descend into the deep ocean. At first, red light is absorbed; deeper down, all other colors of the spectrum vanish, leaving just a faint blue glow. Beyond 1,000 meters, it is as black as the night sky in the ocean abyss. In this pitch-black environment, an animal that can generate its own light holds a tremendous advantage.

Paragraph D

Hiding with Light. In the ocean's upper layers where sunlight penetrates, creatures need camouflage. If a predator looks up from below, an animal above will be outlined clearly against the surface light. These creatures only rise toward the surface at night to feed when danger is minimized. To hide themselves in the twilight zone, many species produce a faint glow from their undersides—a strategy known as counterillumination.

Paragraph E

Some creatures, such as certain shrimp and squid, illuminate their bellies to match the light filtering from above, making themselves invisible from below. Remarkably, some even have a dimmer switch, adjusting their glow to match changes in overhead light as clouds pass over the sea. For defense, a sudden brilliant flash of light can startle a predator, giving the prey a crucial moment to escape into the dark. Deep-sea squid can eject a glowing cloud of bioluminescent fluid instead of black ink, blinding the attacker in the deep.

Paragraph F

Second, there is the principle of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'—often called the 'burglar alarm' effect. When attacked by a small predator such as a shrimp, tiny single-celled dinoflagellates burst into bright light, illuminating the shrimp. This sudden beacon alerts larger predators—such as squid or cuttlefish—which swiftly swoop in and devour the shrimp, saving the dinoflagellates. In places like Mosquito Bay on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, paddling a canoe through the water disturbs millions of dinoflagellates, making the water glow as if filled with neon stars. From tiny single cells to giant sea creatures, living light continues to illuminate the fascinating mysteries of our living planet.

1. Ostracods are tiny, mostly marine crustaceans with a bean-shaped shell.
2. Dinoflagellates are microscopic single-celled marine plankton that often produce bioluminescence.
3. Counterillumination is a method of active camouflage producing light to match the luminance of the background.
4. Vieques is an island municipality of Puerto Rico known for Mosquito Bay, famous for bright bioluminescence.

预习练习得分: 0 / 19 题

Before You Read · p.26

Read the background information on page 26. Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms through chemical reactions inside their bodies.

Reading Comprehension · p.31

A. Choose the best answer for each question.

B. Are the following statements true or false according to the reading passage, or is the information not given? Circle T, F, or NG.

Reading Skill · p.32

Summarizing (1) — Using a Concept Map. Complete the concept map below with words from Reading A to visualize the relationship between bioluminescence and its functions in marine animals.

P.26 Before You Read · A

1. Which of the following is an example of bioluminescence mentioned in the text?

P.26 Before You Read · B

2. Why might it be useful for an organism in the sea to be bioluminescent?

P.31 Comprehension A · Main Idea

1. All life forms with bioluminescence _______.

P.31 Comprehension A · Detail

2. Which of these is NOT explained in the passage?

P.31 Comprehension A · Cohesion

3. In which position should this sentence be added to paragraph D? 'These creatures only rise toward the surface at night.'

P.31 Comprehension A · Synthesizing

4. According to paragraph E, how do certain shrimp in the ocean’s upper layers use bioluminescence?

P.31 Comprehension A · Inference

5. What is meant by the 'burglar alarm' effect?

P.31 Comprehension B · Evaluating Statements

1. Most bioluminescent creatures in the sea live near the surface.

P.31 Comprehension B · Evaluating Statements

2. Six hundred meters below the surface, sunlight stops penetrating the ocean.

P.31 Comprehension B · Evaluating Statements

3. Dinoflagellates use light to help them find and eat shrimp.

P.31 Comprehension B · Evaluating Statements

4. Human activity in the Vieques 'bio bay' stops dinoflagellates from lighting up.

P.31 Comprehension B · Evaluating Statements

5. Visitors to the Vieques 'bio bay' can only see dinoflagellates in the summer.

P.32 Concept Map · Reproduction

1. FOR REPRODUCTION: Helps animals attract a _______ (Example: ostracods)

P.32 Concept Map · Defense

2. FOR DEFENSE: Allows animals in the _______ layers of the ocean to hide from predators below

P.32 Concept Map · Defense

3. FOR DEFENSE: Animals can light up their _______ to match the light from above (counterillumination)

P.32 Concept Map · Defense

4. FOR DEFENSE: A sudden flash of light can _______ a predator, allowing prey to escape

P.32 Concept Map · Defense

5. FOR DEFENSE: Glowing cloud of fluid allows the prey animal to _______ (Example: deep-sea squid)

P.32 Concept Map · Defense

6. FOR DEFENSE: Burglar alarm effect helps attract the predator of a _______

P.32 Concept Map · Defense

7. FOR DEFENSE: Example of tiny single-celled organisms displaying burglar alarm effect: _______

Critical Thinking · Speculating
The reading passage mentions that Atlantic puffins have beaks that glow in the dark under UV light. What do you think is the purpose of the glowing beak? (e.g. attracting mates during breeding season, directing chicks to food in the nest, or catching prey)

📘 2A 核心词汇

点击发音跟读，展开中文释义检查记忆。

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中文释义

令人惊讶的；难以置信的

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无数的；数不尽的

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下降；走下；下沉

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打扰；扰乱；惊动

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因素；要素

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闪光；闪亮

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隐形的；看不见的

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层；层次

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捕食者；食肉动物

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透明的；清澈的

复习练习得分: 0 / 14 题

Vocabulary Practice A · Completion (p.33)

Circle the correct words to complete the information about sea creatures and bioluminescence.

Vocabulary Practice B · Words in Context (p.33)

Complete the sentences. Circle the correct words that fit the definition or context.

Vocabulary Practice C · Word Roots (p.33)

The word descend contains the Latin word root scend, which means "move toward" or "climb". Complete the sentences with words containing scend (ascend, descend, crescendo, transcend).

P.33 Vocab Practice A · Completion

1. A(n) _______ variety of sea creatures use bioluminescence.

P.33 Vocab Practice A · Completion

2. Brittle stars, for example, can _______ a green light when they are threatened by predators.

P.33 Vocab Practice A · Completion

3. Some brittle stars detach glowing arms to distract _______.

P.33 Vocab Practice A · Completion

4. When frightened or _______, these sea cucumbers break off bioluminescent body parts onto nearby fish.