文章大意:这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了被称为“蚁人”的Edward O. Wilson的个人经历以及所取得的成就。
Edward O. Wilson, known as “ant man”, was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was moved frequently throughout his childhood. Wilson grew up exploring the forests and wildlife. One of these adventures left him partly blind, but they also set off his lifelong fascination with ants and their social structures.
Wilson earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Alabama. In 1955, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard and worked there until retirement.
Wilson’s early study of ants led to his first major discovery in 1959: how ants communicate through the release of chemical signals.
Later, in 1990, Wilson and German biologist Bert Hölldobler published their Pulitzer- winning The Ants. It detailed the insects’ social structure that was both valued by scholars and accessible to general readers.
Another of Wilson’s major works started in the early 1960s when he teamed up with Robert MacArthur. The pair published The Theory of Island Biogeography, where they sought to explain why different places have different numbers of species.
What many consider to be Wilson's most important contributions to evolutionary biology came in 1975 when he published Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. The work explored the genetic roots of animal behavior and argued that genes shaped human behavior.
Wilson faced accusations for these ideas but his work finally largely proved true. In 1978, his ideas on the role biology plays in human culture peaked in On Human Nature, which won him a Pulitzer in 1979.
Wilson published more than 400 scientific papers and 20 books. These accomplishments offered him a type of superstar status, but friends and colleagues say the polite Southerner remained down to earth. “Professor Wilson really listened and engaged with whomever he was interacting with,” said Corrie S. Moreau, who was one of Wilson's final advisees.
29. What contributed to Wilson’s passion for ants?
A.His accidental disability. | B.The discovery he made about ants. |
C.The school education he received. | D.His boyhood time spent in nature. |
30. What is Wilson’s first Pulitzer-winning book about?
A.The social structure of ants. | B.The distribution of different species. |
C.The links between biology and human culture. | D.The role of chemical signals in communication. |
31. According to the last paragraph, which word best describes Wilson?
A.Productive. | B.Humble. | C.Open-minded. | D.Independent. |
32. What is the best title of this text?
A.The Pioneering “Ant Man” | B.Discoveries in Evolutionary Biology |
C.A Leading Figure in Popular Science | D.The Adventure of a Pulitzer Prize Winner |