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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute.

Think of the weirdest¹ creatures you've ever seen in a sci-fi film. Now think of this: there are far stranger, albeit² smaller, critters living in your own home. And Rob Dunn at North Carolina State University wants you to go on safari³ to find them.

Research has been done on the diversity of bacteria, fungi⁴ and other organisms that live on our skin, in our guts⁵, even in our belly⁶ buttons.

But there are other entire ecosystems⁷ that surround us. And scientists want to understand how they differ based on how and where we live. What's the tiny life like on a door frame in Brooklyn compared with that in Des Moines? Or how do fridge microbes of an urban singleton stack up with those of a suburban⁸ family?

The research team seeks ten volunteers from each state, five urban and five rural. Each volunteer will get a kit⁹ of vials and swabs, along with instructions about where and how to swipe—such as door frames, couch cushions, refrigerators, even yourself. The samples will be analyzed¹⁰ to uncover the secrets of our microscopic¹¹ companions. To find out more, go to robdunnlab.com

Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I'm Cynthia Graber.

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收听单词发音

1 weirdest
怪诞的( weird的最高级 )；神秘而可怕的；超然的；古怪的
参考例句：
Think of the weirdest, craziest shit you'd like to see chicks do. 想想这最怪异，最疯狂的屁事。你会喜欢看这些鸡巴表演的。 It's still the weirdest damn sound I ever heard out of a Jersey boy. 这是我所听过新泽西人最为怪异的音调了。

2 albeit
conj.即使；纵使；虽然
参考例句：
Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。 Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

3 safari
n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队
参考例句：
When we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时，喜欢露天生火做饭。 They went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行，搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。

4 fungi
n.真菌，霉菌
参考例句：
Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。 The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

5 guts
v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠
参考例句：
I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。 Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。来自《简明英汉词典》

6 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

7 ecosystems
n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )
参考例句：
There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。来自《简明英汉词典》 Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。来自辞典例句

8 suburban
adj.城郊的，在郊区的
参考例句：
Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。 There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

9 kit
n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物
参考例句：
The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。 The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

10 analyzed
v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析
参考例句：
The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。来自《简明英汉词典》 The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。来自《简明英汉词典》

11 microscopic
adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的
参考例句：
It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。 A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。