高中三年级 · 阅读系列
Lesson 22 · The Seedlings That Grew Differently
文体：幼苗生长实验 · 朗读音轨 22
先听一遍
听听最初为何不能把幼苗长高全归因于光照。
展开英文短文，再悬停查词
We placed two groups of seedlings by different windows to examine the effect of light. After two weeks, one group was taller. Our first conclusion was simple: brighter light had caused faster growth. Then we noticed that the taller plants had also received water from a different student.
We repeated the trial with identical pots and a written watering schedule. The results still differed, though less dramatically. We measured height and counted leaves, discovering that the tallest plant did not always have the most leaves. Even the word “growth” needed a clear definition.
Our report did not claim that light had no effect. It said our small classroom test could not isolate it completely. We described the remaining differences in temperature and the number of plants, then suggested a longer test.
The seedlings were living things, not identical machines. Their variation made the project harder and more interesting. Careful science did not remove every uncertainty; it helped us say exactly where that uncertainty remained.
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We placed two groups of seedlings by different windows to examine the effect of light.
-
After two weeks, one group was taller.
-
Our first conclusion was simple: brighter light had caused faster growth.
-
Then we noticed that the taller plants had also received water from a different student.
-
We repeated the trial with identical pots and a written watering schedule.
-
The results still differed, though less dramatically.
-
We measured height and counted leaves, discovering that the tallest plant did not always have the most leaves.
-
Even the word “growth” needed a clear definition.
-
Our report did not claim that light had no effect.
-
It said our small classroom test could not isolate it completely.
-
We described the remaining differences in temperature and the number of plants, then suggested a longer test.
-
The seedlings were living things, not identical machines.
-
Their variation made the project harder and more interesting.
-
Careful science did not remove every uncertainty; it helped us say exactly where that uncertainty remained.
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读完后，试着用一句话说出本文的主要意思，并从原文找出支持它的一句话。
查看中文译文
我们把两组幼苗放在不同的窗边，想研究光照的影响。两周后，一组长得更高。最初的结论很简单：更强的光让它们长得更快。随后，我们发现较高的一组还由另一位同学浇水。
我们用相同的花盆和书面的浇水日程重做实验。结果仍有差异，但不像第一次那样明显。我们测量高度，也数叶片，发现最高的植株并不总有最多的叶子。连“生长”一词也需要明确定义。
报告没有说光照毫无影响，而是说这次小规模的教室实验无法完全单独检验它。我们写明温度和植株数量仍有差异，并建议做更长时间的实验。
幼苗是活物，不是完全相同的机器。个体差异使项目更难，也更有意思。严谨的科学不会消除所有不确定性，却能帮助我们准确说出不确定性在哪里。
本课重点词语
以下是本课重点词语的中文讲解；英文正文中有虚线的单词可悬停查看词义和发音。
- seedlings
- 幼苗；两组实验对象。
- examine
- 研究；观察光的影响。
- conclusion
- 结论；起初下得太快。
- identical
- 相同的；第二次统一花盆。
- schedule
- 日程表；固定浇水安排。
- dramatically
- 显著地；差异变小了。
- definition
- 定义；要说清何为生长。
- isolate
- 单独检验；排除其他因素很难。
- variation
- 差异；活植株不会完全一样。
- uncertainty
- 不确定性；报告应明确指出。
背景知识
第一次实验同时改变了光照和浇水条件，无法单独判断原因。重做时仍需界定测量指标和报告局限。