根据对 90 项研究进行的分析， 那些预先混合好然后卖给农民的农药会杀死两倍数量的蜜蜂。

Our bees face multiple threats to their survival – from a loss of food rich natural grassland to the dozens of chemical pesticides that are commonly used in agriculture.

我们的蜜蜂面临多种生存威胁——从失去孕育着丰富食物资源的天然草场，到农业中常用的几十种化学杀虫剂。

This study set out to measure how those different stresses interact to affect the insects. The researchers examined 90 studies that each measured the effect on bee health of a specific agricultural chemical or another environmental challenge.

这项研究衡量了这些不同的压力是如何相互作用并影响这种昆虫的。研究人员检查了90项研究，其中每一项都衡量了一种特定农药或另一种环境挑战对蜜蜂健康造成的影响。

They worked out that combinations of several chemicals killed many more bees than expected. This is because, the researchers say, pesticides interact.

他们发现，几种化学物质的组合所杀死的蜜蜂比预期的要多得多。研究人员表示，这是因为杀虫剂会相互作用。

Each chemical enhances the damage caused by another. Since pesticides are often sold as mixtures of compounds to use on crops, the scientists say that the regulation of these chemicals needs to be updated to factor in this harmful interaction, and to protect our threatened and precious pollinators.

每种化学物质都会增强另一种化学物质造成的伤害。由于用于农作物的杀虫剂常以化学混合物的形式出售，科学家指出，需要更新对这些化学物质的监管条例，将这种有害的相互作用纳入考虑因素，从而保护这些受到威胁的珍贵传粉昆虫。

词汇表

threats 威胁
pesticides 杀虫剂
agriculture 农业
interact 相互作用
compounds 化合物
pollinators 传粉昆虫

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. What threats do bees face?

2. What did the 90 studies that the researchers examined measure?

3. What did the scientists work out from the study?

4. What do the scientists believe needs to be updated?

答案  

1. What threats do bees face?
They face multiple threats to their survival – from a loss of food rich natural grassland to the dozens of chemical pesticides that are commonly used in farming.

2. What did the 90 studies that the researchers examined measure?
The 90 studies each measured the effect of a specific agricultural chemical or another environmental challenge on the health of bees.

3. What did the scientists work out from the study?
They worked out that combinations of several chemicals killed many more bees than expected.

4. What do the scientists believe needs to be updated?
They say the regulation of these chemicals needs to be updated.