A lot of people are afraid of spiders — even the small ones. But a big tarantula (狼蛛) is much more terrible for many. Now, scientists in Sri Lanka have discovered a huge species (物种) of tarantula that’s about the size of a person’s face.
Although it is very big, is there a real reason to be afraid of one? Maybe. This tarantula has enough poisonous fluid (液体) to kill mice and small birds and snakes — but its bite wouldn’t cause the death of most humans.
Tarantula was first seen in 2009, when a villager in Sri Lanka found the body of a male Tarantula and brought it to a Sri Lanka research organization.
An examination of the body proved that it was a type of tarantula scientists hadn’t seen before. So the scientists carefully looked through the Sri Lankan forests to try to find more of the spiders.
It’s still too early to know whether this species is in danger. But researchers fear that the Tarantulas’ natural habitat (栖息地) is slowly being destroyed.
“They prefer old trees, but due to the widespread removal of trees, the number has dropped,” the scientists said in an interview.
Tarantulas have eight legs and two body parts. They are different from insects, which have only six legs but three body parts. Tarantulas have hairy bodies and are usually larger than other types of spiders. Some species of tarantulas can live up to 25 years.
While Tarantula is very big, the largest one is the Goliath bird-eater. Found in the rainforests of South America, its legs can be up to 10 inches long. But don’t worry if you ever see one. Its poisonous fluid isn’t really dangerous to humans.
【小题1】Which of the following is most likely to survive a bite from tarantula?| A．A small bird. | B．A little child. | C．A small snake. | D．A small frog. |
| A．They have too many natural enemies. | B．Some people are killing them illegally. |
| C．More and more forests are disappearing. | D．The global climate has changed. |
| A．Tarantula was first seen by a scientist in Sri Lanka. |
| B．None of the insects are bigger than tarantulas. |
| C．Scientists have discovered that all of the tarantulas live in the Sri Lanka forest. |
| D．People knew little about tarantulas until the body of a male tarantula was discovered. |
| A．Life. | B．Sports. | C．Nature. | D．Business. |
| A．To inform the readers of a huge species of Tarantula. |
| B．To entertain the readers with a discovery. |
| C．To educate people to protect the environment. |
| D．To remind people to keep away from spiders. |
