高中英语 voa常速听力2012年08月合辑文本dallas-attacks-west-nile-virus-by-land-air素材.docVIP

VOA常速英语听力2012年08月合辑（文本）：Dallas-Attacks-West-Nile-Virus-by-Land-Air DALLAS — Officials in Dallas, Texas, have stepped up efforts to combat West Nile virus after the deaths of 10 people there. The aerial and ground fumigation programs are blanketing around 1,400 square kilometers of the county, but dont target all mosquitoes. West Nile has struck all over the continental United States in recent weeks, but Dallas has been the hardest hit. Officials there are fumigating on the ground and in the air, targeting specific mosquitoes which spread the disease. Laura McGowan, who works with Clarke, the company contracted to carry out the aerial operation, says two local species spread West Nile virus. 揟he ones that we are targeting right now are the Culex mosquitoes here in Dallas, she says. Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex Tarsalis.? The mosquitoes, known generally together as the Southern House Mosquito, lay eggs in water, which turn to larvae and finally into full-grown flying bloodsuckers. They come out at dusk each night. So thats when the planes fly and drop a fine mist of a concoction called DUET which, according to McGowan, attracts the mosquitoes and kills them. 揙ur average droplet size is smaller in diameter than a human hair, so that is designed to specifically interact with the mosquito biology, she says. That is how we know we are avoiding non-target insects, by both the time of the day we are applying as well as the size of the droplets.? McGowan says some areas may need to be sprayed two or three times to make sure no significant numbers of mosquitoes or their larvae remain. But some areas may need only one application, according to the director of Dallas County Health and Human Services. 揈specially if we have not had one positive human case or a positive mosquito pool, one application would be sufficient,?Zachary Thompson says. Weekend rains halted some of the spraying efforts and left puddles of water where more mosquitoes can breed. While streams and p