✨ Reading Passage | 閱讀文章
English Police often rely on fingerprints, CCTV, and DNA to catch criminals. A new study shows that moss can also help solve crimes. Since moss grows almost everywhere, scientists believe these tiny plants can provide valuable clues. Their research, published in Forensic Sciences Research, reviewed cases where moss evidence was used. Lead author Dr. Matt von Konrat explained: “We wanted to highlight the importance of botanical evidence, because investigators may be overlooking it. We hope our study shows how significant these small plants can be.”
The earliest known case of moss in forensic work dates back to 1929, when moss growth on a skeleton helped police estimate the time of death. In 2013, scientists examined moss fragments on a man’s shoes, which led them to the burial site of his baby daughter. Dr. von Konrat’s team located the body, and the father was convicted of murder. “From the moss fragments, we knew the type of micro-habitat we needed to search,” he said. Co-author Jenna Merkel added: “Through this paper, we aim to raise awareness of forensic botany.” She hopes police will better understand how moss can assist in investigations.
中文翻譯 警方通常依靠指紋、監視器和 DNA 來抓捕罪犯。一項新研究顯示，苔蘚也能幫助破案。由於苔蘚幾乎到處生長，科學家認為這些微小植物能提供重要線索。他們的研究發表在《法醫科學研究》期刊，回顧了苔蘚在破案中被使用的案例。主要作者馬特·馮·康拉特博士解釋：「我們想強調植物證據的重要性，因為調查人員可能忽略了它。我們希望這項研究能顯示這些小植物的價值。」最早的案例可追溯到 1929 年，當時警方透過骸骨上的苔蘚生長情況推斷死亡時間。2013 年，科學家分析一名男子鞋子上的苔蘚碎片，進而找到他女兒的埋葬地點。馮·康拉特博士的團隊成功找到遺體，父親因此被判謀殺罪。他說：「根據苔蘚碎片，我們知道要尋找哪種微型棲地。」共同作者珍娜·默克爾補充：「透過這篇論文，我們希望提升對法醫植物學的認識。」她希望警方能更好地理解苔蘚在調查中的作用。
📝 Key Vocabulary | 關鍵詞彙
- Fingerprint 指紋
- CCTV 監視器
- DNA 去氧核糖核酸
- Moss 苔蘚
- Clue 線索
- Investigation 調查
- Forensic botany 法醫植物學
- Convicted 判罪
Comprehension Questions | 閱讀理解問題
- What do police usually use to catch criminals? 警方通常用什麼方法抓罪犯？
- Why can moss be useful in investigations? 為什麼苔蘚在調查中有用？
- What happened in the 2013 case with moss? 2013 年的苔蘚案例發生了什麼事？
- What do scientists hope to achieve with their study? 科學家希望透過研究達成什麼目標？
