常春藤解析英語 27 Owls　貓頭鷹

Owls　貓頭鷹

by Jerri Graham

As Harry Potter's beloved pet, Hedwig, a Snowy owl, is probably the most famous bird in the world. Snowy owls are just one of the more than 200 species of owls. Owls _(1)_ size and can be as little as the 31-gram Elf owl and as large as the Blakiston's Fish Owl, which can weigh almost five kilograms. Owls are actually very different from other birds.

Owls are nocturnal animals, which means that they sleep during the day and hunt at night. They are known both for their unique call, or hoot, and their extremely good sight. They use these features to navigate and hunt in the dark. They are far-sighted and use this vision to track and target their prey _(2)_ a distance.

_(3)_ pigeons and sparrows can exist on seeds and grains, this would not satisfy most owls. Instead, they prefer to eat small mammals such as moles, mice, and rabbits. _(4)_ these warm-blooded creatures, they will also feed on insects and other birds when hunger strikes. Like other birds of prey, owls have sharp beaks and claws that they use to tear their food to pieces before eating it.

Sometimes they do swallow larger chunks of bone, feathers, and other things that are indigestible. What their bodies don't digest is thrown up _(5)_ owl pellets. These lumps of bone and other bits are collected because they are _(6)_ for studying the habits and diet of owls.

Owls serve man by _(7)_ some of the pests that would make life unbearable. Protecting their habitat is, in a sense, a way of protecting our own.

1. (A) vary in (B) range from (C) cover up (D) yield to

2. (A) upon (B) beyond (C) from (D) among

3. (A) Since (B) Whether (C) Unless (D) While

4. (A) Except for (B) In addition to (C) Rather than (D) In spite of

5. (A) in the form of (B) for the sake of (C) at the sight of (D) on the verge of

6. (A) costless (B) invalid (C) worthless (D) invaluable

7. (A) promoting (B) eliminating (C) attracting (D) neglecting

原來如此

1. Owls vary in size and can be as little as the 31-gram Elf owl and...

理由:

a. (A) vary in...　　在……(方面)有所不同

例: My grandmother's roses vary in color and size.

(我奶奶種的玫瑰顏色和大小各不相同。)

(B) range from A to B　　范圍從 A 到 B

例: Prices of new cars in America range from $10,000 to more than $100,000.

(在美國，新車的價錢從美金一萬到十萬多元都有。)

(C) cover up...　　遮蓋∕覆蓋……

例: Cover up that ugly picture; we have guests coming to the house.

(遮住那張丑照片，有客人要來。)

(D) yield to...　　屈服于……

例: After two days on a diet, he finally yielded to his hunger and ate a cheeseburger.

(節(jié)食兩天后，他終于向饑餓低頭，吃了一個吉士漢堡。)

b. 空格后為名詞 size(尺寸)，故根據(jù)語意、用法，可知應(yīng)選 (A)。

2. They are far-sighted and use this vision to track and target their prey from a distance.

理由:

a. 本空格測試下列固定用法：

from a distance　　從遠(yuǎn)處

例: The letters on that neon sign are so big that they are visible from a distance.

(霓虹燈上的字母大到從很遠(yuǎn)的地方都看得到。)

b. 根據(jù)上述，可知應(yīng)選 (C)。

3. While pigeons and sparrows can exist on seeds and grains, this would not satisfy most owls.

理由:

a. (A) since conj. 因?yàn)?自從

(B) whether conj. 是否

(C) unless conj. 除非

(D) while conj. 雖然

例: While I like the design of the bag, I do not like its color.

(雖然我喜歡這個包包的設(shè)計(jì)，卻不喜歡它的顏色。)

b. 空格應(yīng)選填一副詞連接詞來連接兩句，而選項(xiàng)雖均為連接詞，但根據(jù)語意，可知應(yīng)選 (D)。

4. In addition to these warm-blooded creatures, they will also feed on...

理由:

a. (A) except for...　　除了……之外

注意:

except for 使用時，必須與表完全概念的形容詞 all, every, any, no 等并用。

例: The typhoon destroyed everything except for a single tree.

(臺風(fēng)摧毀了一切，只留下一棵樹。)

(B) in addition to...　　除了……(還有)

例: In addition to being ugly, Jim was really rude.

(除了長得很抱歉之外，吉姆也很沒禮貌。)

(C) rather than...　　而非……

例: I think you two should talk about your problems rather than fight all the time.

(我認(rèn)為你們兩個應(yīng)該好好談?wù)劚舜碎g的問題，而非一直吵個不停。)

(D) in spite of...　　盡管……

例: Many people think stinky tofu tastes delicious in spite of its odor.

(盡管臭豆腐味道很臭，很多人還是覺得很美味。)

b. 根據(jù)語意，可知應(yīng)選 (B)。

5. What their bodies don't digest is thrown up in the form of owl pellets.

理由:

a. (A) in the form of...　　以……的形狀∕形式

= in the shape of...

例: My girlfriend baked a cake in the form of a heart for my birthday.

(我女友為我烤了一個心形的生日蛋糕。)

(B) for the sake of...　　由于……的緣故

例: For the sake of your health, please stop drinking.

(為了自己的健康，你最好別再喝酒了。)

(C) at the sight of...　　一看到……

例: The little girl laughed and clapped her hands at the sight of the puppy.

(那小女孩一看到那只小狗就笑著拍起手來。)

(D) on the verge of...　　在……的邊緣;即將……

例: I was on the verge of finishing the report when the power went out.

(我即將完成報告，這時就停電了。)

b. 根據(jù)語意，可知應(yīng)選 (A)。

6. These lumps of bone and other bits are collected because they are invaluable for studying...

理由:

a. (A) costless a. 不花錢的

(B) invalid a. 無效的

valid a. 有效的

例: Larry's license has expired and is therefore invalid.

(賴瑞的駕照已經(jīng)過期，因此失效了。)

(C) worthless a. 無價值的

(D) invaluable a. 極有價值的

b. 根據(jù)語意，人類收集食繭，因?yàn)檫@對研究貓頭鷹而言是『很有價值的』數(shù)據(jù)，可知應(yīng)選 (D)。

7. Owls serve man by eliminating some of the pests that would make life unbearable.

理由:

a. (A) promote vt. 推銷

(B) eliminate vt. 消滅，鏟除

例: We have to eliminate pollution if we want to breathe healthy air.

(我們?nèi)粝牒粑】档目諝猓偷枚沤^污染。)

(C) attract vt. 吸引(注意力)

(D) neglect vt. 忽視

b. 根據(jù)語意，可知應(yīng)選 (B)。

精解字詞詞組

1. be different from...　　與……不同

= differ from...

例: You need to pay more attention in biology if you don't know how a spider is different from an insect.

(如果你不知道蜘蛛與昆蟲有何不同的話，上生物課時就該好好注意聽講。)

2. track vt. 追蹤

例: The hunter tracked the deer for miles before firing a shot.

(獵人追蹤那只鹿追了好幾哩后才開槍。)

3. satisfy vt. 使?jié)M足;使?jié)M意

be satisfied with...　　對……滿足;滿意……

例: The mother was satisfied with her son's performance in school.

(那位母親很滿意她兒子在學(xué)校的表現(xiàn)。)

4. prefer to V　　偏好做∕較喜歡……

例: I like to take showers in summer, but prefer to take baths in winter.

(夏天時我喜歡淋浴，而冬天則較喜歡泡澡。)

5. feed on...　　(動物)以……為食

live on...　　(人)靠……生存

例: Sharks feed on seals, smaller fish, and even whales.

(鯊魚以海豹、小魚，甚至是鯨魚為食。)

例: Without food, human beings can live on water for three or four days.

(沒有食物，人類光喝水還能活三到四天。)

6. throw up...　　嘔吐∕吐出……

= vomit vt.

例: Mary threw up her lunch after riding the roller coaster.

(坐完云霄飛車后，瑪莉把午餐全都吐了出來。)

7. in a sense　　就某種意義來說

例: He writes stories all the time, so in a sense, he's an author.

(他總是在寫故事，因此就某種意義來說，他可以算是作家。)

單字小鋪

1. beloved a. 心愛的

2. species n. 物種(單復(fù)數(shù)同形)

3. nocturnal a. 夜行性的

4. hoot n. 貓頭鷹的叫聲

5. extremely adv. 極度地

6. navigate vi. 指引方向;導(dǎo)航

7. far-sighted a. 遠(yuǎn)視的

near-sighted a. 近視的

8. vision n. 視力

9. prey n. 獵物

bird of prey　　食肉猛禽

10. grain n. 谷類

11. mammal n. 哺乳類動物

12. mole n. 鼴鼠

13. strike vi. 來襲 & vt. 侵襲

14. beak n. 鳥嘴，喙

15. claw n. 爪

16. chunk n. 大塊

17. indigestible a. 不能消化的

18. digest vt. 消化(食物)

19. pellet n. 小球，丸

20. lump n. 團(tuán)，塊

21. pest n. 害蟲

22. unbearable a. 無法忍受的

23. habitat n.(動物的)棲息地

中文翻譯&標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案

哈利波特心愛的寵物『嘿美』是一只雪鸮，牠大概是全世界最有名的鳥了。雪鸮只是 200 多種貓頭鷹的其中一種。貓頭鷹的體型各異，有嬌小如 31 公克的姬鸮，也有重達(dá) 5 公斤的島梟。事實(shí)上，貓頭鷹與其它鳥類非常不同。

貓頭鷹是夜行性動物，白天睡覺夜間獵食。貓頭鷹以獨(dú)特的叫聲和絕佳的視力聞名，牠們利用這些特性來引導(dǎo)方向和在夜間獵食。牠們有遠(yuǎn)視，并利用這樣的視力追蹤及鎖定遠(yuǎn)處的獵物。

雖然鴿子和麻雀光靠種子和榖類就能生存，但這可滿足不了貓頭鷹。相反地，牠們偏好捕食小型哺乳類動物，如鼴鼠、老鼠和兔子。除了這些恒溫生物之外，牠們饑餓時也會抓昆蟲和其它鳥類來吃。如同其它猛禽，貓頭鷹的喙和爪子都很鋒利，能在食用獵物前將之撕成碎片。有時牠們會吞下一整塊大骨頭、羽毛或其它無法消化的東西。牠們身體無法消化的東西會以『食繭』的形式吐出來。這些骨頭和其它小東西形成的團(tuán)狀物被人們收集起來，因?yàn)檫@對研究貓頭鷹的習(xí)性和飲食是很有價值的數(shù)據(jù)。

貓頭鷹為人類消除某些可能危及生活的害蟲。就某方面來說，保護(hù)貓頭鷹的棲息地也是人類保護(hù)自己的方式之一。

標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案: 1. (A)　2. (C)　3. (D)　4. (B)　5. (A)　6. (D)　7. (B)