常春藤解析英语 27 Owls　猫头鹰

Owls　猫头鹰

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

原来如此

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.

(我奶奶种的玫瑰颜色和大小各不相同。)

(B) range from A to B　　范围从 A 到 B

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

(在美国，新车的价钱从美金一万到十万多元都有。)

(C) cover up...　　遮盖∕覆盖……

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

(遮住那张丑照片，有客人要来。)

(D) yield to...　　屈服于……

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

(节食两天后，他终于向饥饿低头，吃了一个吉士汉堡。)

b. 空格后为名词 size(尺寸)，故根据语意、用法，可知应选 (A)。

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

理由:

a. 本空格测试下列固定用法：

from a distance　　从远处

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

(霓虹灯上的字母大到从很远的地方都看得到。)

b. 根据上述，可知应选 (C)。

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

理由:

a. (A) since conj. 因为;自从

(B) whether conj. 是否

(C) unless conj. 除非

(D) while conj. 虽然

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

(虽然我喜欢这个包包的设计，却不喜欢它的颜色。)

b. 空格应选填一副词连接词来连接两句，而选项虽均为连接词，但根据语意，可知应选 (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 使用时，必须与表完全概念的形容词 all, every, any, no 等并用。

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

(台风摧毁了一切，只留下一棵树。)

(B) in addition to...　　除了……(还有)

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

(除了长得很抱歉之外，吉姆也很没礼貌。)

(C) rather than...　　而非……

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

(我认为你们两个应该好好谈谈彼此间的问题，而非一直吵个不停。)

(D) in spite of...　　尽管……

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

(尽管臭豆腐味道很臭，很多人还是觉得很美味。)

b. 根据语意，可知应选 (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……的形状∕形式

= in the shape of...

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

(我女友为我烤了一个心形的生日蛋糕。)

(B) for the sake of...　　由于……的缘故

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

(为了自己的健康，你最好别再喝酒了。)

(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着拍起手来。)

(D) on the verge of...　　在……的边缘;即将……

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

(我即将完成报告，这时就停电了。)

b. 根据语意，可知应选 (A)。

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

理由:

a. (A) costless a. 不花钱的

(B) invalid a. 无效的

valid a. 有效的

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

(赖瑞的驾照已经过期，因此失效了。)

(C) worthless a. 无价值的

(D) invaluable a. 极有价值的

b. 根据语意，人类收集食茧，因为这对研究猫头鹰而言是『很有价值的』数据，可知应选 (D)。

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

理由:

a. (A) promote vt. 推销

(B) eliminate vt. 消灭，铲除

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

(我们若想呼吸健康的空气，就得杜绝污染。)

(C) attract vt. 吸引(注意力)

(D) neglect vt. 忽视

b. 根据语意，可知应选 (B)。

精解字词词组

1. be different from...　　与……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.

(如果你不知道蜘蛛与昆虫有何不同的话，上生物课时就该好好注意听讲。)

2. track vt. 追踪

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

(猎人追踪那只鹿追了好几哩后才开枪。)

3. satisfy vt. 使满足;使满意

be satisfied with...　　对……满足;满意……

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

(那位母亲很满意她儿子在学校的表现。)

4. prefer to V　　偏好做∕较喜欢……

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

(夏天时我喜欢淋浴，而冬天则较喜欢泡澡。)

5. feed on...　　(动物)以……为食

live on...　　(人)靠……生存

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

(鲨鱼以海豹、小鱼，甚至是鲸鱼为食。)

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

(没有食物，人类光喝水还能活三到四天。)

6. throw up...　　呕吐∕吐出……

= vomit vt.

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

(坐完云霄飞车后，玛莉把午餐全都吐了出来。)

7. in a sense　　就某种意义来说

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

(他总是在写故事，因此就某种意义来说，他可以算是作家。)

单字小铺

1. beloved a. 心爱的

2. species n. 物种(单复数同形)

3. nocturnal a. 夜行性的

4. hoot n. 猫头鹰的叫声

5. extremely adv. 极度地

6. navigate vi. 指引方向;导航

7. far-sighted a. 远视的

near-sighted a. 近视的

8. vision n. 视力

9. prey n. 猎物

bird of prey　　食肉猛禽

10. grain n. 谷类

11. mammal n. 哺乳类动物

12. mole n. 鼹鼠

13. strike vi. 来袭 & vt. 侵袭

14. beak n. 鸟嘴，喙

15. claw n. 爪

16. chunk n. 大块

17. indigestible a. 不能消化的

18. digest vt. 消化(食物)

19. pellet n. 小球，丸

20. lump n. 团，块

21. pest n. 害虫

22. unbearable a. 无法忍受的

23. habitat n.(动物的)栖息地

中文翻译&标准答案

哈利波特心爱的宠物『嘿美』是一只雪鸮，牠大概是全世界最有名的鸟了。雪鸮只是 200 多种猫头鹰的其中一种。猫头鹰的体型各异，有娇小如 31 公克的姬鸮，也有重达 5 公斤的岛枭。事实上，猫头鹰与其它鸟类非常不同。

猫头鹰是夜行性动物，白天睡觉夜间猎食。猫头鹰以独特的叫声和绝佳的视力闻名，牠们利用这些特性来引导方向和在夜间猎食。牠们有远视，并利用这样的视力追踪及锁定远处的猎物。

虽然鸽子和麻雀光靠种子和榖类就能生存，但这可满足不了猫头鹰。相反地，牠们偏好捕食小型哺乳类动物，如鼹鼠、老鼠和兔子。除了这些恒温生物之外，牠们饥饿时也会抓昆虫和其它鸟类来吃。如同其它猛禽，猫头鹰的喙和爪子都很锋利，能在食用猎物前将之撕成碎片。有时牠们会吞下一整块大骨头、羽毛或其它无法消化的东西。牠们身体无法消化的东西会以『食茧』的形式吐出来。这些骨头和其它小东西形成的团状物被人们收集起来，因为这对研究猫头鹰的习性和饮食是很有价值的数据。

猫头鹰为人类消除某些可能危及生活的害虫。就某方面来说，保护猫头鹰的栖息地也是人类保护自己的方式之一。

标准答案: 1. (A)　2. (C)　3. (D)　4. (B)　5. (A)　6. (D)　7. (B)