新概念英语第三册/Lesson 9 Flying cats

新概念英语第三册 Lesson 9 Flying cats 飞猫

课文

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

• 听录音，然后回答以下问题。
• How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?

Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. They never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.

Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.

New words and expressions 生词和短语

1. fascinate
   • v. 迷住，吸引住
2. affectionate
   • adj. 充满深情，柔情的
3. mysterious
   • adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
4. submissive
   • adj. 服从的，顺从的
5. feline
   • adj. 猫的
6. independence
   • n. 独立，独立性
7. high-rise
   • adj. 高层的
8. windowsill
   • n. 窗槛
9. paratrooper
   • n. 伞兵
10. squirrel
    • n. 松鼠
11. air-resistance
    • n. 空气阻力
12. impact
    • n. 冲击力

参考译文

猫总能引起人们的极大兴趣。它们可以对人友好，充满柔情。但是，它们又有自己神秘的生活方式。它们从不像狗和马一样变得那么顺从。结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。在它们的一生中，大多数猫都对人存有戒心。最使我们感兴趣的一件事情就是一种通俗的信念——猫有九条命。显然，这种说法里面包含着许多真实性。猫在跌落时能够大难不死是有事实作为依据的。

最近，纽约动物医疗中心对132只猫进行了为期5个月的综合研究。所有这些猫有一个共同的经历：它们都曾从高层建筑上摔下来过，但只有其中的8只猫死于震荡或跌伤。当然，纽约是进行这种有趣的试验的一个理想的地方，因为那里根本不缺乏高楼大厦，有的是高层的窗槛从上往下坠落。有一只叫萨伯瑞的猫从32层楼上掉下来，但只摔断一颗牙。“猫就像训练有素的跳伞队员，” 一位医生说。看起来，猫跌落的距离越长，它们就越不会伤害自己。在一个长长的跌落过程中，它们可以达到每小时60里甚至更快的速度。在高速下落中，猫有时间放松自己。它们伸展四肢，就像飞行中的松鼠一样。这样就加大了空气阻力，并减少了它们着地时冲击力带来的震动。

笔记

New words and expression 生词和短语

Fascinate v.迷住，吸引住

Fascination（n.魔力, 入迷, 魅力）

Fascinating（adj.令人着迷的） -- Sweet music is fascinating.

Fascinated（adj.感到着迷的）

Be fascinated with… 迷上了…

-- He is fascinated with music.

-- He is fascinated with chess. / Are you fascinated with English?

Be crazy about… 着迷于… -- He is crazy about music.

Be mad about… 着迷于… -- He is mad about music.

Like, Love, Be fond of 喜欢 -- The boy is fond of football.

Affectionate adj.充满深情，柔情的

-- Cats are affectionate animals.

Affectionately（adv.充满深情的, 有感情的, 慈爱的） -- The lady is looking that man affectionately

affection（n.友爱, 爱情, 影响, 疾病, 倾向） affect（vt.影响, 感动）

Mysterious adj.神秘的，难以理解的

-- a mysterious plan / a mysterious explanation

mystery（n.谜面，神秘感） -- His death is a mystery.

Submissive adj.服从的，顺从的

be submissive to sb -- Dogs and horses are submissive, but cats are never submissive to us.

Obedient（adj.服从的, 孝顺的） -- Are you obedient?

Submit（v.服从, 顺从） -- submit oneself to sb/sth

Submission（n.屈服, 降服, 服从）

Feline adj.猫的

Independence n.独立，独立性 dependence（n.依靠, 依赖, 信任, 信赖）

Independent（adj.独立自主的, 不受约束的） dependent（adj.依靠的, 依赖的）

-- You have already grown up, you must be independent.

Depend（vi.依靠, 依赖） independ 没有此词

-- You must depend on yourself.

high-rise adj.高层的

windowsill n.窗槛

paratrooper n.伞兵

squirrel n.松鼠

air-resistance n.空气阻力

impact n.冲击力

height（n.高度, 海拔, 高地[常用复数]）

protect（vt.保护）

remain（vi.保持）

suspicious（adj.可疑的, 怀疑的）

apparently（adj.显然的, 外观上的）

ability（n.能力, 才干）

fall（vi.倒下, 落下）--（fell, fallen, falling）

medical（adj.医学的, 内科的）

period（n.时期, 学时）

shock（n.打击, 震动）

injury（n.伤害, 侮辱） injure（vt.损害, 伤害）

ideal（n.理想 adj.理想的, 完美的）

sill（n.窗台, 门槛）

storey（n.层 = [美]story）

behave（vi.举动, 举止, 运转）

suffer（vt.遭受, 经历, 忍受 vi.受痛苦, 受损害）

stretch（v.伸展, 伸长）

increase（n.增加 vt.增加, 加大 vi.增加, 繁殖）

resistance（n. 阻力, 电阻, 抵抗力, 反抗, 抵抗）

reduce（vt.减少, 缩小）

Text 课文

How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?

Cats never fail to fascinate human beings.

never fail to 双重否定意味肯定（运用双重否定结构加深句子肯定的语气）

-- If you ask for help in the polite way, you never fail to succeed.

-- If you receive requests like this, you'll never fail to accept.

双重否定结构：（起加深句子肯定的语气的作用）

1>否定词+fail to

-- never fail to / can't fail to / don't fail to

2>否定的形容词之前加以否定

-- What he said is not unreasonable.（adj.不讲道理的, 不合理的）

-- It is quite common for us to make mistakes.

= It is not uncommon for us to make mistakes.

3> not + without

-- You can't obtain English without working hard. Obtain（vt.获得, 得到）

-- He doesn't have any meal without meats. 4> no + not

-- There is no cat that doesn't like fish.

-- There is nothing that he can't do. 没有什么他不能做的。

-- There is no rule that has no exception. 没有无例外的法规。Exception（n.除外, 例外）

They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of

their own as well.

as well 也, 又, 同样

They never become submissive like dogs and horses.

As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence.

as a result adv.结果

have learned to 学会了, 习惯了

-- People have learned to expect(盼望) that trains are punctual.（adj.准时的）

-- Children have learned to expect(认为) that their parents are very able.（adj.能干的）

Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives.

be suspicious of… 对…表示怀疑, 存有戒心

One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine

lives.

that 引导同位语从句

-- One of the things that fascinates us most about planes is the popular fact that they are safe and

fast.

Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea.

a good deal of +不可数名词

apparently（adv.显然地），语气不是非常确定（= It seems that...）

A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.

Survive（v.幸免于, 幸存, 生还）

Fall（n.堕落, 落下, 下降）

-- a cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact

be based on 基于事实基础之上

base sth on … 把某事建立在…基础之上

-- We base the theory on the fact. 我们把这理论建立在事实的基础之上。

-- The theory is based on fact. 这理论是建立在事实基础上的。

Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five

months.

make a study of sth 对什么作出研究

over a period of five months

All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only

eight of them died from shock or injuries.

in common = the same

fall off 坠落，掉落

die of + illness, disease, hunger, thirst

die from + shock, injures, wound

Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no

shortage of tall buildings.

Shortage（n.不足, 缺乏）= lack（n.缺乏, 短缺），两个词都和of搭配

-- Shortage of money led to the failure of the experiments.

 资金缺乏导致实验的失败。

There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet

only suffered from a broken tooth.

32 storeys

suffer from 遭受什么痛苦

-- A lot of people in the world are suffering from terrible disease.

'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said.

behave like = act like

well-trained 训练很好的，well-decorated 装饰漂亮的

It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves.

the more...the more...（用定冠词the +形容词或副词的比较级）

-- The harder you study English, the better you can learn it.

-- The more you eat, the fatter you will be.

be likely to do 有可能如何（强调可能性）

-- In cold winter, we are likely to catch a cold.

In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more.

and more 甚至更多（= more than 60 miles an hour）

At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like

flying squirrels.

at high speeds

stretch out 充分伸展

This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.

Special difficulties 难点

so, such, such a, such an

1> so

2> such （fun是不可数名词）

3> such an （exhibition n.展览会）

4> so （twin n.双胞胎中一人）

5> such a

Multiple choice questions 多项选择

1... A endlessly fascinating 无穷的吸引人的 Endlessly（adv.不断地, 无穷尽地）

2... D

3... A unlikely（adj.未必的, 不太可能的） exceed（vt.超越, 胜过）

4... C for 对于人们来讲

with 对于人们来讲（强调对比概念）

-- With some children, their pocket money goes a long way.（暗含：对于其他的孩子来说…）

Unfailing（adj.经久不衰的,无穷尽的） Endless（adj.无止境的, 无穷的）

5... B as...as... 象…一样

in the way that... 以…方式

-- I love you in the way that you love me.

-- We like modern art in the same way that we like pretty curtain material.

6... D popularly（adv.一般地, 流行地, 通俗地, 大众地）

It is said that... 据说…

It is announced that... 据宣布…

It is reported that... 据报道…

7... B there is plenty of改为there are plenty of就对了

8... A

9... A throughout（prep.遍及, 贯穿） -- throughout one's life 毕生, 整个一生中

during 在…期间（时间较短） -- during our holiday / during the week

through 侧重强调从空间穿过

-- through the crowd 穿过人群 / through the door

-- Monday through Friday

10... C It would seem (that)... = apparently

event n.结果, 事件, 事变 （in the event adv.结果, 如果）

Surprisingly（adv.令人惊讶地）

11... C

explain（v.解释, 说明） test（v.测试, 试验, 检验）

bear vt.vi.（bore, borne/born, bearing）v.负担, 忍受

support（vt.支撑, 扶持, 支持）

-- The theory is supported by the fact.

-- The theory is based on the fact.

12... A

even so（conj.虽然如此） 注意：要有上下文

-- He is very tired, even so he keeps studying English hard.

Although（conj.虽然, 尽管）引导让步状语从句

in spite of（虽然, 尽管）只用了连接名词、动名词或代词

moreover（adv.而且；此外）表示递近关系

-- I don't like skating; moreover, the ice is too thin. 我不喜欢溜冰，而且冰也太薄。