中学生科普英语趣味阅读低年级阅读材料.doc

II. Life Science 生命科学Animal Kingdom早在人类出现之前，史前动物已经在地球上繁衍发展。地球上的动物以从低等到高等、从简单到复杂的趋势不断进化并繁衍至今。科学家根据动物的各种特征将动物分为两大类和七个等级。至今科学家已经鉴别出46900多种脊椎动物，130多万种无脊椎动物。下面让我们一起去探索奇妙的动物世界吧!Rearing of lion cubs 狮子是唯一雌雄两态和群居的猫科动物，生活于开阔的草原疏林地区或半荒漠地带。 Warm-upHave you ever seen the movie The Lion King? Do you know how lions live in the wild inreality? Big question to think about while you readHow does the rearing of lion cubs go according to the text?Content Vocabulary1. rearing n. the process of helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community 抚养2. litter n. a group of animals born to the same mother at the same time 一窝( 动物的幼崽)3. cheetah n. a wild animal that looks like a large cat with black spots on its body 猎豹4. leopard n. a large feline living in African and Asian forests, usually having a tawny coat with black spots 豹5. hyena n. a wild animal like a dog and eats the meat of animals that are already dead 鬣狗6. mortality n. the number of deaths in a particular place 死亡The pride is highly structured when it comes to rearing the cubs. Males are extremely protective of their mates while they are breeding. At the end of the approximately 105-day gestation period, the lioness leaves the pride to go to a sheltered, isolated area to give birth to its litter of two to five cubs. Cubs are born blind. They weigh 1.5 to 2 kilograms, and they have a soft, woolly grayish-yellow-brown coat. The lioness rarely leaves her cubs. When she does, either to hunt or drink, she risks losing them to predators, such as cheetahs, leopards, jackals, or hyenas.At first, the cubs will stay close to their mother as they explore their surroundings. Male cub mortality is high because males are more active and more likely to leave their protected shelter. Cubs accompany their mother on hunting expeditions when they are three to four months old. Cubs will not be able to kill their own prey until they are about two years old. Through early play experiences, the cubs learn how to hunt, crash, leap, and kill their prey.Adolescent males tend to remain near the prides territory at first and then go off on their own. They will try and join another pride. Male lions display excellent teamwork when threatened by another male wanting to dominate the pride. The typical duration for which a strong group of males is able to defend their pride is two to three years, during which time they father all of the offspring. ( 256 words) Reflection questions on what you read1. Why does the lioness rarely leave its cubs?2. What contributes to the high mortality of male cubs?3. How long will it take before cubs are able to kill their own prey? How are they able to do so?4. In the movie The Lion King, Simba finally became the mighty king. Can you explain why would adolescent males like to defend their pride according to the text? Leopards 豹在四种大型猫科动物（其余三种为狮、虎、美洲豹）中体积最小，颜色最鲜艳。奔跑速度快，可以说是敏捷的猎手。 Warm-upHave you ever seen a leopard in the zoo? Do you know how it looks like? Big question to think about while you readHow does the leopard live in the wild?Content Vocabulary1. wild n. a natural environment not controlled by people 自然环境2. panthera n. a leopard in the black color phase 黑豹3. spot n. a small, round, colored area on a surface 斑点4. rosette n. a decoration or design that looks rather like a rose 玫瑰花环5. stalk v. to move slowly and quietly towards an animal in order to catch or kill it 偷偷接近(猎物)6. agile adj. moving quickly and lightly 敏捷的7. mating n. the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes 交配The leopard is scattered over a wider area today than any of the other big cats. It lives across most of the African continent (with the exception of the Sahara Desert), in parts of Asia, from the Middle East to India, Pakistan, China, Siberia, and on the islands of Java and Sri Lanka. The leopard may be the most difficult big cat to find in the wild because leopards spend much of their time in trees. Leopards usually live on their own. Leopards are from about 1.3 to 1.9 meters long, and they weigh from about 30 to 80 kilograms. Their scientific name is Panther pardus. Even on the ground, leopards spotted coats of golden brown with black ring spots help them to become invisible. Jaguars and leopards have the same dark rosettes on their fur, but leopards do not have spots within the rosettes. Jaguar fur has spots in the rosettes. The leopard is probably the smartest hunter of all cats. At night, it moves silently and stalks its prey by crawling with its stomach low to the ground, or it may wait in a tree and jump on prey that comes near the tree. The agile animal even hunts for monkeys in trees. Hunting and living alone, the leopard survives in many places because it eats almost anything. The leopard will kill gazelles, wild pigs, and birds. It can drag prey more than twice its size for many kilometers and then pull it up a tree to keep other animals from getting its food. The ability to drag its prey allows the leopard to hunt less frequently than other cats who share the same habitat, such as the cheetahs. Leopards have no specific breeding season, but tend to mate in January and February. After mating, the pair separates, with the female left to care for its cubs. Leopards tend to have two cubs after a gestation period between 90 to 105 days. Cubs are born blind and weigh from 750 grams to 1 kilogram. They begin to feed on their own at about 3 months when they start to accompany their mother on hunting trips. The mother leopards whitish tail is held upright during the rearing of the cubs. This erect tail apparently provides the cubs with a visible marker that helps them follow her through the tall grasses and shrubs. The cubs remain with their mother for 18 to 24 months, and then they leave to establish territories of their own. (415 words) Reflection questions on what you read1. Where on the earth can we find leopards? Why do you think they have such a wide distribution according to the whole text?2. Whats the difference between jaguars and leopards in appearance?3. Why do leopards hunt less frequently than other cats who share the same habitat, such as the cheetahs?4. What can you tell when the mother leopards whitish tail is held upright during the rearing of its cubs?Jaguars 美洲豹是美洲大陆上最大的猫科动物之一，仅次于老虎狮子，性情凶猛，喜欢栖息于树木茂密的热带雨林。 Warm-upTo which animal in the cat family does the scientific name Panthera onca refer? What do you think is the largest cat on the American continent? Big question to think about while you readHow do jaguars live in the wild?Content Vocabulary1. tropical adj. coming from or existing in the hottest parts of the world 热带的2. pounce v. to jump on something and hold it, in order to kill it 猛扑3. marking n. a pattern of marks 记号4. captivity n. the state of being imprisoned 囚禁Long before modern times, the jaguar was worshipped as the god of the night. In ancient civilizations, people believed that the spots on its coat represented the stars in the sky. Jaguars are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are 1 to 2 meters long and may weigh between 28 to 90 kilograms (females are smaller). Their scientific name is Panthera onca. Jaguars have a beautiful golden brown-yellowish coat with black rings with one to four dark spots in the center of each ring. The rings are called rosettes. Jaguars have whitish fur on their throat and stomach. The primary habitats of the jaguar are dense tropical rain forests and swampy grasslands. Jaguars prefer to live near freshwater where they can catch fish, turtles, and small alligators called caimans. Jaguars are strong, excellent swimmers. They hunt a wide variety of creatures big or small. In addition to the freshwater animals just mentioned, they also hunt deer, wild pigs, tapirs, birds, and even mice. They are slower than tigers and many other cats as hunters, and they prefer to stalk and pounce on prey rather than run after it. After killing its prey, a jaguar may drag its body to a secluded spot, usually high in a tree before eating it. Most cats kill with bites to the throat or neck of its prey, but a jaguars bite is so strong it can actually crush the hard skull of its prey, causing instant death. A jaguars name, yagurara, was given to it by South American Indians, and it means a beast that kills its prey with one leap.Jaguars hunt day or night. If seen, they are most likely to be on a human-made trail, which they prefer for moving around. Jaguars hunt and live alone, except when breeding. Like many other cats, they mark their territory with their scent. Reproduction may take place any time during the year. A series of roars and urinary scent markings3 help males locate females. The gestation period of a jaguar is between 95 to 105 days. Jaguar litters are usually between one and four cubs. Cubs are born blind. Each weighs 1 to 1.5 kilograms.The cubs generally remain in the den where they were born for about six months. The cubs have a woolly coat with spots much like their mothers. At three months, the cubs begin to accompany their mother on. hunts. They remain with her up to two years and then leave to establish territories of their own. A jaguar may live 15 to 20 years in the wild and up to 22 years in captivity.An important role of the jaguar is to eliminate weak and sick members of other species. Predators such as jaguars prevent other species from becoming too numerous and overpopulating areas. However, jaguars themselves, like other big cats, are becoming endangered as habitats are lost. (479 words) Reflection questions on what you read1. Why was the jaguar worshipped as the god of the night in ancient times?2. Which place do jaguars prefer to choose as their habitats?3. Jaguars were given a name yagurara by South American Indians, meaning a beast that kills its prey with one leap. Why do you think it is given such a name according to the text?4. How do male jaguars locate female ones?5. Which place do you think is better for jaguars to live in, in the wild or in captivity?Tigers 美洲豹是美洲大陆上最大的猫科动物之一，仅次于老虎狮子，性情凶猛，喜欢栖息于树木茂密的热带雨林。 Warm-upHave you ever seen a tiger in the zoo or even in the wild? Do you know the tiger is one of the largest predators on the Asian continent? Big question to think about while you readWhat kind of animal is the tiger?Content Vocabulary1. savanna n. a wide flat open area of land covered with grass 大草原2. stripe n. a line of color, especially one of several lines of color all close together 条纹3. nocturnal adj. (of animals)active at night 夜间活动的4. powerful adj. having great power or force or potency or effect 强有力的Tigers live mainly in tropical rain forests, evergreen forests, swamps, grasslands, and savannas in various parts of Asia, including India, Pakistan, Siberia, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra. These habitats allow the tiger to hide as it hunts its prey, which include deer, wild pigs, wild oxen, water buffalo, and the occasional slow monkey or bird. Tigers have a beautiful, light brownish-yellow or dark orange-red coat with black stripes. The fur on their throat, stomach, and the inside of their legs is white. Many tigers also have some white hair around their heads. Their orange-and-black stripes may stand out in a zoo, but they allow the animal to blend into trees and tall grasses, where they serve as a perfect camouflage. No two tigers have the same pattern of stripes. The tiger is the largest of the big cats. It measures 2.75 to 3.5 meters long, and it may weigh between 65 to 306 kilograms. Unlike lions, tigers usually hunt and live alone, but are not unfriendly. Several tigers may share a kill. Tigers are nocturnal; they hunt mostly at night. Sometimes a tiger may wait for an animal near a pond or river and then catch and drown it. Tigers depend on their excellent sense of sight to see in dim light. They also depend on their hearing and sense of smell to find their prey. A tiger will rush toward its prey with extreme swiftness for a short distance and may leap for nearly 9 meters. Tigers can use their powerful4 teeth and jaws to suffocate large prey, just as lions do. After the kill, the tiger may drag its prey, nearly half a kilometer to a safe place, and it eats everything but the bones and the stomach of its prey. Though most cats do not like water, tigers enjoy it and are excellent swimmers. Tigers often lie in water just to cool themselves. Tigers can also climb trees, but will generally not do so. Tigers communicate by making many sounds, including a roar that can be heard up to two kilometers away. Tigers, like lions, mark their territory by clawing the trees and leaving urine marks around their territory. If a tiger smells the urine markings of another tigers territory, it will turn away to avoid a rival hunter. Except for when a female tiger is caring for its cubs, most tigers prefer to live alone. Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh between 1 and 2 kilograms. For the first six weeks, cubs depend on their mothers milk. At eight weeks, cubs will start joining their mother on her hunting expeditions. When cubs are six months old, their mother will catch a prey and break its legs in order to teach the cubs how to kill it. Tigers do not begin to kill on their own for one and a half to two years. After this, they must find their own hunting ground. (487 words) Reflection questions on what you read1. Why do tigers mainly live in tropical rain forests, evergreen forests, swamps, grasslands and savannas?2. What is the most outstanding feature of a tiger in appearance?3. Can you name three other big cats?4. What kind of senses do tigers rely on when seeking for their prey?5. How do tigers mark their territory and why do they do so? Cheetahs 猎豹，又名印度豹，是猫科动物的一种，现主要分布在非洲和西亚，是陆地上奔跑最快的动物，时速可以超过110公里。 Warm-upDo you know what is the fastest land animal over short distances? Can you imagine how fast they can run? Big question to think about while you readWhat kind of animal is the cheetah?Content Vocabulary1. sociable adj. inclined to or conducive to companionship with others 好交际的2. defend v. to protect from an attack 保护3. accelerate v. to move faster 加速4. vulture n. a large bird that eats the flesh of animals that are already dead 秃鹫5. protein n. large group of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of polymers of amino acids 蛋白质Cheetahs are large cats, but they are in a different genus from the big cats. Their scientific name is Acinonyx jubatus. Acinonyx means no-move claw. Cheetahs live in Africa and Asia in semiarid areas, grasslands, and bushes. They tend to avoid forests. A cheetah has a long body and limbs, a flexible backbone, powerful hind legs, and a long tail. These enable it to be the fastest land animal over short distances. It may reach a speed of up to around 110 kilometers an hour, but it seldom chases its prey for more than 400 meters. Cheetahs weigh between 35 and 65 kilograms and are from 1.1 to 1.4 meters long. Cheetahs have a beautiful yellowish-brown coat with dark spots. On its face, the cheetah has a thin black line that runs from the inner comer of its eye down to the back of its mouth, much like a teardrop. This mark makes it easy to distinguish cheetahs from other cats. Cheetahs are not very sociable and tend to hunt alone. When not hunting, males often live in groups in territories which they defend. Cheetahs are also different from the big cats in these ways: They cannot roar. They hunt in the morning and early afternoon. (This helps them avoid conflicts with lions and leopards, which tend to hunt at night.) They do not stalk prey. They run at high speeds to chase down prey. Other members of the cat family can pull in their claws, but a cheetahs claws are always extended. This feature helps it grip the ground, like a kind of running shoe, and outrun its prey. Cheetahs prey on gazelles, impalas, hares, birds, and other small anim