老托福20经典听写.docx

老托福20经典听写.docx

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老托福20经典听写

37

We'vejustseentwocontemporarylargebirdsthatcannotfly:

theemuandtheostrich.Overhereisaninterestingspecimenfromthepast.Thisstuffedanimalisnotthegiantpenguinitappearstobe,butanauk.Thisparticularkindofaukisveryrare,only78skinsareknowntoexistandmostarenotpreservedaswellasthisone.Thegreatauk,asyoucansee,wasaratherlargebird,anditcouldn'tflyeither.However,evidencesuggeststhattheaukwasanexcellentswimmeranddiver.Unfortunately,thoseabilitiesdidnotprotectitfrombeingeasypreyforhungrysailorswhoyearsagosailedtheverycoldandoftenicywatersofGreenland,Iceland,andScotland.Infact,recordsindicatethattheaukwasrathertastyandthatitseggs.Excuseme...thatitseggsandfeatherswereusefulaswell.Still,itisn'tclearwhatotherfactorsledtothebigbird'sdemisearound1844,thelasttimeanyonereportedseeingone.Ofcourse,webelieveit'simportanttotakeextraprecautionstopreservetheremaininggreataukskins.Afterall,thesespecimensshouldproveinvaluableforfuturescientificresearch.Doesanyonehaveanyquestionsbeforewemoveontoournextbirdexhibit?

【生词摘录】

1.contemporary:

adj.当代的，同时代的

2.emu:

n.［C］鸸鹋（产于澳洲的一种体型大而不会飞的鸟）

3.ostrich:

n.［C］鸵鸟

4.specimen:

n.［C］样本；样品；实例

5.stuffed:

adj.已经喂饱了的

6.penguin:

n.［C］企鹅

7.auk:

n.［C］海雀（北极地区海鸟，体大，短翅，蹼足）

8.demise:

n.［U］死亡

9.precaution:

n.［C］预防，警惕，防范

10.invaluable:

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，价值无法衡量的

41

BeforeItellyouabouttheinterestingdiscoveryrelatedtoTyrannosaurusrex,Ineedtoreviewsomethingwestudiedlastsemester,thedifferencebetweenwhatarecommonlycalledcold-bloodedandwarm-bloodedanimals.Inwarm-bloodedanimals,birdsandmammals,forexample,thebodytemperaturenormallystayswithinanarrowrange,nomatterwhattheoutsidetemperatureis.Asaresult,awarm-bloodedanimalisusuallyactiveinbothcoldandhotweatherbecauseitsbodytemperaturecanadjusttothetemperatureofitsenvironment.Ontheotherhand,cold-bloodedanimals,suchasmostreptiles,amphibians,andinsects,areunabletocreateenoughheatinternallytoraisetheirtemperatureabovethetemperatureoftheenvironment.So,forexample,thetemperatureofacold-bloodedanimalfallswhentheenvironmentiscool.Ihopethisdistinctionisclear.Now,movingontoTyrannosaurusrex,youmayknowthatdinosaurs,beingreptiles,aregenerallybelievedtohavebeencold-blooded.Well,arecentresearchstudyfoundthatthechemicalcompositionofthebonesofTyrannosaurusrexwasconsistentwiththebonesofananimalthathasaverynarrowrangeofinternaltemperature,indicatingthatitwasprobablywarm-blooded.

【生词摘录】

1.Tyrannosaurus:

暴龙

2.rex:

n.［C］雷克斯猫

3.cold-blooded:

adj.冷血的

4.warm-blooded:

adj.温血的

5.reptile:

n.［C］爬行动物

6.amphibian:

n.［C］水路两栖动物

7.internally:

adv.在内，内在地

8.distinction:

n.［C］区别，差异

9.dinosaur:

n.［C］恐龙

10.composition:

n.［C］合成物

11.consistent:

adj.一致的

44

Thisroomisdevotedtoelectricfish.Theeelinthetankbehindmecanproduceastrongjolt重击ofelectricitytostun打晕itsprey,butmostofthefishinhereproduceonlyweakelectricalimpulsesthatareusefulfornavigating,locatingfood,andevenforcommunicating.Theknifefishisagoodexample.Thisfishnavigates,usingtinyreceptorsintheskinthataresensitivetoelectricalimpulses.Theknifefishproducesanelectricalsignal,andthereceptorsinitsskinletitknowwhenthesignalisdistortedbyatreeroot,orsomeotherobstacle,soitcangoaroundit.Fishalsousetheabilitytoproduceanddetectelectricalimpulsestocommunicate.Theycantelleachotherwhatspeciestheybelongto,howbigtheyare,andwhetherthey'remaleorfemale.Wehaveatankherethat'sspeciallyequippedtoconverttheinaudiblesignalsthefishproduceintosoundsyoucanhearwhenyouputontheseheadphones.IurgeyoualltolisteninwhenI'mdonespeaking.Nowhavealookattheelectricrays.Raysareespeciallyinterestingtomedicalresearchersbecauseoftheorganstheyusetoproduceelectricity.Theseorganscontainachemicalthatcarriessignalsfromonenerveendingtothenext,notonlyinrays,butalsoinpeople.Bystudyingtheseorgans,scientistshopetolearnmoreaboutdiseasesthatinterruptthetransmissionofimpulsesfromonenervetoanother.

【生词摘录】

1.devote:

v.作……标点符号

2.eel:

n.［C］鳗（任一种长的蛇形的无鳞海洋或淡水鱼）

3.tank:

n.［C］桶，箱，罐，槽，池塘

4.jolt:

n.［C］重击

5.stun:

v.使晕倒，打晕

6.prey:

n.猎物

7.receptor:

n.［C］接受器，感受器

8.distort:

v.歪曲，误传

9.obstacle:

n.障碍

10.species:

n.［C］种类

11.inaudible:

adj.听不见的

12.headphone:

n.［C］听音器，耳机

13.ray:

n.［C］光线，放射线

14.nerve:

n.［C］神经

15.ending:

n.［C］末梢

16.transmission:

n.［C］传输

17.impulse:

n.［C］脉冲

50

HumanpopulationsneartheequatorhaveevolveddarkskinovermanygenerationsbecauseofexposuretothefierceraysoftheSun.Asimilarphenomenonhasalsooccurredinotherpartsoftheanimalkingdom.TheAfricangrassmouseisagoodexample.Mostmicearenocturnal,buttheAfricangrassmouseisactiveduringdaylighthours.ThismeansthatitspendsitsdayssearchingforfoodinthesemidrybushandscrubhabitatsofeasternandsouthernAfrica.Itsfurisstriped,likeachipmunk's,whichhelpsitblendinwithitsenvironment.Becauseitspendsalotoftimeintheintensetropicalsun,thegrassmousehasalsoevolvedtwoseparatesafeguardsagainsttheSun'sultravioletradiation.First,likethepopulationsofhumansinthisregionoftheworld,theskinofthegrassmousecontainslotsofmelanin,ordarkpigment.Second,andquiteunusual,thismousehasalayerofmelanin-pigmentedtissuebetweenitsskullandskin.Thisunique"cap"providesanextrameasureofprotectionforthegrassmouseandthreeothertypesofAfricanmouse-likerodentsthatareactiveduringtheday.Theonlyotherspeciesscientistshaveidentifiedwiththesamesortofskulladaptationisthewhitetent-makingbatoftheCentralAmericantropics.Althoughthesebatssleepduringtheday,theydosocurledupwiththeirheadsexposedtothesun.

【生词摘录】

1.nocturnal:

adj.夜行的，夜间活动的

2.scrub:

n.矮树，灌丛

3.fur:

n.毛皮

4.stripe:

v.划条纹

5.chipmunk:

n.［C］花栗鼠

6.tropical:

adj.热带的

7.ultraviolet:

adj.紫外线的

8.melanin:

n.［C］黑色素

9.pigment:

n.［C］色素

10.tissue:

n.［C］【生】组织

11.skull:

n.［C］头骨

8

BeforestartingourtourofMonticello,I'dliketogiveyousomehistoricalfactsthatmighthelpyouappreciatewhatyouseetodayevenmore.MonticellowastheverymuchlovedhomeofThomasJeffersonforoverfiftyyears.Jefferson,whowas,ofcourse,President,wasalsoagreatreaderandlanguageenthusiast.Hereadwidelyondifferentsubjects,includingarchitecture.Hewasn'tformallytrainedinarchitecture,butasaresultofhisstudyandobservationofotherbuildings,hewasabletohelpdesignandbuildthehouse.Hechosethesitehimself,namingtheestate"Monticello,"whichmeans"littlemountain"inItalian.Infact,manyoftheideasbehindthedesignalsocamefromtheItalianarchitectAndreaPalladio,wholivedinthesixteenthcenturyandwhohadagreatinfluenceonthearchitectureofEngland.Jefferson,however,ignoredoneofPalladio'sprinciples,thatis,nottobuildinahighplace.Monticello'selevationmadethetransportationofwhatwasneededatthehouse—forexample,food—especiallydifficult.ButtheviewfromtheestatewouldnotbeasspectacularifJeffersonhadfollowedPalladio'sadvice;therereallyisnoboundarybetweenthehouseandthenaturearoundit,andsoJeffersonwasabletolookoutonhisbelovedstateofVirginiafromhiswonderfulvantagepoint.Nowwe'llgoontoJefferson'slibrary.

【生词摘录】

1.Monticello:

蒙提切娄

2.appreciate:

v.tounderstandhowgoodorusefulsomeoneorsomethingis欣赏，赏识，鉴赏

3.enthusiast:

n.［C］someonewhoisveryinterestedinaparticularactivityorsubject热衷于…的人

4.estate:

n.［C］alargeareaoflandinthecountry,usuallywithonelargehouseonitandoneowner（在乡村附有宅地的）一大片私有土地，庄园

5.elevation:

n.［singular］aheightabovethelevelofthesea海拔

6.spectacular:

adj.veryimpressiveandexciting壮观的，精彩的，引人注目的

7.vantagepoint:

agoodpositionfromwhichyoucanseesomething（能观察某物的）有利位置

15

I'mgladyoubroughtupthequestionofourinvestigationsintothemakeupoftheEarth'sinterior.Infact,sincethisisthetopicofyourreadingassignmentfornexttime,letmespendtheselastfewminutesofclasstalkingaboutit.TherewereseveralimportantdiscoveriesintheearlypartofthiscenturythathelpedgeologistsdevelopamoreaccuratepictureoftheEarth'sinterior.Thefirstkeydiscoveryhadtodowithseismicwaves.Remembertheyarethevibrationscausedbyearthquakes.Well,scientistsfoundthattheytraveledthousandsofmilesthroughtheEarth'sinterior.ThisfindingenabledgeologiststostudytheinnerpartsoftheEarth.Yousee,thesestudiesrevealedthatthesevibrationswereoftwotypes:

compressionorPwavesandshearorSwaves.AndresearchersfoundthatPwavestravelthroughbothliquidsandsolids,whileSwavestravelonlythroughsolidmatter.In1906,aBritishgeologistdiscoveredthatPwavessloweddownatacertaindepthbutkepttravelingdeeper.Ontheotherhand,Swaveseitherdisappearedorwerereflectedback,soheconcludedthatthedepthmarkedtheboundarybetweenasolidmantleandaliquidcore.Threeyearslater,anotherboundarywasdiscovered,thatbetweenthemantleandtheEarth'scrust.There'sstillalottobelearnedabouttheEarth.Forinstance,geologistsknowthatthecoreishot.Evidenceofthisisthemoltenlavathatflowsoutofvolcanoes.Butwe'restillnotsurewhatthesourceoftheheatis.

【生词摘录】

1.makeup:

n.［singular］aparticularlyco