Lesson 9 Flying cats 飞猫

【New words and expressions】 生词和短语

　　◆fascinate v. 迷住，吸引住

　　◆affectionate adj. 充满情深的，柔情的

　　◆mysterious adj. 神秘的，难以理解的

　　◆submissive adj. 服从的，顺从的

　　◆feline adj. 猫的

　　◆independence n. 独立，独立性

　　◆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

　　

　　★fascinate v. 迷住，吸引住

　　vt. 主系表结构：be fascinated with被…迷住了，被…吸引住了

　　He is fascinated with chess.

　　Are you fascinated with English.

　　

　　like, love, be fond of

　　The boy is fond of football.

　　

　　be crazy about:着迷

　　be mad about

　　He is crazy / mad about music.

　　He is fascinated with music.

　　

　　fascination n.

　　fascinating adj.

　　Sweet music is fascinating.

　　

　　★affectionate adj. 充满情深的，柔情的

　　Cats are affectionate animals.

　　affectionately adv.

　　The lady is looking that man affectionately.

　　affection n.

　　

　　★mysterious adj. 神秘的，难以理解的

　　a mysterious plan

　　a mysterious explanation

　　mystery n. 迷团，神秘感

　　His death is a mystery.

　　

　　★submissive adj. 服从的，顺从的

　　obedient

　　Are you obedient?

　　Dogs and horses are submissive, but Cats are never submissive to us.

　　be submissive to sb.

　　

　　submit v.

　　Submit oneself to sb. / sth. 屈服于，顺从于

　　submission n.

　　

　　★feline adj. 猫的

　　★independence n. 独立，独立性

　　independent adj.

　　You have already grown up, you must be independent.

　　

　　depend 依靠

　　You must depend on yourself.

　　

　　depend, dependence

　　independence, independent

　　

　　★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

　　

　　【Text】

　　§ Lesson 9 Flying cats 飞猫

　　Q: 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 fascinaes 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 Centre made a study of 132 cots 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 hid the ground.

　　

　　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。

　　

　　【课文讲解】

　　nver fail to do 双重否定＝＝肯定

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

　　

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

　　常用的双重否定结构（加强语气）

　　1． never fail to, can‘t fail to, don‘t fail to , 否定词+fail to（语气较强烈）

　　2． 否定的形容词之前加以否定 unreasonable-> not unreasonable

　　Eg: What he said is not unreasonable.

　　It is quite common (not uncommon ) for us to make mistakes.

　　3． not + without

　　Eg: You can‘t obtain english without working hard.

　　 He doesn’t have any meal without meat.

　　4.no+not

　　Eg: There is no cat that doesn‘t like fish.

　　There is nothing that he can‘t do.

　　There is no rule that has no exception.

　　as well

　　as a result

　　have learned to:学会了，习惯了

　　People have learned to expect that trains are punctual.

　　Children have learned to expect that their parents are very able.

　　

　　be suspicious of sb. 对什么表示怀疑，存有戒心

　　

　　One of the things that fascinaes us： that 引导定语从句

　　that 引导同位语从句

　　One of the things that fascinaes us most about planes is the popular fact that they are safe and fast.

　　

　　truth,不可数名词，a good deal of

　　apparently 显然，显而易见

　　It seems that...

　　

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

　　survive v. fall v.&n.

　　be based on:基于事实基础之上

　　base sth. on: 把某事加强在什么基础之上

　　We base the theory on the fact

　　The theory is based on fact.

　　

　　make a study of sth:对什么作出研究

　　

　　over a period of five months

　　

　　in common = the same

　　

　　fall off 坠落， 掉落

　　die from:死于

　　死于疾病：die of illness / disease / hunger / thirst,自然的死亡用of

　　死于非自然原因：die from shock / injures / wound, 用from

　　

　　there is no shortage

　　shortage:缺乏 = lack, 与of搭配，shortage / fack of

　　shortage of money led to the failure of the experiments.

　　

　　32storeys

　　suffer from: 遭受什么痛苦

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

　　

　　behave like = act like

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

　　the further cats fall, the less

　　典型的the more...the more...句型，用定冠词the 修饰形容词或副词的比较级

　　The harder you study English, the better you an 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.

　　

　　and more 甚至更多

　　at high speeds

　　stretch out 充分伸展

　　

　　【Special difficulties】

　　

　　Exercise P48

　　Supply so, such, such a, or such an:

　　1 The film was _____ funny, we laughed all the way through it.

　　2 We all had _____ fun at the seaside. It’s a pity you weren’t there.

　　3 It’s _____unusual exhibition, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

　　4 The twins are _____ alike, you can’t tell the difference etween them.

　　5 There was _____ loud noise, everyone jumped.

　　

　　Key: 1. so 2. such 3. such an 4. so 5.such a

　　

　　【Multiple choice questions】

　　

　　Comprehension

　　1 We find cats endlessly fascinating because _____ .

　　a. we feel there is a good deal we do not know about their lives

　　b. we believe that cats have nine lives

　　c.they are different from dogs and horses

　　d. they can reach a speed of 60 miles an hour while falling

　　1. A

　　endlessly fascinating 无穷的，特别吸引人的魅力

　　

　　2 A recent study of 132 cats in New York proved _____ .

　　a. that it is true that cats have nine lives

　　b. that cats are related to flying squirrels

　　c. they are different from dogs and horses

　　d. that cats falling from great heights are seldom killed

　　2． D

　　that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves Because they have got enough time to relax and this increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact.

　　

　　3 Cats can survive great falls mainly because _____ .

　　a. the further they fall, the less likely they are to injur themselves

　　b. a cat’s ability to survive is based on fact

　　c. a falling cat relaxed its legs and so increases its air-resistance

　　d. they are unlikely to exceed a speed of about 60 miles an hour

　　3. A

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

　　

　　Structure

　　4 Cats have an unfailing fascination _____ most people. (l.1)

　　a. with b. to c. for d. at

　　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.

　　unfailing

　　endlessly

　　

　　5 Cats never become submissive _____ .(l.3)

　　a. as dogs and horses b. in the way that dogs and horses do

　　c. as far as dogs and borses d. as for dogs and horses

　　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 beautiful…

　　

　　6 _____ popularly believed that cats have nine lives.(l.7)

　　a. there is b. Is c. This is d. It is

　　6. D

　　It is said that… 据说

　　It is announced that… 据宣布

　　It is reported that…据报道

　　

　　7 New Youk is ideal for this study because _____ high-rise buildings. (ll.11-12)

　　a. there is plenty of b. of the number of c. it has plenty d. the number

　　

　　7． B

　　there is plenty of --à there are plenty of

　　

　　8 Over a period of five months, there was _____ of 132 cats in New Youk. (l.9)

　　a. a study b. studied c. some studies d. studing

　　8. A

　　

　　Vocabulary

　　9 Most cats are suspicious of human beings _____ their lives. (l.5)

　　a. during b. throughout c. through d. white

　　9. B

　　during 在…期间（时间较徒刑）

　　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

　　throughout their lives 贯穿始终

　　

　　10 _____ there is a good deal of truth in this idea. (l.7)

　　a. As a matter of fact b. In the event c. It would seem d. Surprisingly enough

　　

　　10． C

　　ti would seem (that )… ----apparently

　　

　　11 That cats can survive falls from great heights is _____ by the facts.(ll.7-8)

　　a. explained b. tested c. supported d. borne

　　11. C

　　explain 解释； test 检测； borne 容忍，忍耐

　　The theory is supported by the fact.

　　The theory is based on the fact.

　　

　　12 One cat fell 32 stroeys. _____ she only suffered a broken tooth. (ll.12-13)

　　a. Even so b. Although c. Moreover d. In spite of

　　12. A

　　even so 注意上下文的语境

　　although 让步；虽然，但是

　　in spite of 只用来连接名词、动名词或代词

　　moreover表示递近关系

　　

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