现代大学英语听力1unit2听力原文

Objectives:

0 Understand what animals are being described.

Get to know more about animals.

Get to know more about how man and animals co-exist.

Catch main ideas and supporting details.

0 Have practice in liaison and contraction.

1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail. They are very big and very strong. They are intelligent, too. They have a trunk and some of them have tusks. They sometimes live for 70 years.

2) They live in Africa and Asia. They are brown. They have arms and legs, but they don't have a tail. Their arms are very long and they have big ears. They are good climbers. They are very intelligent, too.

3) They live in Africa. They are very tall. They have four legs, a tail and a very long neck. They eat leaves and twigs. They can run very fast. They are brown and white.

4) They live in very cold countries. They have wings, but they can't fly. They are good swimmers. They eat fish. They are blue and white or black and white.

5) They live in Australia. They are red or gray. They have short from legs, long back legs and a very long tail. The back legs and the tail are very strong. They can run very fast. The females carry their young in a pouch.

6) They live in Africa. They have four legs and a tail. They have a beautiful coat with black and white or brown and white stripes. They eat grass and plants.

7) They live in very cold countries. They have four legs. They are very big and very strong. They have a white coat. They can swim. They eat seals and fish.

(Length: 2 min. 23 sec.)

A. Write down the name of the animal beings described in each case.

1) elephants

2) chimpanzees

3) giraffes

4) penguins

5) kangaroos

6) zebras

7) polar bears

B. Complete the following sentences with what you hear on the tape.

1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail.

2) Their arms are very long and they have big ears.

Tips

In case the students don't know some of the English names for these animals, they may give the names in Chinese. And then get them practise saying them in English. Alternatively, you could elicit/ introduce such animal names as chimpanzee, penguin, zebra and kangaroo.

The fastest animal on land is the cheetah. It can run at a speed of about 100 kilometres an hour. The fastest bird in the world can fly at 170 km/h, and the fastest fish can swim at more than 100 km/h.

Human beings are not very fast. The fastest man in the world can only run at about 40 km/h. Many animals can run faster than this. But most animals run on four legs. Four legs are better than two, aren't they? Why do we only have two legs?

Scientists say that we are more intelligent than other animals because we stand on two legs, so we can use our hands for other things. We can pick things up with them. We can use tools. Human beings have used tools for millions of years. That is why our brains have developed. That is why we have become the most intelligent animals in the world.

In the past few years, we have made all kinds of machines. We have made cars, ships, aeroplanes and spacecraft. In these machines we can travel faster than any animal--by land, by sea, or by air. We can even go to the moon. No other animal has ever done that!

(Length: 1 min. 30 sec.)

A. Answer the following questions.

1) What is the fastest animal on land?

Key: The cheetah.

2) What is the speed of the fastest birds?

Key: 170 km/h.

3) What is the speed of the fastest fish?

Key: More than 100km/h.

4) Why can many animals ran faster than human beings?

Key: Because most animals run on four legs.

5) Why can human beings travel faster than any animals?

Key: Because we have machines.

B. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the tape.

1) The fastest man in the world can run at 100 km/h. [ F ]

2) Most animals run on two legs. [ F ]

3) We have become the most intelligent animals in the world because we have used tools for millions of years. [ T ]

A: You know, we're studying dinosaurs in science class. It's really interesting.

B: Oh, yeah? Hey, have you learned why the dinosaurs disappeared?

A: Well, no one knows for sure.

B: I thought it had something to do with the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler and killed them off.

A: Yeah, that's one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of food.

B: Uh-huh. And you know, there's even a theory that they could have been destroyed by aliens from outer space.

A: That sounds crazy to me!

(Length: 48 sec.)

A. Answer the following questions.

1) What are the possible reasons why the dinosaurs disappeared?

Key: Climate, lack of food and aliens from outer space might be responsible for their extinction.

2) Does the man believe in the theory of alien invasion?

Key: No.

B. Fill in the missing words with what your hear on the tape.

B: I thought it had something to do with the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler and killed them off.

A: Yeah, that's one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of food. B: Uh-huh. And you know, there's even a theory that they could have been destroyed by aliens from outer space.

To do the first exercise well, students may be encouraged to take notes while listening. Get them to pay attention to such expressions as "it had something to do with...", "another idea..." and "there's even a theory that..."

After doing the exercises, do some oral work on this topic if desired. Question like "Why do you think dinosaurs disappeared?" can be asked.

For the shortest life, the first prize must go to the mayfly, which typically lives only a matter of a few hours after it emerges from its shell. Few mayflies live to see the sun rise again. These creatures devote their whole lives to a single desperate mission: finding a mate and producing young. They don't even have functional mouths and stomachs. They simply have no time to eat. In fact they have no time for anything else. The record-holder for the longest life may be the Arctic clam, one of which lived quietly underwater for 220 years. However it did not have any birth certificate to prove this. One could only judge by its growth rings.

If you insist on better documentation, the oldest animal ever was probably a tortoise that died in 1918. It had been captured already full-grown in 1766, nine years before the American Revolution began, and it died 152 years later as World War I came to a close.

(Length: 1 min. 20 sec.)

Answer the following questions.

1) What animal has the shortest life? For how long?

Key: The mayfly. A few hours.

2) What do mayflies do in their lifetime?

Key: They just do two things: finding a mate and producing young

3) How do we know that one of the Arctic clams lived for 220 years?

Key: We could judge by its growth rings.

4) How long was the tortoise that died in 1918 kept in captivity?

Key: It was kept for 152 years.

Every year about 17 million animals are used in laboratory experiments. But in many countries today, a difficult question is being asked: Do we have the right to use animals in this way?

People who are for using animals in research argue that the use of animals in medical research has many practical benefits. Animal research has enabled researchers to develop treatments for many diseases, such as heart disease and depression. It would not have been possible to develop vaccines for diseases like smallpox and polio without animal research. Every drug anyone takes today was

tried first on animals.

Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals. Which is more important: the life of a rat or that of a three-year-old child? Medical research is also an excellent way of using unwanted animals. Last year, over 12 million animals had to be killed in animal shelters because no one wanted them as pets.

However those who are against it point out that the fact that humans benefit cannot be used to justify using animals in research any more than it can be used to justify experimenting on other humans. Animals suffer a lot during these experiments. They are forced to live in small cages, and they may be unable to move.

Much of the research that is carried out is unnecessary anyway. Animals have the same rights as humans do--to be able to move freely and not to have pain or fear forced on them. Researchers must find other ways of doing their research, using cell culture and computer modeling. There should be no animals in research laboratories at all.

(Length: 1 min. 50 sec.)

Key:

A. Answer the following question.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Key: People have different opinions on using animals for research.

B. Complete the following ontline of the passage.

1) The case for using animals in research:

a) Every drug anyone takes today was tried first on animals.

b) Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals.

c) Medical research is also a good way of using unwanted animals.

2) The case against using animals in research:

a) Animals suffer a lot during the experiments.

b) Much of the research is unnecessary.

c) Animals have the same rights as humans do.

3) Some alternative ways for scientists to do their research:

a) Using cell culture.

b) Using computer modeling.

Exercise B is designed to help the students get an outline of the passage, and to help them understand both the main idea and the supporting details. It is recommended that the students first take notes without referring to the outline given in the textbook and then fill in the missing information based on their notes. If some of the students find it difficult to finish the task, they may read the outline, and fill in the blanks while listening.

Visitors to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. can see three new young tigers. The rare babies met the public for the first time late last

month. Chip O'Neal tells us about them.

The mother tiger sat nearby on the grass as her babies rolled, chased and bit each other playfully. Then Korenchy also jumped into the games. Her cubs were born at the zoo four months ago. They are called Mike, Eric and Chrisy. The new young tigers at the National Zoo each weigh about 13 kilograms. The fur is dark orange with black stripes. They eat horse meat and drink milk from Korenchy.

Korenchy and her babies are Sumatran tigers. Sumatran tigers came from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are now in danger of disappearing from the earth. Fewer than 500 of these tigers remain in the world. That includes about 60 living in zoos in North America.

Korenchy came to the National Zoo from the Jakarta Zoo in Indonesia. The gift was part of the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Program. Korenchy has given birth to live cubs three times. The father of her new cubs is Rokan, a Sumatran tiger who arrived two years ago from another zoo. Korenchy and Rokan had their babies the natural way instead of the scientific method often used to produce young animals in zoos.

A wire fence separates Rokan from his babies. Zoo workers who care for Rokan say he reaches through the fence to wash the cubs with his tongue. They say this means he recognizes Mike, Eric and Chrisy as his cubs. However, zoo officials are hoping that Rokan will produce more cubs with another female Sumatran tiger at the zoo, so they do not want him to become too interested in this family.

The National Zoo hopes to keep the Sumatran tiger cubs for at least 18 months before sending them to other zoos. That is about the age when most tiger cubs in the wild leave their mothers. The National Zoo has placed cameras in the Sumatran tigers' living area, so people with computers can see them. To do this, use your computer to find the National Zoo's Website at https://www.360docs.net/doc/336039242.html,/natzoo.

(Length: 3 min. 40 sec.)

Key:

A. Answer the following questions.

1) Was the mother tiger born in the National Zoo as well?

Key: No.

2) Why is the father tiger separated from his cubs?

Key: Because zoo officials want him to produce cubs with another female tiger, so they don't want him to become too interested in this family.

B. Complete the following sentences with what you hear on the tape.

1) The young tigers are four months old.

2) Each of them weighs about 13 kilograms.

3) They eat horse meat and drink their mother's milk.

4) People with computers can see the daily life of these tigers by visiting the

National Zoo's Website at https://www.360docs.net/doc/336039242.html,/natzoo.

C. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1) How many Sumatran tigers remain in the world? ( C)

a) About 60. b) More than 500. c) Less than 500.

2) Korenchy has given birth to ( C)

a) three cubs b) four cubs c) five or more cubs

3) After 18 months, these cubs will be sent ( b)

a) to the wild b) to other zoos c) to the Jakarta Zoo

Cats in America

An old expression says, "Man's best friend is his dog." Today, however, it seems that cats have replaced dogs as the most popular pets in American homes.

Americans have more than 62 million pet dogs. But even more cats--more than 64 million-- live in American homes.

These pet cats may have long hair or short hair. They are different colors and sizes. Some are costly animals that take part in competitions. Many more are common American mixtures of several kinds of cats.

Most house cats live a good life. They are not expected to work for their food. Instead, they rule their homes like furry kings and queens. They wait for their owners to serve them.

Americans are increasingly serious about their cats. These concerns have made the care of cats into big business.

Each year, cat owners buy tons of food especially prepared for cats. They buy toys and other equipment. They buy jewelry and clothes for themselves with images of cats on them. Some owners even bury their dead pets in special burial grounds.

Humans have loved and respected cats for centuries. Scientists have evidence that cats and people lived together as long as 8,000 years ago. The small house cat was once a highly honored animal. In ancient Egypt for example, people who killed a cat could be punished by death.

Early in American history cats were not treated as gods, however. They probably arrived in the United States with settlers and traders from Europe. These cats worked. They killed rats and mice.

Sometimes, Americans mistreated their cats. During the early days of the nation, religious extremists believed that some cats were working for the devil. Black cats were especially suspected of being evil.

Later, American families who had enough food began taking cats into their homes. People cared for the cats because the animals gave them pleasure. The cats thanked people for feeding them by making a purring

sound. This pleasant noise usually means a cat is happy.

Animal experts offer several reasons why cats have become so popular as house pets. They say cats need less care than dogs. And cats do not seem to suffer as much as dogs from being alone if the owners are away. Still, millions of other people do not like cats at all. They say dogs are better and more loving pets. They say cats do not have much feeling. They believe cats stay with people only to be fed. Cat owners defend their pets against such criticism. They say cats are just much more independent than dogs.

A student of animal medicine explains the situation this way: dogs follow you around—they want you to talk to them and play with them a lot of the time. Cats like more space and more privacy----does not mean they do not love their owners.

(Lenght: 4 min. 27 sec.)

A. Answer the following questions.

1) Which have become more popular in America, dogs or cats? How do you know that? Key: Cats have become more popular, because there are more pet cats in American homes.

2) How long have humans had cats in their homes?

Key: About 8,000 years.

3) Where did American house cats come from?

Key: They probably arrived in the United States from Europe.

4) Cats have been treated well in the United States all along, haven't they? Key: No.

B. Fill in the missing words in the summary.

1) The care of cats has become a big business, because cat owners:

a) buy tons of food especially prepared for cats.

b) buy toys and other equipment.

c) buy things with images of cats on them.

d) bury their dead pets in special burial grounds.

2) People who prefer cats say cats:

a) give their owners pleasure.

b) need less care.

c) suffer less from being alone.

d) are more independent.

C. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) accord-

in9 to the tape.

1) Most house cats lived a good life. [ F ]

2) Early American cats were treated like gods. [ F ]

3) Black cats were once suspected working for the devil. [ T ]

4) Cats are treated like fairy kings and queens. [ F ]

5) Cats want you to talk to them a lot. [ F ]

All the exercises for this passage are designed to help the students get details. In Exercise C, sentence 4) may cause some problem. For some students the word "furry" may sound similar to "fairy". Make the students aware that in listening comprehension context is very important too. "Cats are treated like fairy kings and queens" simply doesn't make sense, therefore it's false.

Little Steve has a pet rabbit, Bunny. He plays with it every day after school. One day his mother sees that her little boy is holding Bunny by the ears. From time to time he gives the poor rabbit an angry shake and says, "How much is two plus two? Steve," says his mother, "why do you treat your poor little Bunny that way?"

"Well," explains Steve angrily, "our teacher says that rabbits multiply very quickly, but this dummy can't even add."

(Length: 40 sec.)

This is a humorous story. First do the dictation. Then call the students' attention to the word "multiply" which can mean "produce large numbers of offspring" or "add a number to itself a particular number of times". The boy misunderstood, hence the humour.

Script:

Most mammals live on land, but not all of them. Millions of years ago, some mammals went back to the sea and lived there. The legs of these animals disappeared, and after a long time they looked like fish. These animals became whales and dolphins.

Whales and dolphins are still like other mammals in many ways. They are warm-blooded and they breathe air. They also have big brains. That is why they are more intelligent than fish. Whales have the biggest brains in the world. Their brain is bigger than the brain of a human being.

(Length: 50 sec.)

Objectives:

0 Understand what animals are being described.

Get to know more about animals.

Get to know more about how man and animals co-exist.

Catch main ideas and supporting details.

0 Have practice in liaison and contraction.

1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail. They are very big and very strong. They are intelligent, too. They have a trunk （树干；躯干；象鼻）and some of them have tusks（獠牙）.They sometimes live for 70 years.

2) They live in Africa and Asia. They are brown. They have arms and legs, but they don't have a tail. Their arms are very long and they have big ears. They are good climbers. They are very intelligent, too.

3) They live in Africa. They are very tall. They have four legs, a tail and a very long neck. They eat leaves and twigs（小枝；嫩枝）. They can run very fast. They are brown and white.

4) They live in very cold countries. They have wings, but they can't fly. They are good swimmers. They eat fish. They are blue and white or black and white.

5) They live in Australia. They are red or gray. They have short from legs, long back legs and a very long tail. The back legs and the tail are very strong. They can run very fast. The females carry their young in a pouch （小袋；育儿袋）.

6) They live in Africa. They have four legs and a tail. They have a beautiful coat with black and white or brown and white stripes（条纹）. They eat grass and plants.

7) They live in very cold countries. They have four legs. They are very big and very strong. They have a white coat. They can swim. They eat seals （密封；印章；海豹）and fish.

(Length: 2 min. 23 sec.)

A. Write down the name of the animal beings described in each case.

1) elephants

2) chimpanzees([ ,t?imp?n'zi: ])（黑猩猩）

3) giraffes（长颈鹿）

4) penguins([ 'pe?ɡwin ])（企鹅）

5) kangaroos（袋鼠）

6) zebras

7) polar bears

B. Complete the following sentences with what you hear on the tape.

1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail.

2) Their arms are very long and they have big ears.

Tips

In case the students don't know some of the English names for these animals, they may give the names in Chinese. And then get them practise saying them in English. Alternatively, you could elicit/ introduce such animal names as chimpanzee, penguin, zebra and kangaroo.

The fastest animal on land is the cheetah([ 't?i:t? ]猎豹). It can run at

a speed of about 100 kilometres an hour. The fastest bird in the world can fly at 170 km/h(尖尾雨燕), and the fastest fish can swim at more than 100 km/h(旗鱼).

Human beings are not very fast. The fastest man in the world can only run at about 40 km/h. Many animals can run faster than this. But most animals run on four legs. Four legs are better than two, aren't they? Why do we only have two legs?

Scientists say that we are more intelligent than other animals because we stand on two legs, so we can use our hands for other things. We can pick things up with them. We can use tools. Human beings have used tools for millions of years. That is why our brains have developed. That is why we have become the most intelligent animals in the world.

In the past few years, we have made all kinds of machines. We have made cars, ships, aeroplanes and spacecraft. In these machines we can travel faster than any animal--by land, by sea, or by air. We can even go to the moon. No other animal has ever done that!

(Length: 1 min. 30 sec.)

A. Answer the following questions.

1) What is the fastest animal on land?

Key: The cheetah.

2) What is the speed of the fastest birds?

Key: 170 km/h.

3) What is the speed of the fastest fish?

Key: More than 100km/h.

4) Why can many animals ran faster than human beings?

Key: Because most animals run on four legs.

5) Why can human beings travel faster than any animals?

Key: Because we have machines.

B. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the tape.

1) The fastest man in the world can run at 100 km/h. [ F ]

2) Most animals run on two legs. [ F ]

3) We have become the most intelligent animals in the world because we have used tools for millions of years. [ T ]

A: You know, we're studying dinosaurs(恐龙)in science class. It's really interesting.

B: Oh, yeah? Hey, have you learned why the dinosaurs disappeared?

A: Well, no one knows for sure(确实；毫无疑问地).

B: I thought it had something to do with(这与…有关)the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler(冷的)and kill ed them off(消灭,杀光). A: Yeah, that's one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of(用完，耗尽)food.

B: Uh-huh. And you know, there's even a theory that they could have been destroyed by aliens(外星人)from outer space.

A: That sounds crazy to me!

(Length: 48 sec.)

A. Answer the following questions.

1) What are the possible reasons why the dinosaurs disappeared?

Key: Climate, lack of food and aliens from outer space might be responsible for their extinction.

2) Does the man believe in the theory of alien invasion?

Key: No.

B. Fill in the missing words with what your hear on the tape.

B: I thought it had something to do with the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler and killed them off.

A: Yeah, that's one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of food. B: Uh-huh. And you know, there's even a theory that they could have been destroyed by aliens from outer space.

To do the first exercise well, students may be encouraged to take notes while listening. Get them to pay attention to such expressions as "it had something to

do with...", "another idea..." and "there's even a theory that..."

After doing the exercises, do some oral work on this topic if desired. Question like "Why do you think dinosaurs disappeared?" can be asked.

For the shortest life, the first prize(一等奖；第一名)must go to the mayfly(蜉蝣), which typically(代表性地,典型地)lives only a matter of(大约，左右)a few hours after it emerges from its shell. Few(很少；几乎没有)mayflies live to see the sun rise again. These creatures devote their whole lives to a single desperate(令人绝望的)mission: finding a mate(配偶)and producing young. They don't even have functional(功能的)mouths and stomachs. They simply have no time to eat. In fact they have no time for anything else.

The record-holder(记录保持者)for the longest life may be the Arctic clam(蛤蜊), one of which lived quietly underwater for 220 years. However it did not have any birth certificate(出生证明)to prove this. One could only judge by its growth rings(生长轮,年轮).

If you insist on better documentation(文件材料), the oldest animal ever was probably a tortoise that died in 1918. It had been captured(捕获)already full-grown(发育完全的,长足的)in 1766, nine years before the American Revolution(美国独立战争)began, and it died 152 years later as World War I came to a close.

(Length: 1 min. 20 sec.)

鹤寿千岁，以极其游；蜉蝣朝生而暮死，而尽其乐(仙鹤的千年寿命，用来尽情遨游；蜉蝣早上出生，傍晚就死了，但也的到它的快乐) ---淮南王刘安

寄蜉蝣于天地，渺沧海于一粟。---赤壁赋从冰雪覆盖的北极地

区挖掘出来的蛤蜊被证实为世界上最长寿的动物。英国班戈大学的气候研究者们最近从一只蚌蛎

类蛤蜊的壳上数到405个年轮。可以推测，当它翩翩年少之时，莎士比亚正在创作他最伟大的

剧作，而美洲的第一个英国殖民地才刚刚在维吉尼亚的詹姆斯敦建立。研究小组是在冰岛北海岸外的262英尺（80米）深水中打捞到这只软体动物的。5x405 122k jpg

800x533 366k jpg

Answer the following questions.

1) What animal has the shortest life? For how long?

Key: The mayfly. A few hours.

2) What do mayflies do in their lifetime?

Key: They just do two things: finding a mate and producing young

3) How do we know that one of the Arctic clams lived for 220 years?

Key: We could judge by its growth rings.

4) How long was the tortoise that died in 1918 kept in captivity?

Key: It was kept for 152 years.

Every year about 17 million animals are used in laboratory experiments. But in many countries today, a difficult question is being asked: Do we have the right to use animals in this way?

People who are for using animals in research argue(主张)that the use of animals in medical research has many practical benefits. Animal research has enabled researchers to develop treatments(治疗方法)for many diseases, such as heart disease and depression(精神抑郁). It would not have been possible to develop vaccines(疫苗)for diseases like smallpox(天花)and polio(小儿麻痹症)without animal research. Every drug anyone takes today was tried first on animals.

Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals. Which is more important: the life of a rat or that of a three-year-old child? Medical research is also an excellent way of using unwanted animals. Last year, over 12 million animals had to be killed in animal shelters (由慈善机构设立的)动物收养所) because no one wanted them as pets.

However those who are against it point out(指出)that the fact that humans benefit cannot be used to justify(证明…是正当的；替…辩护)using animals in research any more than it can be used to justify experimenting on other humans. Animals suffer a lot(深受其害)during these experiments. They are forced to live in small cages(笼子), and they may be unable to move.

Much of the research that is carried out(进行) is unnecessary anyway.

Animals have the same rights as humans do--to be able to move freely and not to have pain or fear forced on them. Researchers must find other ways of doing their research, using cell culture(细胞培养)and computer modeling(计算机模拟). There should be no animals in research laboratories at all.

(Length: 1 min. 50 sec.)

Key:

A. Answer the following question.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Key: People have different opinions on using animals for research.

B. Complete the following ontline of the passage.

1) The case for using animals in research:

a) Every drug anyone takes today was tried first on animals.

b) Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals.

c) Medical research is also a good way of using unwanted animals.

2) The case against using animals in research:

a) Animals suffer a lot during the experiments.

b) Much of the research is unnecessary.

c) Animals have the same rights as humans do.

3) Some alternative ways for scientists to do their research:

a) Using cell culture.

b) Using computer modeling.

Exercise B is designed to help the students get an outline of the passage, and to help them understand both the main idea and the supporting details. It is recommended that the students first take notes without referring to the outline given in the textbook and then fill in the missing information based on their notes. If some of the students find it difficult to finish the task, they may read the outline, and fill in the blanks while listening.

Visitors to the National Zoo in Washington D.C(华盛顿(特区)(美国首都) [全称District of Columbia, Washington DC 华盛顿哥伦比亚特区]) can see three new young tigers. The rare(稀有的；半熟的)babies met the public for the first time late(在晚期) last month. Chip O'Neal tells us about them.

The mother tiger sat nearby(在附近)on the grass as her babies

rolled(卷；滚动), chased(追逐)and bit each other playfully(开玩笑地). Then Korenchy also jumped into the games. Her cubs(幼兽)were born at the zoo four months ago. They are called Mike, Eric and Chrisy. The new young tigers at the National Zoo each weigh about 13 kilograms. The fur is dark orange(深橘色)with black stripes(条纹). They eat horse meat and drink milk from Korenchy.

Korenchy and her babies are Sumatran(苏门答腊)tigers. Sumatran tigers came from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are now in danger of disappearing from the earth. Fewer than 500 of these tigers remain in the world. That includes about 60 living in zoos in North America.

Korenchy came to the National Zoo from the Jakarta Zoo in Indonesia. The gift was part of the Sumatran Tiger Species(物种；种类)Survival(生存,幸存)Program. Korenchy has given birth to(生孩子)live(活的)cubs three times. The father of her new cubs is Rokan, a Sumatran tiger who arrived two years ago from another zoo. Korenchy and Rokan had their babies the natural way instead of(而不是)the scientific method often used to produce young animals in zoos.

A wire fence(铁丝网；铁丝栅栏)separates Rokan from his babies. Zoo workers who care for Rokan say he reaches through(穿过)the fence to wash the cubs with his tongue. They say this means he recognizes Mike, Eric and Chrisy as his cubs. However, zoo officials are hoping that Rokan will produce more cubs with another female Sumatran tiger at the zoo, so they do not want him to become too interested in this family.

The National Zoo hopes to keep the Sumatran tiger cubs for at least 18 months before sending them to other zoos. That is about the age when most tiger cubs in the wild leave their mothers. The National Zoo has placed cameras in the Sumatran tigers' living area(生活区), so people with computers can see them. To do this, use your computer to find the National Zoo's Website(网址)at https://www.360docs.net/doc/336039242.html,/natzoo.

(Length: 3 min. 40 sec.)

Key:

A. Answer the following questions.

1) Was the mother tiger born in the National Zoo as well?

Key: No.

2) Why is the father tiger separated from his cubs?

Key: Because zoo officials want him to produce cubs with another female tiger, so they don't want him to become too interested in this family.

B. Complete the following sentences with what you hear on the tape.

1) The young tigers are four months old.

2) Each of them weighs about 13 kilograms.

3) They eat horse meat and drink their mother's milk.

4) People with computers can see the daily life of these tigers by visiting the

National Zoo's Website at https://www.360docs.net/doc/336039242.html,/natzoo.

C. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1) How many Sumatran tigers remain in the world? ( C)

a) About 60. b) More than 500. c) Less than 500.

2) Korenchy has given birth to ( C)

a) three cubs b) four cubs c) five or more cubs

3) After 18 months, these cubs will be sent ( b)

a) to the wild b) to other zoos c) to the Jakarta Zoo

Cats in America

An old expression says(老话这样说), "Man's best friend is his dog." Today, however, it seems that cats have replaced dogs as the most popular pets in American homes.

Americans have more than 62 million pet dogs. But even more cats--more than 64 million-- live in American homes.

These pet cats may have long hair or short hair. They are different colors and sizes. Some are costly(昂贵的)animals that take part in(参加，参与)competitions(比赛，竞争). Many more(更多的)are common American mixtures of several kinds of cats.

Most house cats live a good life. They are not expected to work for their food. Instead, they rule their homes like furry([ 'f?:ri ]毛皮的；盖着毛皮的)kings and queens. They wait for their owners to serve them.

Americans are increasingly serious about(认真的,用心的) their cats. These concerns have made the care of cats into big business.

Each year, cat owners buy tons of food especially prepared for cats. They buy toys and other equipment. They buy jewelry and clothes for themselves with images(图像,影像,肖像)of cats on them. Some owners even bury(埋葬) their dead pets in special burial grounds(坟地).

Humans have loved and respected cats for centuries. Scientists have evidence that cats and people lived together as long as 8,000 years ago. The small house cat was once a highly honored(尊敬)animal. In ancient Egypt for example, people who killed a cat could be punished by death.

Early in American history cats were not treated as gods(神灵), however. They probably arrived in the United States with settlers(移民)and traders from Europe. These cats worked. They killed rats(大鼠)and mice(小鼠).

Sometimes, Americans mistreated(虐待)their cats. During the early days of the nation, religious extremists(极端主义者)believed that some cats were working for the devil(魔鬼；撒旦). Black cats were especially

suspected of(被怀疑)being evil(邪恶的；不幸的；有害的).

Later, American families who had enough food began taking cats into their homes. People cared for the cats because the animals gave them pleasure. The cats thanked people for feeding them by making a purring(猫喘鸣) sound. This pleasant noise usually means a cat is happy.

Animal experts offer several reasons why cats have become so popular as house pets. They say cats need less care than dogs. And cats do not seem to suffer(受苦) as much as dogs from being alone if the owners are away.

Still(但是；尽管如此), millions of other people do not like cats at all. They say dogs are better and more loving pets. They say cats do not have much feeling(感情不丰富). They believe cats stay with people only to be fed. Cat owners defend their pets against(为...辩护)such criticism(批评). They say cats are just much more independent than dogs.

A student of animal medicine explains the situation this way: dogs follow you around(跟着...后面走)—they want you to talk to them and play with them a lot of the time. Cats like more space and more privacy----does not mean they do not love their owners.

(Lenght: 4 min. 27 sec.)

西方的文化里黑猫是不吉利的，尤其是中世纪的欧洲，把黑猫看作邪恶的女巫的化身，会给人带来厄运。

但是在中国黑猫是代表驱魔驱邪的。很多恐怖灵异小说里都有提到。一般黑猫会保护人类。

A. Answer the following questions.

1) Which have become more popular in America, dogs or cats? How do you know that? Key: Cats have become more popular, because there are more pet cats in American homes.

2) How long have humans had cats in their homes?

Key: About 8,000 years.

3) Where did American house cats come from?

Key: They probably arrived in the United States from Europe.

4) Cats have been treated well in the United States all along, haven't they? Key: No.

B. Fill in the missing words in the summary.

1) The care of cats has become a big business, because cat owners:

a) buy tons of food especially prepared for cats.

b) buy toys and other equipment.

c) buy things with images of cats on them.

d) bury their dead pets in special burial grounds.

2) People who prefer cats say cats:

a) give their owners pleasure.

b) need less care.

c) suffer less from being alone.

d) are more independent.

C. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) accord-

in9 to the tape.

1) Most house cats lived a good life. [ F ]

2) Early American cats were treated like gods. [ F ]

3) Black cats were once suspected working for the devil. [ T ]

4) Cats are treated like fairy kings and queens. [ F ]

5) Cats want you to talk to them a lot. [ F ]

All the exercises for this passage are designed to help the students get details. In Exercise C, sentence 4) may cause some problem. For some students the word "furry" may sound similar to "fairy". Make the students aware that in listening comprehension context is very important too. "Cats are treated like fairy kings and queens" simply doesn't make sense, therefore it's false.

家里来了不速之客