常春藤解析英語(yǔ) 103 Eye of the Leopard 花豹之眼

Eye of the Leopard 花豹之眼

by Matthew Brown

A new two-hour program shows us a leopard''s struggle for survival in the wilds of Africa.

長(zhǎng)達(dá)兩小時(shí)的新節(jié)目帶領(lǐng)我們探索非洲荒野上一只花豹的生存之道。

This month, the National Geographic Channel presents a new program you won''t want to miss. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert spent three years following the life of a single leopard. The result of their work is the two-hour special Eye of the Leopard, an enthralling journey deep into the rarely seen lives of leopards.

The project began when the filmmakers were observing leopards in Botswana, Africa. One leopard in particular caught their attention. The cat had a birthmark that made her stand out from all the others, and they named her Legadema, which means "light from the sky." As they followed Legadema over the next few years, they watched as she grew from an eight-month-old cub to an adult.

Leopards are skillful predators, but in their harsh environment, survival cannot be taken for granted. Legadema and her mother were forced to fight off baboons and escape from scavenging hyenas. While documenting the leopards'' adventures, the Jouberts chose to respect the natural environment and didn''t allow themselves to interfere in the leopards'' existence, even when the animals faced great danger.

As Legadema grew, she refined her hunting skills, moving from lizards and squirrels to warthogs, impalas, and even dangerous baboons. One incredible episode is particularly memorable and shows that leopards aren''t simply fierce hunting machines. Legadema kills a mother baboon, and then finds the young baby baboon still clinging to its mother. To the filmmakers'' amazement—and ours—Legadema doesn''t harm the baby baboon. Instead, she lies down and wraps herself around it protectively. When a scavenging hyena comes along, Legadema carefully lifts the baby to safety. For viewers, this complex scene brings different emotions, but one thing is certain: watching Legadema protect the baby baboon is unforgettable.

Rarely do we get a chance to learn so much about the mysterious lives of leopards. Tune in to Eye of the Leopard for insight into a leopard''s world.

1. How did filming of Eye of the Leopard begin?

(A) The filmmakers spent three years with a tribe of leopards.

(B) The filmmakers noticed Legadema and they watched her raise her cubs.

(C) The filmmakers were following an adult leopard named Legadema.

(D) The filmmakers were watching leopards and they noticed one particular young cub.

2. Why didn''t the Jouberts interfere in the leopards'' lives?

(A) It was too dangerous.

(B) They were too far away.

(C) They thought it was wrong to disturb nature.

(D) It was illegal.

3. What is surprising about the scene where Legadema kills a baboon?

(A) It''s unusual for an animal to care for another animal''s young.

(B) It''s strange for a leopard not to run away after killing its prey.

(C) Legadema decides to raise the baby baboon herself.

(D) Baboons usually hunt leopards.

4. In the first and last paragraphs, the article suggests that this program is worth watching because _____.

(A) the filmmakers are married

(B) no one was sure that leopards existed until now

(C) Africa is a difficult place to film

(D) opportunities to learn about leopards are rare

Rarely do we get a chance to learn so much about the mysterious lives of leopards.

注意:

rarely(很少)、seldom(很少)、hardly(幾乎不)、scarcely(幾乎不)、never(從不)等否定副詞置于句首時(shí)，其后的句子須采倒裝句構(gòu)。

例: Rarely does a movie do so well for so long.

(很少有電影可以熱賣這么久。)

例: Never have I seen such acts of generosity.

(我從來(lái)沒見過像這樣慷慨大方的行為。)

leopard n. 花豹

observe vt. 觀察

birthmark n. 胎記

cub n. 幼獸

predator n. 獵食者

harsh a.(天氣、環(huán)境等)惡劣的，嚴(yán)峻的

baboon n. 狒狒

scavenging a. 覓食的

scavenge vt.(動(dòng)物)以(腐肉)為食

hyena n. 鬣狗，土狼

document vt.(以記述、拍攝電影或照片的方式)紀(jì)錄 & n. 紀(jì)錄;文件

documentary n. 紀(jì)錄片

lizard n. 蜥蜴

squirrel n. 松鼠

warthog n. 疣豬

impala n.(非洲的)黑斑羚

memorable a. 難忘的

wrap vt. 卷起;包住

complex a. 錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的;難懂的

unforgettable a. 難忘的

prey n. 獵物

catch/grab one''s attention　　吸引某人的注意

care for...　　照料……

present vt. 上演;呈獻(xiàn)

present sb with sth

= present sth to sb　　 將某物呈獻(xiàn)給某人;頒發(fā)某物給某人

例: The group presented the basketball player with an award.

(該團(tuán)體頒獎(jiǎng)給這名籃球員。)

enthralling a. 迷人的

enthrall vt. 迷住，使著迷

例: Billy was enthralled by the movie about aliens.

(比利很迷那部關(guān)于外星人的電影。)

in particular　　特別地;尤其

= particularly adv.

例: Everyone in my family loves ice cream, my sister in particular.

= Everyone in my family loves ice cream, particularly my sister.

(我家里的每個(gè)人都喜歡吃冰淇淋，尤其是我妹妹。)

stand out　　顯眼;突出;杰出

例: My yellow bicycle really stands out from the other bikes.

(我的黃色腳踏車在其它腳踏車中特別顯眼。)

skillful a. 有技術(shù)的，老練的

be skillful in/at...　　對(duì)……很在行

= be skilled in/at...

例: Terry is skillful in diving, and he''s competed in several events.

(泰瑞的跳水技術(shù)一流，他參加過多次跳水比賽。)

take...for granted　　把……視為理所當(dāng)然

例: Gary broke up with Tracy because she took him for granted.

(蓋瑞和崔西分手是因?yàn)樗粔蛑匾曀?

escape from...　　從……逃脫

例: Nelly managed to escape from her kidnapper.

(納莉設(shè)法從綁架者那兒逃走。)

interfere in...　　干涉∕干預(yù)……

interfere with...　　妨礙……

例: Please don''t interfere in my friendships!

(請(qǐng)你不要干涉我的交友狀況。)

例: I try not to interfere with my dad''s work.

(我試著不妨礙我爸工作。)

existence n. 生存;存在

come into existence　　產(chǎn)生，發(fā)生;開始存在

= come into being

例: The legend came into existence shortly after the war.

(這個(gè)傳說是在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)后不久傳出來(lái)的。)

refine vt. 改進(jìn)，使完善

例: Your painting style isn''t bad, but you should try to refine it a little.

(你的畫風(fēng)還不錯(cuò)，但應(yīng)該還有精進(jìn)的空間。)

cling to...　　緊緊黏著∕抓住……

例: The child clung to his mother while the firecrackers exploded.

(這個(gè)小孩在鞭炮響起時(shí)緊緊抓著母親。)

to + 所有格 + amazement　　令某人驚訝的是

注意:

『to + 所有格 + 表情緒的名詞』可形成介詞詞組，通常置于句首，修飾全句。常見的有：

to one''s delight　　令某人高興的是

to one''s disappointment　　令某人失望的是

to one'' sorrow　　令某人難過的是

to one''s satisfaction　　令某人滿意的是

例: To Al''s delight, his son graduated with honors.

(令艾爾高興的是，他的兒子以優(yōu)異成績(jī)畢業(yè)。)

protectively adv. 保護(hù)性地

protective a. 保護(hù)的，防護(hù)的

be protective of...　　保護(hù)……

例: Kyle is protective of his little brother and doesn''t let anyone make fun of him.

(凱爾很保護(hù)自己的小弟，絕不讓別人捉弄他。)

lift...to safety　　將……舉起到安全的地方

lead/take...to safety　　將……帶到安全的地方

例: The rescue helicopter found the missing ship and led it to safety.

(救難直升機(jī)找到失蹤的船只，并指引它到安全的地方。)

insight n. 洞察力，見識(shí)(常與介詞 into 并用)

例: The research provides insights into solar energy.

(這項(xiàng)研究提供有關(guān)太陽(yáng)能的深刻見解。)

be worth + N/V-ing　　值得……

例: This movie is worth watching. I''ve seen it twice.

(這部電影很值得看。我還看了兩遍。)

本月份的國(guó)家地理頻道將呈現(xiàn)給您絕對(duì)不容錯(cuò)過的全新內(nèi)容。制作人德瑞克?朱柏特和比佛莉?朱柏特夫婦花了 3 年時(shí)間跟拍一頭花豹，紀(jì)錄牠的生活點(diǎn)滴。他們的心血將制成兩個(gè)小時(shí)的特輯《花豹之眼》，這趟迷人之旅將帶您一賭行蹤鮮少曝光的花豹，深入了解牠們的生活。

本節(jié)目要從這對(duì)制作人夫婦在非洲的波札那觀察花豹開始說起。有一只花豹特別引起他們的注意。這只貓科動(dòng)物身上的胎記使她特別突出，他們將這只花豹命名為拉赫迪瑪，即『天上的閃電』之意。接下來(lái)他們花了幾年的時(shí)間跟隨這只花豹，看著她從 8 個(gè)月大長(zhǎng)到成年。

花豹是技巧高明的獵食者，但在艱困的環(huán)境里，誰(shuí)也不能打包票自己能存活下來(lái)。拉赫迪瑪和母親被迫擊退狒狒，并且躲避嗜吃腐肉的鬣狗攻擊。在紀(jì)錄花豹冒險(xiǎn)經(jīng)歷的同時(shí)，朱柏特夫婦選擇尊重自然環(huán)境，避免干預(yù)花豹的生活，即使?fàn)瓊兩硐蓦U(xiǎn)境也絕不插手。

拉赫迪瑪在成長(zhǎng)的過程中磨練自己的狩獵技巧，對(duì)象則從蜥蜴、松鼠到疣豬、黑斑羚，甚至是兇惡的狒狒。其中一段不可思議的內(nèi)容尤其令人記憶深刻，因?yàn)樗C明了花豹不只是兇猛的殺手。拉赫迪瑪獵殺了一只母狒狒后，發(fā)現(xiàn)狒狒寶寶還緊抓著母親不放。令這對(duì)制作人與觀眾意外的是，拉赫迪瑪并沒有傷害這只小狒狒。她反而躺下來(lái)用身體把小狒狒圍起來(lái)加以保護(hù)。當(dāng)一只覓食的鬣狗接近時(shí)，拉赫迪瑪小心翼翼地把小狒狒抬起帶到安全的地方。這錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的一幕給觀眾帶來(lái)的感受不盡相同，但有一點(diǎn)是可以確定的：看見拉赫迪瑪保護(hù)小狒狒的舉動(dòng)實(shí)在令人難以忘懷。

我們很少有機(jī)會(huì)了解這么多關(guān)于花豹的神秘生活。敬請(qǐng)準(zhǔn)時(shí)收看《花豹之眼》，一窺花豹的世界。

1. 《花豹之眼》這個(gè)節(jié)目以什么做為開場(chǎng)?

(A) 制作人花了 3 年時(shí)間和一群花豹相處。

(B) 制作人注意到拉赫迪瑪，看她養(yǎng)育自己的小花豹。

(C) 制作人跟隨一頭名為拉赫迪瑪?shù)某赡昊ū?/p>

(D) 制作人觀察花豹時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)一只特別的小花豹。

題解: 根據(jù)第二段，本節(jié)目要從這對(duì)片制作人夫婦在非洲的波扎那觀察花豹開始說起。一只身上有胎記的花豹特別引起他們的注意。他們花了幾年的時(shí)間跟隨這只花豹，看著她從 8 個(gè)月大長(zhǎng)到成年，可知應(yīng)選 (D)。

2. 為什么朱柏特夫婦不干預(yù)花豹的生活?

(A) 那樣太危險(xiǎn)了。

(B) 他們的距離太遙遠(yuǎn)。

(C) 他們認(rèn)為不應(yīng)該干擾自然。

(D) 這是犯法的行為。

題解: 根據(jù)第三段，在紀(jì)錄花豹冒險(xiǎn)經(jīng)歷的同時(shí)，朱柏特夫婦選擇尊重自然環(huán)境，避免干預(yù)花豹的生活，可知應(yīng)選 (C)。

3. 拉赫迪瑪獵殺狒狒的那一幕發(fā)生什么令人驚訝的事?

(A) 動(dòng)物會(huì)照顧另一種動(dòng)物的小孩實(shí)在不尋常。

(B) 花豹捕殺獵物后沒有離開實(shí)在太奇怪了。

(C) 拉赫迪瑪決定自己撫養(yǎng)這只小狒狒。

(D) 狒狒通常會(huì)獵捕花豹。

題解: 根據(jù)第四段，拉赫迪瑪獵殺母狒狒后，發(fā)現(xiàn)狒狒寶寶還緊抓著母親不放。出乎眾人意料之外，她并沒有傷害這只小狒狒，反而躺下來(lái)用身體把小狒狒圍起來(lái)加以『保護(hù)』，故選 (A)。文中并未提及拉赫迪瑪后來(lái)是否繼續(xù)『撫養(yǎng)』小狒狒，故 (C) 不可選。

4. 在第一段和最后一段的文章里提到這個(gè)節(jié)目值得一看是因?yàn)?_____。

(A) 這對(duì)制片家結(jié)婚了

(B) 直到現(xiàn)在我們才確認(rèn)花豹的存在

(C) 非洲是個(gè)不好取景的地方

(D) 了解花豹的機(jī)會(huì)實(shí)在不多

題解: 根據(jù)第一段和最后一段，在在顯示花豹的行蹤飄忽，我們很少有機(jī)會(huì)了解牠們的生活，所以該節(jié)目很值得一看，故選 (D)。

標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案: 1. (D) 2. (C) 3. (A) 4. (D)