赖世雄高级美国英语 lesson 18

　　Lesson 18， Hot Animals Around the World： The Koala 世界热门动物：无尾熊

　　Why are all those people standing¹ in line in the hot sun at the zoo？ Maybe the zoo just opened a koala exhibit. With the suvival rate of native Australian koalas on the rise， more and more zoos around the world are adding a "koala house" or "koala exhibit" to their roster² of special animals. And the people keep coming， whether merely to catch a glimpse of one or， if really lucky at zoos which permit it， to hold and be photographed with one.

　　Why are koalas among the most beloved of all animals？ At times referred to as "koala bear"， this Australian marsupial³ is not a bear at all. It is one of the few tailless mammals beside the apes and man. Yet apes are not often considered cuddly⁴； indeed， they are often feared for being either too large or too naughty. This Australian real-life teddy bear， instead， is the best of all worlds： it is quiet， soft， neither too large nor too small （adults are usually 65 to 80 cm. long）， and really cuddly！ With its soft fur， leathery nose， rounded ears， and big eyes， most people seem to melt when near one. Its disposition⁵ is perfect for children and adults alike； it rarely makes a fuss， even when being held. （Try that with a baby tiger！） No wonder the lines to see， hold， or just touch the koalas are always among the longest at zoos.

　　One reason zoos today are able to keep koalas is the rise in the koala population in its native habitat， the eucalyptus⁶ forests of southeastern Australia. This nation， famous for its unique fauna⁷ and flora⁸， is now allowing applications for the professional export of its protected species to overseas zoological gardens. Once hunted for its fur， this arboreal⁹ leaf-eater is today protected by stringent¹⁰ laws and is making a slow but steady comeback. Indeed， everything about the koala seems slow. It sleeps more than 12 hours a day （often much more）， eats only choice leaves from eucalyptus trees （which can now be grown in many zoos to provide the more than one kilogram of leaves that each adult koala needs per day）， and rarely if at all descends¹¹ to the ground because it is such a slow runner （from wild Australian dogs called dingoes or from human hunters）。 As koalas are such a great draw for visitors， many zoos are trying to include them among their species.

　　Mother koalas give birth to babies only every other year. These young ones， as with other marsupials， spend a period of time inside the mother's "pouch¹²" before venturing out into the world. In the case of the koala， this pouch is located below and in back of the mother； the small koalas can climb out directly from the pouch and onto the mothers back before learning to feed and fend¹³ for themselves. With all other marsupials， the pouch is located in the front， perhaps most famously with the kangaroo， where the "joey" can sometimes be seen popping its head out of its soft， warm pouch to survey the world about it safely.

　　Until the 1980s， zoologists¹⁴ feared that the koala might go the way of some other rare marsupials. Just as their eucalyptus habitat was being destroyed to make room for the ever-increasing suburban¹⁵ Australians， diseases peculiar¹⁶ to koalas began to take their toll¹⁷. Combined with weak or non-existent laws against the hunting or poaching of this national treasure， the koala seemed doomed¹⁸ to extinction¹⁹. Today， the koala has climbed back from the brink²⁰ of extinction and is thriving again. Its main enemy today is forest fires. This slow-moving mammal cannot move quickly enough to escape the deadly fires which perennially²¹ ravage²² the land. With more land being set aside to protect this and other Australian species， however， the future of much of this special land's animal wealth seems secure.

　　All animals deserve man's protection， but some animals seem to attract the attention they need. The koala， one of the symbols of the great Down Under， is one of these. Holding a koala is fun， educational， and inspiring. If Australians could cooperate to save this special species， mankind should be able to preven the extinction of all other animals， too.

 

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

3 marsupial   

adj.有袋的，袋状的

参考例句：

• Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。
• The marsupial has been in decline for decades due to urban sprawl from car accidentsdog attacks.这种有袋动物其数量在过去几十年间逐渐减少,主要原因是城市的扩张、车祸和狗的袭击。

4 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。

5 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

6 eucalyptus   

n.桉树，桉属植物

参考例句：

• Eucalyptus oil is good for easing muscular aches and pains.桉树油可以很好地缓解肌肉的疼痛。
• The birds rustled in the eucalyptus trees.鸟在桉树弄出沙沙的响声。

7 fauna   

n.(一个地区或时代的)所有动物，动物区系

参考例句：

• This National Park is an area with unique fauna and flora.该国家公园区域内具有独特的动物种群和植物种群。
• Fauna is a biological notion means all the animal life in a particular region or period. 动物群是一个生物学的概念，指的是一个特定时期或者地区的所有动物。

8 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

9 arboreal   

adj.树栖的；树的

参考例句：

• Man was evolved from an ancestor that was probably arboreal.人大概是从住在树上的祖先进化而来的。
• Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。

10 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

11 descends   

v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite. 这个节日起源于宗教仪式。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The path descends steeply to the village. 小路陡直而下直到村子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 pouch   

n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件

参考例句：

• He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。
• The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

13 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

14 zoologists   

动物学家( zoologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Zoologists refer barnacles to Crustanceans. 动物学家把螺蛳归入甲壳类。
• It is now a source of growing interest for chemists and zoologists as well. 它现在也是化学家和动物学家愈感兴趣的一个所在。

15 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

16 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

17 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

18 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

19 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

20 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

21 perennially   

adv.经常出现地；长期地；持久地；永久地

参考例句：

• He perennially does business abroad. 他常年在国外做生意。 来自辞典例句
• We want to know what is perennially new about the world. 我们想知道世上什么东西永远是新的。 来自互联网

22 ravage   

vt.使...荒废，破坏...；n.破坏，掠夺，荒废

参考例句：

• Just in time to watch a plague ravage his village.恰好目睹了瘟疫毁灭了他的村庄。
• For two decades the country has been ravaged by civil war and foreign intervention.20年来，这个国家一直被内战外侵所蹂躏。