夏说英语新闻晨读 第531期:鱼的记忆力有多强

 本期内容：

Fish are often said to have a three-second memory, but the brain power of fish has been considerably¹ underestimated, according to scientists who found some fish can recognise themselves in the mirror. Their findings suggest that a small, otherwise unremarkable species called the cleaner wrasse has joined an elite² handful of others to have passed the so-called mirror test, which has been used for decades as a gold standard measure of animal intelligence. Passing the test is widely viewed as an indication of self-awareness and until now the only animals to have crossed this threshold are great apes, bottlenose dolphins, killer³ whales, Eurasian magpies⁴ and a single Asian elephant.

considerably: adv. 相当地；非常地
considerable: adj. 可观的；重要的；值得考虑的
awful: adj. 糟糕的；可怕的
awfully⁶: adv. 相当地；非常地
underestimate: vt. 过低的估计
overestimate⁷: vt. 过高的估计
otherwise: adv. 否则；本来
species: n. 物种
gold standard: 金标准；黄金准则
threshold: n. 门槛
magpie⁵: n. 喜鹊

1 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

2 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

3 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

4 magpies   

喜鹊（magpie的复数形式）

参考例句：

• They set forth chattering like magpies. 他们叽叽喳喳地出发了。
• James: besides, we can take some pied magpies home, for BBQ. 此外，我们还可以打些喜鹊回家，用来烧烤。

5 magpie   

n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者

参考例句：

• Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。
• This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。

6 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

7 overestimate   

v.估计过高，过高评价

参考例句：

• Don't overestimate seriousness of the problem.别把问题看重了。
• We overestimate our influence and our nuisance value.我们过高地估计了自己的影响力和破坏作用。