英语听力精选进阶版 11264

 

25Aesop's Fables¹  

The Kid and the Wolf

By Sue Reid

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Once there was a billy goat kid who lived with his mother on a farm.  

Each morning he and the other goats were herded² into a meadow. 

And each evening they were driven home again. 

At the edge of the field was a wood. The grass grew thick and sweet there because the goats never went near it. The kid looked at it longingly³. ‘Don’t go there,’ the other goats warned him. ‘A big bad wolf lives in that wood.’ ‘Yes, mind you stay close by me,’ said his mother. 

At first the kid did stay close by his mother.  But with each day that passed his horns grew bigger.  ‘I am not a little kid any more,’ he thought. ‘I can look after myself. 

Anyway, I don’t believe a wolf lives in that wood. The goats are just a bunch of scaredy-cats!’ He trot-ted over to where the juiciest grass grew. The goats shook their heads when they saw where the kid was.  

‘Baaa. Silly young thing,’ they said. 

‘Well, we did warn him.’   

The little kid was very happy. He tore up the long stalks of sweet grass. He was so busy eating that he didn’t hear his mother call him. 

He didn’t even notice the dogs rounding up the goats to drive them home.  ‘Oh, I do hope my lit-tle goat is safe,’ his mother said as  they were herded out of the field.

At last the kid had had enough. He lifted up his head.  The goats had gone. He was all alone. Long shadows crept towards him.  

It was growing dark. The kid did not feel so big and brave any more. 

‘Mother,’ he bleated⁴, running up and down the field. ‘Where are you? I want to go home.’ 

But his Mother didn’t hear him. She was far away, down the lane.

But someone heard him. Big yellow eyes followed the kid, as he ran up and down the field. It was the wolf. 

He couldn’t believe his luck. 

‘It’s time for my dinner and that kid will do nicely,’ he smiled.  

And with a single bound he was out of the wood. The kid tried to run away, but the wolf put out a paw. 

‘Whoa!’ he growled⁵.  ‘Not so fast!’ He smacked⁶ his lips.

‘If only I had listened to Mother,’ thought the kid. ‘What shall I do? 

How can I stop the wolf from eat-ing me? Help! Help!’ He bleated, as loudly as he could. But the dogs and goats couldn’t hear him.

The wolf growled, showing sharp yellow teeth. Then the kid had an idea. ‘If I can get the wolf to sing, maybe Mother will hear him and save me,’ he thought.

‘Mr Wolf,’ he squeaked⁷. ’I’m sure you have a beautiful voice. Will you sing for me? And I will dance for you. I like dancing.’

The wolf considered. ‘Why not?’ he thought. ‘A little music before din-ner.’

He opened his mouth to sing.

‘Eeurgh what is that,’ the rabbits said darting⁸ back into their bur-rows. 

‘What a horrible noise!’ said the moles⁹ digging themselves hurriedly down into the earth.  

But in the pasture the little kid pranced¹⁰ and frolicked, kicking up his little legs as if he was having the most wonderful time. ‘Oh wolf, he gasped¹¹. ‘How beautifully you sing.’

‘You really think so?’ simpered the Wolf, and howled even louder. No one had ever told him he sang beautifully before.

Down the lane the dogs and goats also heard the wolf. They stopped and looked at each other. ‘It’s the wolf!’ one of the dogs cried. ‘Oh, please – save my little goat!’ cried the kid’s mother.

The dogs tore back into the field barking loudly. 

The wolf turned his head and saw them. He leapt for the trees just as one of the dogs was about to seize his tail.

‘Why did I let that kid flatter me? ’ he growled to himself as soon as he got his breath back. ‘Am I daft? 

I should have eaten him at once!’

1 fables   

n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说

参考例句：

• Some of Aesop's Fables are satires. 《伊索寓言》中有一些是讽刺作品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Little Mexican boys also breathe the American fables. 墨西哥族的小孩子对美国神话也都耳濡目染。 来自辞典例句

2 herded   

群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动

参考例句：

• He herded up his goats. 他把山羊赶拢在一起。
• They herded into the corner. 他们往角落里聚集。

3 longingly   

adv. 渴望地 热望地

参考例句：

• He looked longingly at the food on the table. 他眼巴巴地盯着桌上的食物。
• Over drinks,he speaks longingly of his trip to Latin America. 他带着留恋的心情，一边喝酒一边叙述他的拉丁美洲之行。

4 bleated   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的过去式和过去分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• The lost lamb bleated. 迷路的小羊咩咩的叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She bleated her disapproval of her son's marriage to Amy. 她用颤抖的声音表示不赞成儿子与艾米的婚事。 来自辞典例句

5 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 smacked   

拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴，一声也不言语。
• She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。

7 squeaked   

v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时，鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句

8 darting   

v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

9 moles   

防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍

参考例句：

• Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
• Two moles of epoxy react with one mole of A-1100. 两个克分子环氧与一个克分子A－1100反应。

10 pranced   

v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their horses pranced and whinnied. 他们的马奔腾着、嘶鸣着。 来自辞典例句
• The little girl pranced about the room in her new clothes. 小女孩穿着新衣在屋里雀跃。 来自辞典例句

11 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》