托福听力荟萃 75（在线收听）

To us, the environment in which fish dwell often seems cold, dark, and mysterious. But thereare advantages to living in water, and they have played an important role in making fish whatthey are. One is that water isn't_____to sudden temperature changes. Therefore it makes anexcellent habitat for a_______animal. Another advantage is the water's ability to easilysupport body weight.________has________the same density as water, so a fish in water isalmost______. This "weightlessness" in turn means two things: One, a fish can get along with alight weight and simple bone structure, and two,_______to a fish's size are practically removed. Yet there is one basic difficulty to living in water—the fact that it's______. For a fish to movethrough water, it must actually_______it aside. Most can do this by_______back and forthin_____motion. The fish pushes water aside by the forward motion of its head, and with thecurve of its body and its flexible tail. Next, the water flows back along the fish's narrowingsides, closing in at the tail, and helping the fish_____itself forward. The fact that water isincompressible has______shaped the development of fish. A flat and______shape can bemoved through water only with difficulty. And for this reason, fish have a basic shape that isbeautifully adapted to deal with this_______.

【填空答案】

subject: adj. likely to be affected by something, especially something unpleasant 易受…（不快事物）影响的；易患…的［+to］

cold-blooded: adj. a cold-blooded animal, such as a snake, has a body temperature that changes with the temperature of the air or ground around it （动物）冷血的（如蛇）

protoplasm: n.［U］technical the colorless substance that forms the cells of plants and animals 【术语】原生质，原浆

approximately: adv. (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct 近似地，大约

weightless: adj. having no weight, especially when you are floating in space or water（尤指在空中或水中）失重的；没有重量的

limitation: n. ［C usually plural］a limit on how good someone or something can be, what they are able to do etc（某人或物）局限，不足之处

incompressible: adj. impossible to compress; resisting compression 不能压缩的

shove: v. to push someone or something, in a rough or careless way, using your hands or shoulders（用手或肩）推，推挤，推撞

wiggle: v. to move with small movements from side to side or up and down, or make something move like this（动作较小地）摆动；扭动

propel: v. to move, drive, or push something forward 推动；推进；驱动

literally: adv. used to emphasize that something is actually true 的确，确实

angular: adj. having sharp and definite corners 有尖角的

peculiarity: n. ［C］something that is a feature of only one particular place, person, or situation（仅为某人、某地方或某情况所独有的）特点；独特性

【听力原文】

To us, the environment in which fish dwell often seems cold, dark, and mysterious. But there are advantages to living in water, and they have played an important role in making fish what they are. One is that water isn't subject to sudden temperature changes. Therefore it makes an excellent habitat for a cold-blooded animal. Another advantage is the water's ability to easily support body weight. Protoplasm has approximately the same density as water, so a fish in water is almost weightless. This "weightlessness" in turn means two things: One, a fish can get along with a light weight and simple bone structure, and two, limitations to a fish's size are practically removed. Yet there is one basic difficulty to living in water—the fact that it's incompressible. For a fish to move through water, it must actually shove it aside. Most can do this by wiggling back and forth in snakelike motion. The fish pushes water aside by the forward motion of its head, and with the curve of its body and its flexible tail. Next, the water flows back along the fish's narrowing sides, closing in at the tail, and helping the fish propel itself forward. The fact that water is incompressible has literally shaped the development of fish. A flat and angular shape can be moved through water only with difficulty. And for this reason, fish have a basic shape that is beautifully adapted to deal with this peculiarity.

【参考译文】

对我们来说，鱼居住的环境总像是冷的，黑的，神秘的。但是住在水里是有很多好处的，这些好处使鱼成为他们所应该成为的东西。一个是因为水是不易受温度的突然变化而影响，它为冷血动物制造了一个很好的繁殖地。另一个好处是，水可以很容易地支撑身体的重量。原生质和水有近似相同的密度，所以鱼在水里会失重。反过来，这种失重意味着两件事情，一是，一条鱼有很轻的体重和简单的骨骼结构，二是，对于鱼尺寸大小的限制实际上已经消失了。但是住在水里一个最基本的难题还没有解决---不能压缩的事实。对于一条在水中穿梭的鱼来说，它必须用它的鳍来推动水。大多数可以通过蛇形摆动来实现。鱼通过向前移动它的头，随着它的身体和尾部灵活的曲线摆动来实现推动水来运动。接下来，水顺着鱼回流的方向靠近鱼的尾巴，然后帮助推动鱼前进。水是不能压缩的这个事实，逐渐地使鱼的发展成形。一个平面的和有角的形状只能在水里被困难得移动。由于这个原因，鱼有一个基本的形状可以完美的适应和处理这个特质。