英语听力：自然百科 冰冻星球 前往地球尽头(14)

The remnants of the sea ice are occupied by sun-bathing seals that have been here all winter. But new arrivals are following the retreating ice edge and they have come here to hunt. Killer¹ whales, the ocean's top predator², killers³ are like wolves for they will hunt animals far larger than themselves. But even smaller prey⁴ are a problem if you can't reach them. The solution is teamwork. Swimming in perfect formation, they flick⁵ their tails in unison⁶ and create a wave that cracks the ice. They regroup and recess⁷ the damage. A more powerful wave is needed. The ice floe⁸ is breaking up. Now they are close enough to get a good look at their target. The seal is a crabeater, sharp-toothed and feisty, not their favourite. The wolves of sea move on in search of an easier quarry⁹. A Weddell seal, that's better. These are more docile¹⁰ and easier to tackle. The part stays close together and travels silently. This time they unleash¹¹ a far more powerful wave and with astonishing accuracy. These big waves are not intended to break the ice but to knock the prey into the water and they rarely fail.

经过整个冬天日光的沐浴, 海上漂动着浮冰。但是新来的动物跟随着退冰的脚步,它们来这里的目的是打猎。虎鲸,海洋的顶级捕食者,这种被称为像狼一样的杀手的原因是因为它们猎杀的动物要远远大于它们自己。但即使是小型猎物，如果你触及不到，也会成为问题。解决的办法就是团队合作。因此它们以完美的队形游泳前进,挥动着尾巴以创造一种和谐的波动来打破冰的裂缝。它们重新组织队形以将破坏减少到最小。一股更强大的波动无疑是必要的。冰体正在破裂。现在,它们到了一处绝佳位置，足以好好观察其攻击目标。映入它们眼帘的是海豹，这是一种哺乳动物,虽然肥胖但牙齿极其锋利,这显然不是它们的最爱。现在海洋之狼继续寻找更容易的猎物。韦德尔海豹就更好了，因为这种动物比较温顺且更容易对付。队形保持紧密且悄无声息。这次,它们释放强大得多的波浪和惊人的准确度。这些海浪不打算破冰,但却可将猎物拖入水中,这是它们的成名绝技，几乎未尝败绩。

1 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。

2 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

3 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

4 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

5 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

6 unison   

n.步调一致，行动一致

参考例句：

• The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
• My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。

7 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

8 floe   

n.大片浮冰

参考例句：

• Two penguins are standing on ice floe.两只企鹅站在一块浮冰上。
• Somehow the seal manages to reach a tiny ice floe.不知何故，海豹设法到达了一块小浮冰上。

9 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

10 docile   

adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的

参考例句：

• Circus monkeys are trained to be very docile and obedient.马戏团的猴子训练得服服贴贴的。
• He is a docile and well-behaved child.他是个温顺且彬彬有礼的孩子。

11 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。