Lesson 9
Flying cats
飞猫
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. They never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
fascinate
v. 迷住，吸引住
affectionate
adj. 充满深情，柔情的
mysterious
adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
submissive
adj. 服从的，顺从的
feline
adj. 猫的
independence
n. 独立，独立性
high-rise
adj. 高层的
windowsill
n. 窗槛
paratrooper
n. 伞兵
squirrel
n. 松鼠
air-resistance
n. 空气阻力
impact
n. 冲击力
参考译文
猫总能引起人们的极大兴趣。它们可以对人友好，充满柔情。但是，它们又有自己神秘的生活方式。它们从不像狗和马一样变得那么顺从。结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。在它们的一生中，大多数猫都对人存有戒心。最使我们感兴趣的一件事情就是一种通俗的信念——猫有九条命。显然，这种说法里面包含着许多真实性。猫在跌落时能够大难不死是有事实作为依据的。
最近，纽约动物医疗中心对132只猫进行了为期5个月的综合研究。所有这些猫有一个共同的经历：它们都曾从高层建筑上摔下来过，但只有其中的8只猫死于震荡或跌伤。当然，纽约是进行这种有趣的试验的一个理想的地方，因为那里根本不缺乏高楼大厦，有的是高层的窗槛从上往下坠落。有一只叫萨伯瑞的猫从32层楼上掉下来，但只摔断一颗牙。“猫就像训练有素的跳伞队员，” 一位医生说。看起来，猫跌落的距离越长，它们就越不会伤害自己。在一个长长的跌落过程中，它们可以达到每小时60里甚至更快的速度。在高速下落中，猫有时间放松自己。它们伸展四肢，就像飞行中的松鼠一样。这样就加大了空气阻力，并减少了它们着地时冲击力带来的震动。
新概念英语正版图书购买
自学导读
Notes on the text课文注释
1 Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains，由于一条穿山隧道已经开通。now that是连词，当“既然”，“由于”讲，引导一个原因状语从句，说明一种新情况。
2 As there are so many people about, …about为副词，作“在附近”，“到处”讲。也可用around表示。
3 The monks prefer winter to summer，修道士们喜欢冬天而不喜欢夏天。 prefer…to…有“喜欢……而不喜欢……”的意思，to的前后要用名词或动名词来表示所对比的事物或活动。
Exercise练习
Supply the missing words in the following sentences:
1 Now that he's grown up, he does ______ ever he pleases.
2 ______ ever I telephone, the line's engaged.
3 ______ ever told you that, didn't know what he was talking about.
Multiple choice questions多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions. Comprehension
1 St. Bernard dogs are best known for ______ .
a．being a great summer tourist attraction
b．having saved people's lives before the new tunnel was built
c．being able to search people out who have been trapped in the snow
d．the freedom they have to wander about in the winter
2 What is the main advantage of the new tunnel?
a．It prevents people from endangering their lives by climbing the Pass.
b．It brings thousands of tourists to the monastery each summer.
c．It provides a fast and safe communication across the Swiss-Italian border.
d．It brings the St. Bernard monks into greater contact with the world.
3 In what way does life at the St. Bernard monastery differ in winter?
a．The great number of visitors must come to the monastery on skis.
b．The dogs are free to save the lives of people lost in the snow.
c．The monks are more welcoming to their visitors.
d．The monks can pursue their occupation relatively undisturbed.
Structure结构
4 The highest mountain pass in Europe is ______ . . . (11. 1-2)
a．of 2, 473 metres
b．at 2, 473 metres high
c．high 2, 473 metres
d．2, 473 metres high
5 ---- a few people who are ______ to cross the Pass on foot. (11. 9-10)
a．rash enough
b．so rash
c．too rash (d)very rash
6 ______ so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in an enclosure. (1. 12)
a．With
b．Being
c．Because
d．Having
7 The monks let ______ outside their enclosure. (1. 15)
a．them to wander
b．to them wandering.
c．them wander
d．them wandering
8 Parties of skiers ______ the monastery in winter. (11. 15-16)
a．visit to
b．are visiting at
c．visit
d．are visitingVocabulary词汇
9 The great St. Bernard Pass lies ______ Switzerland and Italy. (1. 1)
a．within
b．between
c．about
d．along
10 The dogs are sent out into the snow a traveller is in difficulty. (11. 8-9)
a．if ever
b．in case
c．all the time
d．while
11 Thousands of people ______ over the Pass. (11. 11-12)
a．trip
b．voyage
c．conduct
d．drive
12 They are allowed to ______ outside their enclosure. (1. 15)
a．graze
b．drift
c．roam
d．wonder
【New words and expressions】 生词和短语
★fascinate
v. 迷住，吸引住
be fasinated with
He is fascinated with chess.
Are you fascinated with English?
like,love,be fond of
The boy is fond of football.
be crazy <I>about:</I> 着迷
be mad about
He is crazy/mad about music.
He is fascinated with music.
fascination,fascinating
Sweet music is fascinating.
★affectionate
adj. 充满深情，柔情的
Cats are affectionate animals.
affectionately adv.
The lady is looking that man affectionately
affection n.
★mysterious
adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
a mysterious plan
a mysterious explanation
mystery n.谜面，神秘感
His death is a mystery.
★submissive
adj. 服从的，顺从的
obedient
Are you obedient?
Dogs and horses are submissive,but Cats are never submissive to us.
be submissive to sb.
submit v.
submit oneself to sb/sth
submission n.
★feline
adj. 猫的
★independence
n. 独立，独立性
independent adj.
You have already grown up,you must be independent.
depend:依靠
You must depend on yourself
depend,dependence
independence,independent
★high-rise
adj. 高层的
★windowsill
n. 窗槛
★paratrooper
n. 伞兵
★squirrel
n. 松鼠
★air-resistance
n. 空气阻力
★impact
n. 冲击力
【课文讲解】
never fail to ,双重否定意味肯定，运用双重否定结构加深句子的语义
If you ask for help in the polite way,you never fail to succeed.
If you receive requests like this,you'll never fail to accept.
双重否定结构
1. never fail to,can't fail to,don't fail to,否定词＋fail to
2. 否定的形容词之前加以否定，unreasonable,not unreasonable
What he said is not unreasonable.
It is quite common(not unvommon) for us to make mistakes.
3.not+without
You can't obtain English without working hard.
He doesn't have any meal without meats.
4.no+not
There is no cat that doesn't like fish.
There is nothing that he can't do.
There is no rule that has no exception.
as well
as a result
have learned to :学会了，习惯了
People have learned to expect that trains are punctual.
Children have learned to expect that their parents are very able.
be suspicious of sb:对什么表示怀疑，存有戒心
one of the things that fascinates us most,that引导定语从句
that 引导同位语从句
One of the things that fascinates us most about planes is the popular fact that they are safe and fast.
turth,不可数名词，a good deal of
apparently:显然，显而意见
It seems that...
survive(v.),fall(v&n.)
a cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact
be based on: 基于事实基础之上
base sth on：把某事加强在什么基础之上
We base the theory on the fact.
The theory is based on fact.
make a study of sth:对什么作出研究
over a period of five months.
in common=the same.
fall off ：坠落，掉落
die from:死于
死于疾病：die of illness/disease/hunger/thirst.自然的死亡用of
死于非自然原因：die from shock/injures/wound ,用from
there is no shortage
shortage:缺乏＝lack,于of搭配
Shortage of money led to the failure of the experiments.
32 storeys
suffer from:遭受什么痛苦
A lot of people in the world are suffering from terrible disease.
behave like=act like
well-trained: 训练很好的，well-decorated：装饰漂亮的
the further cats fall,the less
典型的the more...the more...句型，用定冠词the修饰形容词或副词的比较级
The harder you study English ,the better you can learn it.
The more you eat,the fatter you will be.
be likely to do:有可能如何，强调可能性
In cold winter,We are likely to catch a cold.
and more :甚至更多
at high speeds
stretch out:充分伸展
【Special difficulties】
so,such,such a,such an
1.The film was so ....
2.We...had such...
3.It's such an...
4.The twins are so...
5....such a....
【Multiple choice questions】
1....A
endlessly fascinating 无穷的，特别吸引人的魅力
2....D
that the further cats fall,the less they are likely to injure themselves
Because they have got enought time to relax and this increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact
3....A
that the further cats fall,the less they are likely to injure themselves >Structure
4...C
for对于人们来讲
with对于人们来讲，强调对比概念
With some children,their pocket money goes a long way.
unfailing
endlessly
5...B
as...as...象……一样
in the way that...以……方式
I love you in the waythat you love me.
We like modern art in the same way that we like beautiful...
6...D
It is said that...据说
It is announced that...据宣布
It is reported that...据报道
7...B
there is plenty of--->there are plenty of
8...A
9...
most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives
during 在……期间（时间较短）
during our holiday;during the week
through侧重强调从空间穿过
through the crowd穿过人群；through the door
Monday through Friday
throughout their lives贯穿始终
Vocabulary
10...C
It would seem(that)...---apparently
11...C
explain 解释；test检测；borne容忍，忍耐
The theory is supported by the fact.
The theory is based on the fact.
12...A
even so 注意上下文的语境
although 让步；虽然，但是
in spite of 只用了连接名词、动名词或代词
moreover 表示递近关系
He is very tired,even so he keeps studing english hard.
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