VOA慢速英语2010年-Agriculture Report - Test Your Word Kn

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Today we have a test for you -- a vocabulary quiz. The words are all related to agriculture. We start with two questions about terms for plants.

Ready? First question: What do we call a plant that lives only one year or one growing season? That kind of plant is called an annual.

You can probably guess the next question. What do we call a plant that produces new growth year after year? Plants that keep growing back are called perennials¹.

Now we are going to ask some questions about terms for livestock².

What is another name for a male cow? A bull, right? Well, a "bull" can just mean a male cow that has not had its reproductive organs removed. If the animal was castrated as a calf³, the name for it is -- what? The answer: a steer⁴.

Next question: What is another name for a young cow? That should be easy. We just said it. A young cow is a calf.

But we have a special name for a young female cow, especially if it has not had a calf yet. What is that name? The answer: a heifer. Maybe you knew that. But can you spell it? This question is just for our radio listeners. Heifer is spelled H-E-I-F-E-R.

A mare⁵ and colt in field of yellow flowers

Cows, like all mammals, produce milk. There is a medical name for this process. What it is? The answer: lactate. Cows lactate for up to ten months.

In milk, the fat rises to the top. But some people do not like to drink milk that way. So there is a process that is used to reduce the size of the fat particles and mix them all through the milk. What is the name of that process? It's called homogenization.

Milk can be made into cheese. Some people like cheese made with milk from a sheep. Our next question: What do you call a female sheep? The answer: a ewe, spelled E-W-E.

Male sheep have their own name. What is it? Males are called rams⁶.

A lamb is a sheep under a year old. But what do you call the meat from a sheep that is over a year old? Then we call it mutton.

Age also plays a part in terms for horses. For example, a "mare" is generally defined as a female three years or older. But what do you call a female horse that is under three? The answer: a filly.

And the last question: What is the name for a male horse that is under four years old. A young male is a colt.

So how many did you get right? If you want to take this quiz again, you can find it at voaspecialenglish.com or on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English.

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I'm Barbara Klein.
 

1 perennials   

n.多年生植物( perennial的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Name six perennials and six annuals suitable for indoor flower arrangement. 列出多年生及一年生花朵各六种，它们必须是适合插花的。 来自互联网
• Herbage can be divided into three categories: annuals, biennials, and perennials. 草本植物可分成一年生、二年生和多年生。 来自互联网

2 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

3 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

4 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

5 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

6 rams   

n.公羊( ram的名词复数 )；(R-)白羊（星）座；夯；攻城槌v.夯实（土等）( ram的第三人称单数 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• A couple of rams are butting at each other. 两只羊正在用角互相抵触。 来自辞典例句
• More than anything the rams helped to break what should have been on interminable marriage. 那些牡羊比任何东西都更严重地加速了他们那本该天长地久的婚姻的破裂。 来自辞典例句