事实：龟与海龟-Tortoises And Turtles

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

turtle: a marine-dwelling (fresh or saltwater) hard-shelled reptile¹; used in some regions as a generic² word for turtles, terrapins³, and tortoises

tortoise: a land-dwelling reptile with a dome-shaped shell

streamlined: features a design that allows air or water to pass by easily

glide⁴: to move smoothly⁵ without effort

bask⁶: to relax in the warmth and light

limb: arm or leg

 

Tortoises And Turtles

Many people are confused by the words tortoise and turtle. This is partly due to regional differences. In British English, turtles and tortoises are two different hard-shelled, egg-laying reptiles⁷. The main difference is their habitat. Turtles live mainly in the water while tortoises live mainly on land. Turtles have a streamlined shell that is ideal for gliding⁸ in the water. Turtles also have webbed feet. Tortoises, on the other hand, are not good swimmers. They have dome-shaped shells and sturdy limbs for walking and digging on land. Just as turtles leave the water to bask in the sun or burrow⁹ in the mud, tortoises enter the water to clean themselves. Terrapins are tortoise-like turtles that live in the water and on land. To add to the confusion, in some North American regions, the word turtle is used for all three of these reptiles, while in Australia some use the word tortoise for freshwater turtles and turtle for sea turtles.

1 reptile   

n.爬行动物；两栖动物

参考例句：

• The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
• So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以，你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。

2 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

3 terrapins   

n.（北美的）淡水龟( terrapin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

4 glide   

n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝

参考例句：

• We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
• So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。

5 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

6 bask   

vt.取暖，晒太阳，沐浴于

参考例句：

• Turtles like to bask in the sun.海龟喜欢曝于阳光中。
• In winter afternoons,he likes to bask in the sun in his courtyard.冬日的午后，他喜欢坐在院子晒太阳。

7 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。

9 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。