【趣谈英语】鲨鱼袭击很罕见-Shark Attacks Are Rare

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

rare: not common

irrational¹: not reasonable

classified: grouped by like qualities

provoke: to excite or bother a living thing and cause a reaction

initiate²: to be the one to start something

delicacy³: a type of food that is rare and expensive

 

Shark Attacks Are Rare

Do you swim in the ocean, or are you afraid of sharks? Many humans have a strong fear of sharks. This is an irrational fear, since the chance of being attacked by a shark is extremely low. In a typical year, fewer than 20 people worldwide die from a shark attack. There are hundreds of shark species, but only three are typically to blame for attacks involving humans. The tiger shark, the bull shark, and the great white have all attacked and killed humans over the years. Shark attacks are classified as either provoked or unprovoked. A provoked attack is when a human initiates⁴ the attack. An unprovoked attack is when a shark initiates an attack. While shark attacks are extremely rare, humans kill an estimated 100,000,000 sharks a year. Many sharks are fished for their fins⁵, and thrown back in the ocean to die. The fins are mainly used for a delicacy known as shark-fin soup, which can cost up to $100 a bowl. Some fins are considered trophies⁶, and can be worth thousands of dollars.

1 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

2 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

3 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

4 initiates   

v.开始( initiate的第三人称单数 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员

参考例句：

• The booklet initiates us into the problems of living abroad. 这本小册子使我们对国外的生活情况有了初步了解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Everybody initiates and receives messages in some form or other. 每个人都以各种不同的方式发出并接收信息。 来自辞典例句

5 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

6 trophies   

n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖

参考例句：

• His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》