动物探索之鲨鱼篇

71 动物探索之鲨鱼篇

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - September 25, 2001: SharksBy Nancy Steinbach

VOICE ONE:
This is Bob Doughty¹.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Sarah Long with Science in the News, a VOA Special English program about recent developments in science. Today, we tell about sharks, the large fish with sharp teeth that live in the oceans of the world.
((THEME ))
VOICE ONE:
Scientists say (1)sharks have lived in the world's oceans for millions of years. Today, sharks live the same way they did more than two-hundred-million years ago, before (2)dinosaurs (3)existed on the Earth. Scientists say there are more than three-hundred-fifty different kinds of sharks. For example, the (4)dogfish shark is less than twenty (5)centimeters in length. The huge whale shark more than fifteen meters long. Most sharks are about two meters long.
Sharks do not have bones. The (6)skeleton of a shark is made of cartilage. Human noses and ears are made of (7)cartilage.
VOICE TWO:
A shark has an extremely² good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of (8)substances in the water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. Sharks also sense electrical and (9)magnetic power linked to nerves⁴ and muscles⁵ of living animals. These powerful⁶ senses help them find their food. Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean. Some sharks will eat just about anything. Many unusual things have been found in the (10)stomachs of some tiger sharks. They include shoes, dogs, a cow's foot and (11)metal protective⁷ clothing.
VOICE ONE:
Sharks grow slowly. Many kinds of sharks are not able to (12)reproduce⁸ until they are twenty-five years old. Some reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks.
About forty percent of the different kinds of sharks lay eggs. The others give birth to live young. Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies, with a cord⁹ connecting the (13)fetus to the mother, like humans do.
Scientists are beginning to understand the importance of sharks to humans. Medical researchers want to learn more about the shark's body defense¹⁰ system against disease¹¹. They know that sharks (14)recover quickly from injuries. Sharks appear never to suffer (15)infections, (16)cancer or heart diseases¹². Many people believe that shark cartilage can help prevent cancer. Scientists have questioned this idea. Yet they still study the shark in hopes of finding¹³ a way to fight human disease.
VOICE TWO:
Most sharks live in warm waters, but some can be found in very cold areas. Most sharks live in the oceans. However, the bull¹⁴ shark leaves ocean waters to enter freshwater rivers and lakes. They have been found in the Zambezi River in Africa, the Mississippi River in the United¹⁵ States and Lake (17)Nicaragua in southwestern Nicaragua.
Sharks are important for the health of the world's oceans. They eat injured¹⁶ and diseased fish. Their hunting activities means¹⁷ that the numbers of other fish in the ocean do not become too great. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
People have long feared sharks because of their sharp teeth, (18)aggressive actions and fame as (19)fierce hunters. Jaws¹⁸ was the name of a popular book and movie a number of years ago. They told about people of an eastern American coastal¹⁹ town who sought protection²⁰ from a great white shark that killed swimmers in the ocean.
Experts say not all sharks are like the one (20)described in Jaws.Still, fifty-two people have been attacked by sharks around the world so far this year. Forty-one of those attacks took place in the United States. Twenty-nine were in waters near the southern state of Florida.
About eighty people were attacked by sharks around the world last year. Experts say that in the Nineteen-Nineties the average number of shark attacks worldwide each year was fifty-four. They say about fifty to seventy-five shark attacks take place around the world each year, resulting in five to ten deaths.
Shark experts say bees, (21)snakes and elephants kill more people each year than sharks do. They say there is no great need to protect people from sharks.
VOICE TWO:
Many people disagree with that idea, especially this year in the United States. That is because of the increased (22)media reports about shark attacks and resulting deaths.
In July, a shark attacked an eight-year-old boy in waters near Saint²¹ Petersburg, Florida. The shark bit off his arm. Doctors re-attached it and saved his life. But he lost almost all his blood and is still in poor condition.
Earlier this month, sharks killed two people along the east coast of the United States. A ten-year-old boy died after being bitten by a shark in waters off the (23)coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Just a few days later, a shark killed a man and seriously injured his girlfriend. They were swimming off the coast of North Carolina, south of Virginia Beach.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
Shark experts are trying to discover why so many shark attacks have taken place within the same general area this year. They say the warm weather conditions may have influenced both fish and shark activity. The warmer waters moving closer to the (24)shore carried many fish to that area. They say sharks may have followed the fish into the same area where many people were swimming.
The experts believe that (25)bull sharks were (26)responsible for all these attacks. Bull sharks are also suspected of killing²² a man last year in waters near (27)Saint Petersburg, Florida. Experts say bull sharks are especially dangerous because they will (28)target people as food. They can live in both clean and dirty water. They will swim into rivers and other areas that put them closer to people.
VOICE TWO:
Experts say most sharks (29)bite people by mistake. For unknown reasons, they think that a person is a large sea animal, like a (30)seal or sea lion. That is why people should not go swimming in the ocean at the times of the day when the sun goes down or comes up. Those are the times when sharks are looking for food. Experts also say that people should not wear bright colors or shiny²³ metal (31)jewelry. These may cause sharks to attack.
The experts say shark attacks only seem to be increasing because more people are swimming in the oceans than ever before. They say the number of sharks in the world has decreased in recent years. Scientists say people are killing sharks faster than the sharks can reproduce.
VOICE ONE:
People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased greatly because many parts of a shark are valuable.
For example, shark meat is good to eat. In Asia, people enjoy a special kind of soup made from shark fins²⁴. Experts say shark fins can earn a fisherman about fifty dollars a kilogram²⁵. (32)Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the (33)jaws of a shark. Shark (34)liver²⁶ oil is a popular supplier of (35)Vitamin A. Some people believe that shark cartilage and shark liver can improve people's health. The skin of a shark can be used like (36)leather. People also kill sharks because of fear.
Many sharks are killed by mistake. Each year, thousands die in traps²⁷ set out to catch other kinds of fish.
VOICE TWO:
If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal population levels. Such hunting activities also have made some kinds of sharks in danger of disappearing from the Earth.
For example, the number of (37)dusky sharks and (38)sandbar sharks off the eastern United States decreased by more than eighty percent. This happened between Nineteen-Eighty-Five and Nineteen-Ninety-Five. The sand tiger shark and the great white shark are (39)threatened around the world.
The United States government (40)restricts the number of sharks that can (41)legally be killed near its coasts. The government also (42)requires that fishermen take the whole shark body instead of just the fins. This stops fishermen from cutting off the (43)fins and throwing the rest of the fish back into the water. Many countries also have approved laws protecting the endangered²⁸ great white shark. These nations include South Africa, Australia and the United States.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Nancy Steinbach. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk. This is Bob Doughty.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Sarah Long. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

 

(1)  shark[ FB:k ]n.[鱼]鲨鱼, 骗子<俚>内行, 专家v.敲诈
(2)  dinosaur[ 5dainEsC: ]n.恐龙
(3) exist[ i^5zist ]vi.存在, 生存, 生活, 继续存在
(4)  dogfish[ 5dC^fiF; 5dC:^- ]n.角鲨鱼之一种
(5)  centimeter[5sentImi:tEr(r)]n.厘米
(6) skeleton[ 5skelitEn ]n.(动物之)骨架, 骨骼, 基干, 纲要, 万能钥匙
(7) cartilage[ 5kB:tilidV ]n.[解剖]软骨
(8) substance[ 5sQbstEns ]n.物质, 实质, 主旨
(9) magnetic[ mA^5netik ]adj.磁的, 有磁性的, 有吸引力的
(10) stomach[ 5stQmEk ]n.胃, 胃口, 胃部v.容忍
(11) metal[ 5metl ]n.金属
(12) reproduce[ 7ri:prE5dju:s ]v.繁殖, 再生, 复制, 使...在脑海中重现
(13) fetus[ 5fi:tEs ]n.胎儿
(14) recover[ ri5kQvE ]vt.重新获得, 恢复, 使改过vi.痊愈, 复原, 胜诉
(15) infection[ in5fekFEn ]n.[医] 传染, 传染病, 影响, 感染
(16) cancer[ 5kAnsE ]n.癌, 毒瘤
(17) Nicaragua[ 7nikE5rB:^wE, 7nikE5rA^juE ]n.[国名] 尼加拉瓜
(18) aggressive[ E5^resiv ]adj.好斗的, 敢作敢为的, 有闯劲的, 侵略性的
(19) fierce[ fiEs ]adj.凶猛的, 猛烈的, 热烈的, 暴躁的<美>极讨厌的, 难受的, <英方>精力旺盛的
(20) describe[ dis5kraib ]vt.描写, 记述, 形容, 形容v.描述
(21) snake[ sneik ]n.蛇v.迂回前进
(22) media[ 5mi:djE ]n.媒体
(23) coast[ kEust ]n.海岸, 滑坡v.沿海岸而行
(24) shore[ FC:, FCE ]n.岸, 海滨, 支撑柱vt.支撑, 支持
(25) bull[ bul ]n.[动]公牛, 粗壮如牛的人
(26) responsible[ ris5pCnsEbl ]adj.有责任的, 可靠的, 可依赖的, 负责的
(27) saint[ seint, sEnt ]n.圣人, 道德崇高的人, 圣徒adj.神圣v.成为圣徒
(28) target[ 5tB:^it ]n.目标, 对象, 靶子
(29) bite[ bait²⁹ ]n.咬, 咬伤, 一口, 刺痛v.咬, 刺痛
(30) seal[ si:l ]n.封铅, 封条, 印, 图章, 密封vt.封, 密封n.海豹, 海豹毛皮
(31) jewelry[5dVu:ElrI]n.珠宝, 珠宝类
(32) collector[ kE5lektE ]n.收藏家, 征收者
(33) jaw[ dVC: ]n.[解]颚, 颌, 下巴(用复数), (山谷、海峡等的)狭窄的入口, [机]叉钳, 钳夹v.闲谈, 教训, 唠叨
(34) liver[ 5livE ]n.居住者，生活优裕的人，肝脏
(35) vitamin[ 5vaitEmin, 5vi- ]n.维他命, 维生素
(36) leather[ 5leTE ]n.皮革, 皮革制品
(37) dusky[ 5dQski ]adj.微暗的, 朦胧的,忧郁的
(38) sandbar[5sAndbB:(r)]n.沙洲
(39) threaten[ 5Wretn ]vt.恐吓, 威胁, 预示(危险), 似有发生或来临的可能, 可能来临
(40) restrict[ ris5trikt ]vt.限制, 约束, 限定
(41) legal[ 5li:^El ]adj.法律的, 法定的, 合法
(42) require[ ri5kwaiE ]vt.需要, 要求, 命令
(43) fin³[ fin ]n.鳍, 鱼翅, 鳍状物, 五元纸币vi.猛挥鳍, 露鳍于水面的vt.装上翅, 切除鳍

 

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 extremely   

adv.极其，非常，极度

参考例句：

• The film is extremely good,I just cannot miss it.这部电影太精彩了，我非看不可。
• The old man was extremely difficult to get along with.这个老人极难相与。

3 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

4 nerves   

n.神经紧张 vt.鼓起勇气

参考例句：

• What he said at the meeting strung her nerves up. 他在会议上的发言使她的神经很紧张。
• At the end of a day's teaching, her nerves were absolutely shattered. 教了一天课，她精疲力竭。

5 muscles   

n.肌肉( muscle的名词复数 )；（操纵他人的）力量；权力；肌肉组织

参考例句：

• I must take some exercise and loosen up my muscles. 我必须活动活动使肌肉放松些。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gosh! My muscles is going to ache all over tomorrow. 哎呀！明天我全身肌肉都会痛了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

7 protective   

adj.防护的，保护的

参考例句：

• A mother naturally feels protective towards her children.做母亲的天生要保护自己的孩子。
• We feel safe with a protective device in the house.我们因为家里有了防护装置而感到安全。

8 reproduce   

v.生育，繁殖，复制，重做

参考例句：

• The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
• The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。

9 cord   

n.绳，线；纺织品；小电线；腱

参考例句：

• I wear a safety cord all the time.我一直带着安全绳索。
• I pulled the cord,and I felt a strong jerk.拉住绳索，我强烈的恐惧。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

12 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

13 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

14 bull   

n.公牛，买进证券投机图利者，看涨的人

参考例句：

• It's only a hair off a bull's back to them.这对他们来说，不过九牛一毛。
• Many dogs closed around the bull.很多狗渐渐地把那只牛围了起来。

15 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

16 injured   

adj.受伤的

参考例句：

• Our best defender is injured and won't be able to play today.我们最佳的防守员受伤了，今天不能参加比赛。
• The injured men have been dug out of the snow.受伤人员从雪中被挖了出来。

17 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

18 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

19 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

20 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。

21 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

22 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

23 shiny   

adj.有光泽的，发光的，辉煌的

参考例句：

• What shiny shoes you're wearing!你穿的鞋子擦得真亮啊！
• All the cups are clean and shiny.所有的杯子都很干净明亮。

24 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

25 kilogram   

n.千克，公斤(略作kg)

参考例句：

• Apple costs five dollars a kilogram.苹果每千克5美元。
• The kilogram is the international standard of weight.公斤是国际通用的重量标准。

26 liver   

n.肝；肝脏

参考例句：

• He has a weak liver.他的肝脏不好。
• The largest organ in the body is the liver.人体最大的器官是肝脏。

27 traps   

n.随身携带物，随身行李；圈套( trap的名词复数 )；（对付人的）计谋；（练习射击用的）抛靶器；（捕捉动物的）夹子v.诱骗( trap的第三人称单数 )；使受限制；困住；使（水与气体等）分离

参考例句：

• The stock market is full of traps for the unwary. 对无风险意识的人而言，股票市场充满了陷阱。
• No. Not in regular government pay and employment, to lay traps? 没有这种想法。不是受雇于政府、接受正规津贴、陷害他人么？ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

28 endangered   

adj.濒于灭绝的；(生命等)有危险的

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Poison gas blew off and endangered the lives of hundreds of persons. 毒气喷出来，危及几百人的生命。

29 bait   

n.饵，引诱物；vt.用饵引诱，折磨，奚落

参考例句：

• The fish took the bait.鱼吞饵了。
• They are too knowing to bite at such a bait.他们很老练，不上这种当。