blog1aree567新聞: Wombats: Cute But Not for Cuddling　可愛警告：澳洲袋熊

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2020/02/18 第449期訂閱/退訂∣看歷史報份∣直接訂閱

本期文章
•	The Cuddly Quokka　短尾矮袋鼠：萌遍全球的快樂動物
•	Words for Reference
•	Words in Use
•	Practical Phrases
•	More to Learn
•	Grammar Tips
•	中文翻譯&標準答案
優惠活動訊息：見訊息

Wombats◆: Cute But Not for Cuddling◆　可愛警告：澳洲袋熊

by Bruce E. Bagnell

←iOS用戶點擊左方圖示，即可收聽講解音檔

　　What kid has never seen a picture of a kangaroo or koala? Less well known is another Australian marsupial◆—animals that raise their babies in the mother's pouch◆—the wombat. Since it lives underground and is only active at night, even many Australians have never seen a live wombat.
　　No, a wombat is not a kind of bat, though bats are also mammals◆. Wombats don't just live underground: they create their own warren◆ of burrows◆ that can extend hundreds of meters in length. They are true vegans, surviving only on plant material. Wombats are rather large, sometimes weighing over 30 kilograms, and covered with thick, protective fur. Though they waddle◆ rather than walk, when chased by a predator, they can run for a minute or two at nearly the speed of a human Olympic sprinter◆! When it comes down to it, wombats are so strange an animal that nothing about them seems normal.
　　Unlike most other female marsupials, the mother wombat's pouch is pointed backwards towards her rear◆ rather than face. This protects the babies from shoveled◆ dirt when a mother is digging her burrow. What also differentiates wombats from other animals is that their poop is cube◆-shaped. Wombats leave some 80-100 droppings◆ a night. It is thought that wombats use the scent of their poop to navigate their way around the arid◆ Australian landscape◆. Speaking of the backside of the wombat, this amazing marsupial uses its thickly padded◆ and bone-protected rear to literally plug the entrance hole to its burrow when a predator pursues it. If the predator doesn't leave, the wombat can slam its powerful rear against the burrow roof, crushing the skull◆ of the attacker!
　　Strange, yes, but wombats are actually quite cute. Still, they can cause serious injury, so keep your distance if you ever encounter one on an evening walk in the wilds of Australia!
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1. According to the passage, what do wombats and bats have in common?
(A) They are both marsupials.
(B) They are both mammals.
(C) They both have cube-shaped poop.
(D) They both feed on plants and vegetables.
-------------------------------------
2. Which of the following traits of a wombat is NOT mentioned in the passage?
(A) How fast they can run.
(B) The diet of the wombat.
(C) The skill to fill up their burrows.
(D) The size and weight of the wombat.
-------------------------------------
3. Which of the following statements best characterizes the wombat?
(A) It is a unique species with peculiarly shaped droppings.
(B) It is closely related to kangaroos and koalas.
(C) It is a highly skilled predator.
(D) It is not a very sociable animal.
-------------------------------------
4. What does the phrase "keep your distance" most closely mean in the last paragraph?
(A) Know the location of the closest hospital.
(B) Trek deep into the woods.
(C) Hold onto any valuables.
(D) Stay far away.

◆ wombat n. 袋熊
◆ cuddle vi. & vt. 擁抱
◆ marsupial n. 有袋動物
◆ pouch n.（有袋類動物的）育兒袋
◆ mammal n. 哺乳動物
◆ warren n.（地下交錯相連的）洞穴
◆ burrow n.（尤指動物挖掘居住的）洞穴／地道
◆ waddle vi. 搖搖擺擺地走
◆ sprinter n. 短跑選手
◆ rear n. 後面；臀部
◆ shovel vt. 鏟起（本文為過去分詞作形容詞用）
◆ cube n. 立方體；方塊物
◆ droppings n.（指動物的）糞便（恆用複數）
◆ arid a.（土地或氣候）乾燥的
◆ landscape n. 地景；景色
◆ padded a. 裝有填料的
◆ skull n. 頭骨

1. extend vi. & vt. 延伸；延長
• The game was extended five minutes because it was tied at the end of regular play.
因為在正規比賽結束時打成平手，這場比賽延長了五分鐘。

2. predator n. 掠食者，捕食者
• Large cats such as lions and tigers are fierce predators.
像是獅子和老虎等大型貓科動物都是凶猛的掠食者。

3. differentiate vt. 使有差異 & vt. & vi. 區別
differentiate A from B　　區分 A 與 B
= differentiate between A and B
• Most people can't differentiate this kind of frog from others because they are so much alike.
大多數人無法區分這種青蛙跟其他種類，因為牠們長得太像了。

4. scent n. 氣味，香味
• The shampoo has a light scent of herbal extracts.
這種洗髮精有一股藥草萃取物的淡淡香氣。

5. navigate vt. & vi. 導航，指引方向
• The captain navigated the ship through the rough waters during the storm.
船長引領船隻通過暴風雨中驚濤駭浪的海域。

6. literally adv. 確實，的確
• The whole village was literally destroyed by the mudslide.
土石流確實摧毀了整座村莊。

7. plug vt. 把……塞住，填塞
• The holes in the wall were plugged with cement days before the wall was painted.
在這面牆上漆的好幾天前，牆上的洞就已經用水泥填起來了。
＊cement n. 水泥

8. slam vt. 猛力撞擊／推擠
• The manager was very angry and slammed the door shut.
經理很生氣，用力把門關上。

9. crush vt. 壓碎
• We brought the wheat to the mill to be crushed into flour.
我們把麥子帶到磨坊去碾成麵粉。

10. encounter vt. 遇到
• Chances are that we may encounter many setbacks in the process of learning.
在學習過程中，我們十之八九會遇到許多挫折。

11. trait n. 特徵，特性，特點
• Josh's most amazing trait is his endless energy.
喬許最棒的特點是他擁有無止盡的活力。

12. characterize vt.
描述……的特性；認為……有……的特性
• Would you characterize John as a considerate person?
你會說約翰是個貼心的人嗎？

13. peculiarly adv. 獨特地，不尋常地
• Nina has been behaving peculiarly tonight.
妮娜今晚的行為很不尋常。

14. sociable a. 喜愛交際／社交的
• Amy is one of the most sociable people I know.
艾咪是我認識的人中最喜歡與人交際的其中一個。

15. trek vi. 跋涉，徒步長途行走
三態為：trek, trekked, trekked。
• It took the mountain-climbing team two days to trek across the forest.
這支登山隊花了兩天的時間才走出這座森林。

1. survive on...　　靠……（勉強）過活
survive vi. 生存 & vt. 熬過……；從……中存活
• We survived on nothing but beans and toast the whole trip.
整趟旅程我們只靠豆子和吐司勉強度日。
• Willy survived the tough experience of his mother's death.
威利熬過了喪母的艱難時期。

2. when it comes down to it　　說到底
• When it comes down to it, an attractive appearance is not enough.
說到底，僅僅外表吸引人是不夠的。

3. speaking of N/V-ing　　談到／提及……
= when it comes to N/V-ing
• Speaking of money, Tim has no sense at all.
一提到錢，提姆根本毫無判斷力可言。

4. have... in common　　有……共通點
• Billy and Jill are good friends and have a lot in common.
比利和吉兒是好朋友，而且他們有許多共通點。

5. hold onto...　　握緊……；堅持／持續……
• The worker held onto the rope and pulled it hard.
那名工人握緊繩子並猛力一拉。
• There are some people who hold onto their jobs long after they should retire.
有些早該退休的人還堅持著自己的工作。

vegan n. 嚴守素食主義者（在飲食方面不食用含有魚、肉、蛋、奶製品的食物，在生活中也避免使用任何含有動物成分或以動物測試的產品）& a. 全素的
• Vegetarians who don't use or eat products derived from animals are called vegans.
不使用及不食用動物衍生產品的素食主義者被稱為嚴守素食主義者。
----------------------------------------------------------
以下介紹各種「飲食派」的英文：
a. vegetarian n. 素食主義者，奶蛋素者（不吃肉、家禽、魚及其副產品）& a. 素食的
• As a vegetarian, Lily never eats fish or meat.
身為素食者，莉莉從不吃魚和肉。
b. pollotarian n. 只吃家禽的素食者（不吃紅肉、只吃家禽等白肉，也吃各種蔬果、蛋奶。pollo 在西班牙文中是雞的意思）& a. 只吃家禽的
c. pescatarian n. 魚食者（只吃魚類以及其他蔬果）& a. 魚食的
d. flexitarian n. 彈性素食者（大量攝取蔬果、只吃少許肉類的人）& a. 彈性素食的
• Molly is mainly vegetarian but occasionally eats meat and fish. She's a flexitarian.
茉莉主要吃素，但偶爾會吃肉和魚。她是彈性素食者。
e. freegan n. 免費素食者；不消費主義者
（為了環保而不購買食物，只食用已經被丟棄或將被其他人丟棄的食物）
• Tyler is a freegan, finding and eating good food that has been thrown away.
泰勒是免費素食者，他尋找及食用被丟棄的好食物。

When it comes down to it, wombats are so strange an animal that nothing about them seems normal.
介紹 "so... that..." 與 "such... that..." 的用法
※ so + Adj. / Adv. + that + S + V　　
如此……以致於／因此／所以……
此句構用來表示某事物達到某種程度而導致的結果，so 為副詞，表「如此地」、「非常地」，其後須接形容詞或副詞以供修飾；that 則為副詞連接詞，引導的副詞子句修飾其前的 so，而且 that 在此用法中可予以省略，用逗號來取代，或甚至連逗號也不用。
• The room was so bright that we were unable to get any sleep.
房間太亮了，我們完全睡不著。
※ so 之後亦可接含不定冠詞 a / an 的單數名詞（本文即屬此用法），句型如下：
so + Adj. + a / an + N + that + S + V
• Alice is so considerate a girl that I like her.
艾莉絲是這麼體貼的女孩，所以我喜歡她。
※ so 亦可修飾表數量的形容詞 many、much、few 及 little，句型如下：
so many / few + 複數名詞 + that + S + V
so much / little + 不可數名詞 + that + S + V
• Peter can speak so many languages that he was hired as an interpreter.
彼得能說很多種語言，所以他被僱為口譯員。
• There is so much work to do that I don't think I can go to bed early.
有這麼多工作要做，我想我無法早早就寢。
※ 若欲修飾一般可數或不可數名詞時，則須用形容詞 such 來修飾，句型如下：
a. such + a / an + (Adj.) + 單數名詞 + that + S + V
• Sandy wrote such a good poem that she gained the praise of her teacher.
珊蒂寫了一首非常棒的詩而獲得老師的誇讚。
b. such + (Adj.) + 複數名詞 + that + S + V
• They are such nice people that I love working with them.
他們為人很好，因此我喜歡與他們共事。
c. such + (Adj.) + 不可數名詞 + that + S + V
• The construction site created such noise that we couldn't concentrate on our work.
工地製造的噪音太大，以致我們無法專心工作。

可愛警告：澳洲袋熊
　　

　　哪個孩子從未看過袋鼠或無尾熊的照片？較鮮為人知的是另一種澳洲有袋動物（會將寶寶放在母親育兒袋中撫養長大的動物）—— 袋熊。由於牠們生活在地底下且僅在夜間活動，因此甚至許多澳洲人也從未見過活生生的袋熊。
　　不，袋熊不是某種蝙蝠，儘管蝙蝠也是哺乳動物。袋熊不僅僅生活在地底：牠們還創造了交錯相連、可綿延數百公尺的洞穴。牠們是真正的素食主義者，僅靠植物維生。袋熊的體型相當大，有時重達三十多公斤，且覆蓋著厚實的保護性毛皮。儘管牠們走路搖搖擺擺，但當牠們被掠食者追趕時，能以接近人類奧林匹克短跑選手的速度跑一至兩分鐘！總結來說，袋熊是一種非常奇特的動物，關於牠們的一切似乎都非比尋常。
　　與大多數其他雌性有袋動物不同的是，袋熊媽媽的育兒袋開口是朝後而不是朝向臉。當袋熊媽媽挖洞時，這點可以保護寶寶免受被鏟起的泥土所傷。與所有其他動物也不同的是，袋熊的大便形狀是立方體。袋熊一個晚上會排出八十至一百顆左右的糞便。一般認為袋熊會利用自己糞便的氣味在乾旱的澳洲地景中導航。說到袋熊的臀部，當有掠食者追趕牠們時，這種了不起的有袋動物會利用其厚實、有骨頭保護層的臀部確實地塞住通往其洞穴的入口。如果掠食者不離開，袋熊能利用其強而有力的臀部強力撞擊洞穴頂，從而壓碎攻擊者的頭骨！
　　是的，很奇怪，但是袋熊確實相當可愛。儘管如此，牠們仍可能造成嚴重傷害，因此，如果你晚上在澳洲的荒野中散步時遇到牠，請保持距離！
-------------------------------------
1. 根據本文，袋熊和蝙蝠有什麼共同點？
(A) 牠們都是有袋動物。
(B) 牠們都是哺乳動物。
(C) 牠們都有方型便便。
(D) 牠們都是以植物和蔬菜為食。
-------------------------------------
2. 本文中沒有提到袋熊以下哪項特徵？
(A) 牠們可以跑得多快。
(B) 袋熊的飲食。
(C) 將其洞穴填起來的技能。
(D) 袋熊的體型和體重。
-------------------------------------
3. 以下哪一項敘述最能描述袋熊的特徵？
(A) 牠是獨一無二的物種，擁有獨特形狀的大便。
(B) 牠與袋鼠和無尾熊是近親。
(C) 牠是技巧相當高明的掠食者。
(D) 牠不是很善於交際的動物。
-------------------------------------
4. 本文最後一段的片語 "keep your distance" 意思最接近何者？
(A) 知道最近醫院的位置。
(B) 跋涉深入樹林。
(C) 緊緊抓住任何貴重物品。
(D) 遠離。
答案：1. B　2. C　3. A　4. D

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