Beautiful tree, unusual leaves, terrible smell
Among trees, the Ginkgo biloba tree stands out. It’s not really related to any other living plant. Its unique leaves make the tree beautiful to look at. It’s hardy, too. Disease and pollution don’t bother it. The tree is so hardy that some survived the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima in 1945! Many cities in Asia and America planted this unique tree along their city streets. But they soon found out that beauty comes with a price. Ginkgo seeds smell really bad, like vomit.
Why did cities plant the bad-smelling trees? Because female trees, which bear the seeds, are impossible to tell from male ones. It takes a female tree at least 25 years to produce its first seeds. So most cities didn't want to cut down the big trees. Neither did some Asians. Inside the smelly flesh lies a white nut. They are prized by Chinese, Japanese and Koreans for cooking. They harvest them from trees in the fall. One man's stink is another man's treat!
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: So
You would not believe the recent controversy one little word has been causing among native English speakers.
It’s the two letter word, “so”. And the problem it's causing, like so many other things language purists like to complain about, is its unorthodox usages are becoming accepted by the public.
Horrors, "so" is being used to start sentences as in, "So, let me tell you why I think sentences should begin only with a subject."
Right. Not surprisingly, this usage is being propagated mostly by, who else, young people. Critics, that is, the older people, think that using “so” in this way, makes teenager sound unsure of themselves and noncommittal.
Well, young people are using “so” in the middle of sentences too, as in, “I’m so not eating that.”
Hey, is that correct English? Okay, finally “so” is also been used at the ends of sentences, for example, I couldn’t sleep last night, because I drank too much coffee so…
We call this the dangling "so". It suggests the speaker’s thought will continue after the sentence ends.
Some university English departments believe “so” has become so misused that they placed it on their list of banished words, so….
Language Lab
related adj.
things that are related are connected in some way:
- These two robberies are related. They were probably done by the same people.
connected by a family relationship:
- Laura claims that she's related to the royal family.
hardy adj.
strong and healthy and able to bear difficult living conditions:
- The plant is very hardy, so it can survive in harsh winters.
- The children were brought up to be hardy. They're not afraid of challenges.
flesh n. 果食或動物可吃的部份
he soft part of the body of a person or animal that is between the skin and the bones;
the soft part of a fruit or vegetable that can be eaten:
- The flesh of the fruit is sweet and juicy.
- The flesh of the fish was ground up to make fish balls.
- The lion finished eating the antelope's flesh in a matter of hours.
antelope n.
an animal with long horns that can run very fast and is very graceful
stink v.
past tense stank, past participle stunk [intransitive]
to have a strong and very unpleasant smell:
- The rotten fish really stank.
stinky adj.
smelling unpleasant [= smelly]:
- The smell of stinky tofu is repulsive to many people.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20150523baa0496f1688152bc69904cbd6803c339125991949cb11b128c8094a17c9f29bb7c.wma
Showing posts with label NATURE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NATURE. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Thursday, August 28, 2014
[Advanced] The Mystery of the Baby Sea Turtles (2) 2014/08/28
Mansfield's turtle-tracking research also has been a journey. She began in the mid-2000s to develop a method of attaching instruments to young sea turtles for the type of research already done for many years with adult turtles.
But though the devices will stick to grown-up turtles for years, the shells of juveniles grow so quickly that no standard technique would work for more than a few weeks.
Revolutionizing the tactics
In time, Mansfield and colleagues got help from a manicurist, who suggested starting with a nontoxic, acrylic coating because turtle shells are built with much the same stuff as fingernails.
With the acrylic coating as a foundation, the researchers glue down a small piece of old wetsuit as soft bedding for the tracking device, which is then attached with hair-extension glue because it is flexible and waterproof.
The trackers, despite their tiny size and weighing about as much as four pennies, send a signal to satellites that includes location, temperature and how much power is being produced by solar chargers.
The 17 turtles were followed for a few as 27 days to as many as 220 days before the devices fell off. That may not seem like much time, but researchers previously knew little about their whereabouts during that period. What happens afterward is up for further tracking, which is already being done.
The discovery
What they got was a peek into the huge home of loggerhead turtles — essentially into the kids' room.
"We're getting a look at the toddler-to-teenage stage," Mansfield said. "Turtles take a couple of decades to reach maturity, so they have a long time out there before we see them again on our nesting beaches."
Vocabulary Focus
juvenile n.
a young person who is not yet an adult
manicurist n.
a person whose job is to give people maincures
acrylic adj.
of or made from a type of acid which is used in making plastic, cloth and paint
peek n.
a short look at something, especially in a secret way
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140828ada2f36230686b3297d32a4989afef9f2cac41026fbae75aec0b3965a33ce406e70.wma
But though the devices will stick to grown-up turtles for years, the shells of juveniles grow so quickly that no standard technique would work for more than a few weeks.
Revolutionizing the tactics
In time, Mansfield and colleagues got help from a manicurist, who suggested starting with a nontoxic, acrylic coating because turtle shells are built with much the same stuff as fingernails.
With the acrylic coating as a foundation, the researchers glue down a small piece of old wetsuit as soft bedding for the tracking device, which is then attached with hair-extension glue because it is flexible and waterproof.
The trackers, despite their tiny size and weighing about as much as four pennies, send a signal to satellites that includes location, temperature and how much power is being produced by solar chargers.
The 17 turtles were followed for a few as 27 days to as many as 220 days before the devices fell off. That may not seem like much time, but researchers previously knew little about their whereabouts during that period. What happens afterward is up for further tracking, which is already being done.
The discovery
What they got was a peek into the huge home of loggerhead turtles — essentially into the kids' room.
"We're getting a look at the toddler-to-teenage stage," Mansfield said. "Turtles take a couple of decades to reach maturity, so they have a long time out there before we see them again on our nesting beaches."
Vocabulary Focus
juvenile n.
a young person who is not yet an adult
manicurist n.
a person whose job is to give people maincures
acrylic adj.
of or made from a type of acid which is used in making plastic, cloth and paint
peek n.
a short look at something, especially in a secret way
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140828ada2f36230686b3297d32a4989afef9f2cac41026fbae75aec0b3965a33ce406e70.wma
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
[Advanced] The Mystery of the Baby Sea Turtles (1) 2014/08/27
Scientists track the journey of young sea turtles in the deep ocean
University of Central Florida and coastal Floridians have been nursing baby sea turtles into the Atlantic Ocean for a long time and wondering: Where do they go and what do they do in the deep blue?
Unraveling the mystery
Now a UCF biology professor has some answers, thanks to a tracking instrument about the size of a fig that cost $4,000 and was glued to the shells of 17 young sea turtles released in small groups from 2009 to 2011.
What Kate Mansfield and a team of other researchers have discovered is that little loggerheads may ease into a remote part of the ocean, the Sargasso Sea, where they can spend many years lounging, eating and growing up among floating piles of sargassum seaweed.
A sanctuary for turtles
"Sargassum provides them with refuge. The turtles are brown, and they blend really well with that habitat, and there are a number of little organisms (crabs and fish) that turtles might eat," Mansfield said].
There's more than curiosity behind the effort to find out what loggerheads are doing early in a traveling life that can last more than a half-century and will include repeated visits to their birthplaces to lay their own eggs, but not until they have been away for more than 20 years.
Some of the most important beaches in the world for loggerhead nesting are along Florida, a state that has worked for decades to document and protect nests and to minimize perils for hatchlings.
"The more we understand about what they do offshore, the more we can understand how important it is to limit impacts to them during that short time we have them under our care on the beach," Trindell said.
Vocabulary Focus
loggerhead n.
a type of turtle
lounge v.
to stand or sit in a relaxed way
Sargasso Sea n.
a part of the northern Atlantic Ocean between the West Indies and the Azores; noted for the amount of seaweed floating on its surface
habitat n.
the natural surroundings in which an animal or plant usually lives
organism n.
a single living plant, animal or other living thing
peril n.
danger, or something that is dangerous.
hatchling n.
an animal that has just hatched from an egg
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140827ada79370c122b47698fc887d88d11c900fc8f0855fe8a1372a2fd782e740c1700f7.wma
University of Central Florida and coastal Floridians have been nursing baby sea turtles into the Atlantic Ocean for a long time and wondering: Where do they go and what do they do in the deep blue?
Unraveling the mystery
Now a UCF biology professor has some answers, thanks to a tracking instrument about the size of a fig that cost $4,000 and was glued to the shells of 17 young sea turtles released in small groups from 2009 to 2011.
What Kate Mansfield and a team of other researchers have discovered is that little loggerheads may ease into a remote part of the ocean, the Sargasso Sea, where they can spend many years lounging, eating and growing up among floating piles of sargassum seaweed.
A sanctuary for turtles
"Sargassum provides them with refuge. The turtles are brown, and they blend really well with that habitat, and there are a number of little organisms (crabs and fish) that turtles might eat," Mansfield said].
There's more than curiosity behind the effort to find out what loggerheads are doing early in a traveling life that can last more than a half-century and will include repeated visits to their birthplaces to lay their own eggs, but not until they have been away for more than 20 years.
Some of the most important beaches in the world for loggerhead nesting are along Florida, a state that has worked for decades to document and protect nests and to minimize perils for hatchlings.
"The more we understand about what they do offshore, the more we can understand how important it is to limit impacts to them during that short time we have them under our care on the beach," Trindell said.
Vocabulary Focus
loggerhead n.
a type of turtle
lounge v.
to stand or sit in a relaxed way
Sargasso Sea n.
a part of the northern Atlantic Ocean between the West Indies and the Azores; noted for the amount of seaweed floating on its surface
habitat n.
the natural surroundings in which an animal or plant usually lives
organism n.
a single living plant, animal or other living thing
peril n.
danger, or something that is dangerous.
hatchling n.
an animal that has just hatched from an egg
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140827ada79370c122b47698fc887d88d11c900fc8f0855fe8a1372a2fd782e740c1700f7.wma
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
RULERS OF THE SKY (3)
Montana Raptor Conservation Center
The modern world is a dangerous place for these magnificent birds. They can be hit by cars or injured in collisions with power lines. They can eat poisoned meat or ingest lead from hunters' guns. They can become tangled in wire or string. Thankfully, there are places like the Montana Raptor Conservation Center in Bozeman, Montana, where injured birds get a second chance at life and freedom. At the center, volunteers do their best to rehabilitate injured birds. Some die from their injuries, but around 32 percent are eventually released. Some spend a few weeks or months at the center, while others may need a year or more to recover.
An osprey that had her feathers singed from head to talons spent 15 months at the center. She flew away to freedom last September. The birds that cannot return to the wild continue to live at the center and become education birds. Teams of volunteers take the birds to schools and public gatherings to teach people about raptors and their habits.
The Montana Raptor Conservation Center's efforts keep these magnificent birds flying in the skies where they belong.
Grammar Gym
[subject] keeps [object] [doing something in a place].
- The Montana Raptor Conservation Center's efforts keep these magnificent birds flying in the skies where they belong.
- The church's afterschool program helps to keep kids focusing on their schoolwork and off the streets where they don't belong.
- The government funding keeps these single moms working at home where they not only earn a living but can also be with their children.
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Power vs. Electricity
electricity 剛搬到新家可用這個字
- There is no electricity in the house.
power 日常生活中比較常用這個字
- power outage 停電
- Please turn off the power. 請把電關了
- Leave the power on. 不要關掉
- power company 電力公司
- power line 電線
Language Lab
collision n.
/kəˈlɪʒən/
an accident in which two or more people or vehicles hit each other while moving in different directions
- The collision of two trains caused a lot of casualties.
- The bumper of my car was dented in the collision.
a strong disagreement between two people or groups
- The movie showed the collision between two generations.
rehabilitate v. [re-再一次/ habi 居住]
to help someone to live a healthy, useful, or active life again after they have been seriously ill or in prison
- The team successfully rehabilitated this patient.
rehab (縮寫)
to make people think that someone or something is good again after a period when people had a bad opinion of them
a program for helping people who have problems with drugs, alcohol, etc.— often used after in or into
- The pop star is under treatment in a rehab center.
singe v.
/ˈsɪnʤ/
to burn the surface of something slightly, or to be burned slightly
- Eileen singed her dress by accident while she was ironing it.
- Angela got too close to the stove and singed her hair.
conservation n.
the protection of natural things such as animals, plants, forests etc, to prevent them being spoiled or destroyed [= preservation]
- The conservation area is only accessed by authorized persons.
- The organization is devoted to soil conservation. 致力放水土保持
conserve v.
to protect something and prevent it from changing or being damaged [= preserve]
- The people of this town put a lot of effort into conserving this old building.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140416baa65a5b54a3b80d139caedfb9a10dcf8cb9b34c212ce4bed53f676ce4aca5ec6dc.wma
The modern world is a dangerous place for these magnificent birds. They can be hit by cars or injured in collisions with power lines. They can eat poisoned meat or ingest lead from hunters' guns. They can become tangled in wire or string. Thankfully, there are places like the Montana Raptor Conservation Center in Bozeman, Montana, where injured birds get a second chance at life and freedom. At the center, volunteers do their best to rehabilitate injured birds. Some die from their injuries, but around 32 percent are eventually released. Some spend a few weeks or months at the center, while others may need a year or more to recover.
An osprey that had her feathers singed from head to talons spent 15 months at the center. She flew away to freedom last September. The birds that cannot return to the wild continue to live at the center and become education birds. Teams of volunteers take the birds to schools and public gatherings to teach people about raptors and their habits.
The Montana Raptor Conservation Center's efforts keep these magnificent birds flying in the skies where they belong.
Grammar Gym
[subject] keeps [object] [doing something in a place].
- The Montana Raptor Conservation Center's efforts keep these magnificent birds flying in the skies where they belong.
- The church's afterschool program helps to keep kids focusing on their schoolwork and off the streets where they don't belong.
- The government funding keeps these single moms working at home where they not only earn a living but can also be with their children.
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Power vs. Electricity
electricity 剛搬到新家可用這個字
- There is no electricity in the house.
power 日常生活中比較常用這個字
- power outage 停電
- Please turn off the power. 請把電關了
- Leave the power on. 不要關掉
- power company 電力公司
- power line 電線
Language Lab
collision n.
/kəˈlɪʒən/
an accident in which two or more people or vehicles hit each other while moving in different directions
- The collision of two trains caused a lot of casualties.
- The bumper of my car was dented in the collision.
a strong disagreement between two people or groups
- The movie showed the collision between two generations.
rehabilitate v. [re-再一次/ habi 居住]
to help someone to live a healthy, useful, or active life again after they have been seriously ill or in prison
- The team successfully rehabilitated this patient.
rehab (縮寫)
to make people think that someone or something is good again after a period when people had a bad opinion of them
a program for helping people who have problems with drugs, alcohol, etc.— often used after in or into
- The pop star is under treatment in a rehab center.
singe v.
/ˈsɪnʤ/
to burn the surface of something slightly, or to be burned slightly
- Eileen singed her dress by accident while she was ironing it.
- Angela got too close to the stove and singed her hair.
conservation n.
the protection of natural things such as animals, plants, forests etc, to prevent them being spoiled or destroyed [= preservation]
- The conservation area is only accessed by authorized persons.
- The organization is devoted to soil conservation. 致力放水土保持
conserve v.
to protect something and prevent it from changing or being damaged [= preserve]
- The people of this town put a lot of effort into conserving this old building.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140416baa65a5b54a3b80d139caedfb9a10dcf8cb9b34c212ce4bed53f676ce4aca5ec6dc.wma
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
RULERS OF THE SKY (2)
All Shapes and Sizes
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes. The smallest falcon weighs just 28 grams, while the Andean condor weighs in at 13 kilograms and has a wingspan of more than three meters! Birds of prey, or raptors, can be found on every continent and in habitats from dense tropical jungles to icy mountainsides to hot, dry deserts.
These birds play an important role in the balance of nature. Without them, there would soon be too many animals for the amount of food available, and many animals would die of starvation.
Many raptors also help humans by eating the pests that destroy crops. The predators also eliminate sick animals that can spread disease. Birds of prey are excellent parents. Eagles carry egg shells and other debris away from their nests, so other predators cannot find their chicks. Eagles often return to the same nest year after year and just add a little more nesting material to it. The largest eagle nest found was about three meters wide, six meters tall and weighted more than 1814 kilograms!
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Baby Animal Names
eaglet n.
a young eagle
elver n.
a young eel
chick n.
a baby bird; eagle chicks
calf n.
the baby of a cow, or of some other large animals, such as an elephant;
the young of various other large animals (such as the elephant or whale)
cub n.
the baby of a wild animal such as a lion or a bear;
a young animal that eats meat
puppy n.
a young dog
kitten n.
a young cat
piglet n.
a young pig
duckling n.
a young duck
bunny n.
a young rabbit;
a word for a rabbit, used especially by or to children
Grammar Gym
to come in many... and...
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes.
- Many people think chili peppers are all long and red; but in reality, chili peppers come in all shapes and colors.
- Although trench coats started out as a long khaki color military coat, they now come in many colors and lengths.
Language Lab
approximately adv. [proxim字根-靠近]
an approximate number, amount, or time is close to the exact number, amount etc, but could be a little bit more or less than it [= rough; ≠ exact]
- Approximately 20,000 people went to the concert.
approximate adj.
almost correct or exact
- The approximate cost of the renovation of the house would be 100,000 dollars.
starvation n.
[noncount] : suffering or death caused by having nothing to eat or not enough to eat: the condition of someone who is starving
- The people in this area are threatened by starvation and disease.
starve v.
to suffer or die from lack of food: to suffer extreme hunger
- People are starving because of the drought.
- I'm starving. I need to get some food now.
apex n.
the top or highest part of something pointed or curved
predator n.
an animal that kills and eats other animals [↪ prey]
- Antelopes' speed can help them escape predators such as lions or tigers.
prey n. [singular,uncountable]
an animal, bird etc that is hunted and eaten by another animal [= predator]
- The eagle swooped down on its prey.
debris n. [uncountable]
/dəˈbriː/ s不發音
the pieces of something that are left after it has been destroyed in an accident, explosion etc:
- Debris from the aircraft was found in various places.
- After the bombing, pieces of debris were scattered everywhere.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140415baa91437fe05fd69533badda48c7680168e46ad3404d63917e8fa26ab380cc8a98b.wma
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes. The smallest falcon weighs just 28 grams, while the Andean condor weighs in at 13 kilograms and has a wingspan of more than three meters! Birds of prey, or raptors, can be found on every continent and in habitats from dense tropical jungles to icy mountainsides to hot, dry deserts.
These birds play an important role in the balance of nature. Without them, there would soon be too many animals for the amount of food available, and many animals would die of starvation.
Many raptors also help humans by eating the pests that destroy crops. The predators also eliminate sick animals that can spread disease. Birds of prey are excellent parents. Eagles carry egg shells and other debris away from their nests, so other predators cannot find their chicks. Eagles often return to the same nest year after year and just add a little more nesting material to it. The largest eagle nest found was about three meters wide, six meters tall and weighted more than 1814 kilograms!
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Baby Animal Names
eaglet n.
a young eagle
elver n.
a young eel
chick n.
a baby bird; eagle chicks
calf n.
the baby of a cow, or of some other large animals, such as an elephant;
the young of various other large animals (such as the elephant or whale)
cub n.
the baby of a wild animal such as a lion or a bear;
a young animal that eats meat
puppy n.
a young dog
kitten n.
a young cat
piglet n.
a young pig
duckling n.
a young duck
bunny n.
a young rabbit;
a word for a rabbit, used especially by or to children
Grammar Gym
to come in many... and...
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes.
- Many people think chili peppers are all long and red; but in reality, chili peppers come in all shapes and colors.
- Although trench coats started out as a long khaki color military coat, they now come in many colors and lengths.
Language Lab
approximately adv. [proxim字根-靠近]
an approximate number, amount, or time is close to the exact number, amount etc, but could be a little bit more or less than it [= rough; ≠ exact]
- Approximately 20,000 people went to the concert.
approximate adj.
almost correct or exact
- The approximate cost of the renovation of the house would be 100,000 dollars.
starvation n.
[noncount] : suffering or death caused by having nothing to eat or not enough to eat: the condition of someone who is starving
- The people in this area are threatened by starvation and disease.
starve v.
to suffer or die from lack of food: to suffer extreme hunger
- People are starving because of the drought.
- I'm starving. I need to get some food now.
apex n.
the top or highest part of something pointed or curved
predator n.
an animal that kills and eats other animals [↪ prey]
- Antelopes' speed can help them escape predators such as lions or tigers.
prey n. [singular,uncountable]
an animal, bird etc that is hunted and eaten by another animal [= predator]
- The eagle swooped down on its prey.
debris n. [uncountable]
/dəˈbriː/ s不發音
the pieces of something that are left after it has been destroyed in an accident, explosion etc:
- Debris from the aircraft was found in various places.
- After the bombing, pieces of debris were scattered everywhere.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140415baa91437fe05fd69533badda48c7680168e46ad3404d63917e8fa26ab380cc8a98b.wma
Monday, April 14, 2014
RULERS OF THE SKY (1)
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes.
There is something about a big and powerful eagles soaring in the sky that gives people a sense of wonder. Eagles, along with hawks and other birds of prey, have a well-deserved reputation for inspiring wonder. They are superb hunters, extremely skilled at taking live prey. Their keen eyesight is one of the reasons for this. It is up to eight times better than a human with the most acute eyesight.
A golden eagle can see a 46-centimeter rabbit from 3.22 kilometers away!
Once a bird spots its prey, it dives at speeds near 200 kilometers per hour in an attempt to snatch its meal.
America's national bird, the bald eagle, can plummet at speeds of up to 322 kilometers per hour. But in spite of the eagle's keen eyesight and extreme speed, only one out of 18 attempts to catch food succeeds. These birds have great strength, too. Eagles can fly with prey that weighs as much as they do. And harpy eagles have been known to carry away a small sheep. This bird's talons are as big as the claws of a grizzly bear!
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Different Meanings of Live
1. live v. /ˈlɪv/
- He lives in Taipei.
2. live adj. /ˈlaɪv/
- live TV show; live music
3. live & alive
live 通常放名詞前面
- That farm sells live chickens.
alive 放在名詞的後面
- That farm's chicken's are alive.
本文講到老鷹 taking live prey,
意思就是捕捉活的臘物
Grammar Gym
There is something about...
- There is something about a big and powerful eagles soaring in the sky that gives people a sense of wonder.
- Even though the restaurant's food isn't so great, there is something about its atmosphere that makes people want to come back again.
- Although Lisa doesn't know Paul well enough, there is something about his personality that she finds attractive.
- Even though the movie was highly recommended, there was something about it that made me uncomfortable.
Language Lab
superb adj.
/sʊˈpɚb/
extremely good [= excellent]
- Maggie's superb acting impressed the audience.
- Claire is a superb financial consultant. She helps many companies cut their expenses.
acute adj.
acute senses such as hearing, taste, touch etc are very good and sensitive
- As a professional recording engineer, Peter has incredibly acute hearing.
an acute problem is very serious
- The food shortage at the area affected by the typhoon is acute.
plummet v.
to fall suddenly and quickly from a very high place
- The airplane suddenly exploded and plummeted to the ground.
- The company's stock price plummeted by 10 percent after the CEO announced his retirement.
talon n.
a sharp powerful curved nail on the feet of some birds that catch animals for food
- The raven grabbed its prey with sharp talons.
- The eagle can use its formidable talons to carry large animals while flying.
formidable adj.
very powerful or strong: deserving serious attention and respect
*RULERS OF THE SKY=征服天空的羽翼族
There is something about a big and powerful eagles soaring in the sky that gives people a sense of wonder. Eagles, along with hawks and other birds of prey, have a well-deserved reputation for inspiring wonder. They are superb hunters, extremely skilled at taking live prey. Their keen eyesight is one of the reasons for this. It is up to eight times better than a human with the most acute eyesight.
A golden eagle can see a 46-centimeter rabbit from 3.22 kilometers away!
Once a bird spots its prey, it dives at speeds near 200 kilometers per hour in an attempt to snatch its meal.
America's national bird, the bald eagle, can plummet at speeds of up to 322 kilometers per hour. But in spite of the eagle's keen eyesight and extreme speed, only one out of 18 attempts to catch food succeeds. These birds have great strength, too. Eagles can fly with prey that weighs as much as they do. And harpy eagles have been known to carry away a small sheep. This bird's talons are as big as the claws of a grizzly bear!
Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Different Meanings of Live
1. live v. /ˈlɪv/
- He lives in Taipei.
2. live adj. /ˈlaɪv/
- live TV show; live music
3. live & alive
live 通常放名詞前面
- That farm sells live chickens.
alive 放在名詞的後面
- That farm's chicken's are alive.
本文講到老鷹 taking live prey,
意思就是捕捉活的臘物
Grammar Gym
There is something about...
- There is something about a big and powerful eagles soaring in the sky that gives people a sense of wonder.
- Even though the restaurant's food isn't so great, there is something about its atmosphere that makes people want to come back again.
- Although Lisa doesn't know Paul well enough, there is something about his personality that she finds attractive.
- Even though the movie was highly recommended, there was something about it that made me uncomfortable.
Language Lab
superb adj.
/sʊˈpɚb/
extremely good [= excellent]
- Maggie's superb acting impressed the audience.
- Claire is a superb financial consultant. She helps many companies cut their expenses.
acute adj.
acute senses such as hearing, taste, touch etc are very good and sensitive
- As a professional recording engineer, Peter has incredibly acute hearing.
an acute problem is very serious
- The food shortage at the area affected by the typhoon is acute.
plummet v.
to fall suddenly and quickly from a very high place
- The airplane suddenly exploded and plummeted to the ground.
- The company's stock price plummeted by 10 percent after the CEO announced his retirement.
talon n.
a sharp powerful curved nail on the feet of some birds that catch animals for food
- The raven grabbed its prey with sharp talons.
- The eagle can use its formidable talons to carry large animals while flying.
formidable adj.
very powerful or strong: deserving serious attention and respect
*RULERS OF THE SKY=征服天空的羽翼族
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Whales: The Giants of the Sea (3)
Orcas
These stylish black and white mammals are probably the most easily identifiable whales in the sea. Also called "Killer whales" because of their aggressive predatory style, orcas prey on seals, sharks and even other whales. Orcas often travel, live and hunt in groups called "pods," which are somewhat similar to a pack of wolves. Killer whales can be found in every ocean around the world and have no natural predator except humans.
Whale-watching locations
Here are some of the best places to catch sight of these giant mammals.
Canada
Some of the world's best whale-watching can be done in British Columbia. Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, Canada. Orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales and others can all be spotted from May through October.
Hawaii
Another great location is Hawaii, where more than 6,000 humpback whales migrate to the islands' warm waters to mate and give birth. Whale-watching season runs from November through early May.
Alaska
With a season that begins in April and almost never ends, you'll spot orcas, minke and gray whales.
Other places like Mexico, Iceland, Britain, Norway and the Arctic will also afford you once-in-a-lifetime views of these astonishing creatures of the sea.
Info Cloud
Since our lesson today is about whales, why don't we take a look at some idioms that use the word whale.
Good idea Ken. Here is an example. You know, "I had a whale of time at Scarlett's birthday party yesterday."
So you had an exciting and fun time at the party. To have a whale of a time means "having a really good time".
Well Steve, "I think you did a whale of a job playing the guitar at the rally last week."
Thanks, Ken. I'm glad you liked it. Friends, a whale of a job means "a very good job".
Okay, we know the whale is a very large animal. So the word whale can also be used to refer to something very big.
That's another meaning of whales. Something huge, we might talk about "a whale of a problem" or "a whale of a difference".
You know, "There is a whale of a difference between learning English from Studio Classroom and learning English from a cheap cram school."
Well, that's pretty obvious. If you learn English from the wrong person, you might have "a whale of a problem".
One final idiom, "like a beached whale".
Oh, I wish I'd never seen a beached whale as that animal is in a pretty bad situation.
Once the whale is on a beach, it cannot move and get back into the ocean easily.
As if you are completely stuck somewhere and can't get away, you are stranded "like a beached whale".
Not a good situation to be in.
beached (beach v.)
- a beached whale
一隻在沙灘上擱淺的鯨魚
- I feel like a beached whale.
我在一個進退不得的困境
whale 巨大
- There's a big differnece.
= There's a whale of a difference.
a whale of a something:
- You did a whale of a job. 你表現的非常棒
- I had a whale of a time. 我玩得超開心
stranded adj.
a person or vehicle that is stranded is unable to move from the place where they are [= stuck]
Language Lab
predatory adj. -hunt fro prey. 以捕食其他動物為生的, 食肉的
/ˈprɛdəˌtori/
living by killing and eating other animals
- Many predatory mammals have sharp teeth and strong jaws.
許多肉食性哺乳動物都有尖牙和強壯的下顎
predator 食肉動物; 掠奪者
/ˈprɛdətɚ/
an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals : an animal that preys on other animals
- Antelopes run extremely fast so they can escape from their predators.
羚羊跑得這麼快, 才可以逃離掠奪者的捕捉
wolf n. 狼 plural wolves
a wild animal that looks like a large dog and lives and hunts in groups
- You can hear wolves crying during the night.
夜晚的時候, 你可以聽到狼的叫聲
wolf v. 狼吞虎咽
to eat something very quickly, swallowing it in big pieces
- My son's soccer-team friends wolfed down eight large pizzas after the game.
球賽之後, 我兒子足球隊的朋友狼吞虎咽吞了八個大pizza
migrate v. 遷移; 移居 [migra字根 -漂泊之意]
/ˈmaɪˌgreɪt/
if birds or animals migrate, they travel regularly from one part of the world to another;
if people migrate, they go to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work
- Canadian Geese migrate between Canada and United States.
加拿大雁在美國和加拿大之間按季節遷徙
migration n. 遷移; (候鳥等的)遷徙
- The massive migration of farmers to cities has caused a lot of social problems.
農夫大量遷徙到都巿中, 造成許多社會問題
astonishing adj. 令人驚訝的; 驚人的
/əˈstɑ:nɪʃɪŋ/
so surprising that it is difficult to believe
- The circus performance is astonishing. ( astonishing performance)
馬戲團的表演令人目瞪口呆
astonish v.使人驚訝的
/əˈstɑ:nɪʃ/
to cause a feeling of great wonder or surprise in (someone)
- The couple's sudden breakup astonished many of their friends.
這對情侶突然分手讓他們的朋友都很驚訝
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130731_c8743.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130731baa541b370aecd02b61e92bbd667cea13a7ce43e125530bf87967d509fecf9fe07e.wma
These stylish black and white mammals are probably the most easily identifiable whales in the sea. Also called "Killer whales" because of their aggressive predatory style, orcas prey on seals, sharks and even other whales. Orcas often travel, live and hunt in groups called "pods," which are somewhat similar to a pack of wolves. Killer whales can be found in every ocean around the world and have no natural predator except humans.
Whale-watching locations
Here are some of the best places to catch sight of these giant mammals.
Canada
Some of the world's best whale-watching can be done in British Columbia. Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, Canada. Orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales and others can all be spotted from May through October.
Hawaii
Another great location is Hawaii, where more than 6,000 humpback whales migrate to the islands' warm waters to mate and give birth. Whale-watching season runs from November through early May.
Alaska
With a season that begins in April and almost never ends, you'll spot orcas, minke and gray whales.
Other places like Mexico, Iceland, Britain, Norway and the Arctic will also afford you once-in-a-lifetime views of these astonishing creatures of the sea.
Info Cloud
Since our lesson today is about whales, why don't we take a look at some idioms that use the word whale.
Good idea Ken. Here is an example. You know, "I had a whale of time at Scarlett's birthday party yesterday."
So you had an exciting and fun time at the party. To have a whale of a time means "having a really good time".
Well Steve, "I think you did a whale of a job playing the guitar at the rally last week."
Thanks, Ken. I'm glad you liked it. Friends, a whale of a job means "a very good job".
Okay, we know the whale is a very large animal. So the word whale can also be used to refer to something very big.
That's another meaning of whales. Something huge, we might talk about "a whale of a problem" or "a whale of a difference".
You know, "There is a whale of a difference between learning English from Studio Classroom and learning English from a cheap cram school."
Well, that's pretty obvious. If you learn English from the wrong person, you might have "a whale of a problem".
One final idiom, "like a beached whale".
Oh, I wish I'd never seen a beached whale as that animal is in a pretty bad situation.
Once the whale is on a beach, it cannot move and get back into the ocean easily.
As if you are completely stuck somewhere and can't get away, you are stranded "like a beached whale".
Not a good situation to be in.
beached (beach v.)
- a beached whale
一隻在沙灘上擱淺的鯨魚
- I feel like a beached whale.
我在一個進退不得的困境
whale 巨大
- There's a big differnece.
= There's a whale of a difference.
a whale of a something:
- You did a whale of a job. 你表現的非常棒
- I had a whale of a time. 我玩得超開心
stranded adj.
a person or vehicle that is stranded is unable to move from the place where they are [= stuck]
Language Lab
predatory adj. -hunt fro prey. 以捕食其他動物為生的, 食肉的
/ˈprɛdəˌtori/
living by killing and eating other animals
- Many predatory mammals have sharp teeth and strong jaws.
許多肉食性哺乳動物都有尖牙和強壯的下顎
predator 食肉動物; 掠奪者
/ˈprɛdətɚ/
an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals : an animal that preys on other animals
- Antelopes run extremely fast so they can escape from their predators.
羚羊跑得這麼快, 才可以逃離掠奪者的捕捉
wolf n. 狼 plural wolves
a wild animal that looks like a large dog and lives and hunts in groups
- You can hear wolves crying during the night.
夜晚的時候, 你可以聽到狼的叫聲
wolf v. 狼吞虎咽
to eat something very quickly, swallowing it in big pieces
- My son's soccer-team friends wolfed down eight large pizzas after the game.
球賽之後, 我兒子足球隊的朋友狼吞虎咽吞了八個大pizza
migrate v. 遷移; 移居 [migra字根 -漂泊之意]
/ˈmaɪˌgreɪt/
if birds or animals migrate, they travel regularly from one part of the world to another;
if people migrate, they go to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work
- Canadian Geese migrate between Canada and United States.
加拿大雁在美國和加拿大之間按季節遷徙
migration n. 遷移; (候鳥等的)遷徙
- The massive migration of farmers to cities has caused a lot of social problems.
農夫大量遷徙到都巿中, 造成許多社會問題
astonishing adj. 令人驚訝的; 驚人的
/əˈstɑ:nɪʃɪŋ/
so surprising that it is difficult to believe
- The circus performance is astonishing. ( astonishing performance)
馬戲團的表演令人目瞪口呆
astonish v.使人驚訝的
/əˈstɑ:nɪʃ/
to cause a feeling of great wonder or surprise in (someone)
- The couple's sudden breakup astonished many of their friends.
這對情侶突然分手讓他們的朋友都很驚訝
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130731_c8743.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130731baa541b370aecd02b61e92bbd667cea13a7ce43e125530bf87967d509fecf9fe07e.wma
Whales: The Giants of the Sea (2)
Blue whales
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world, many weighing up to 180,000 kilograms and reaching lengths of over 30 meters. They are long and slender with a bluish-gray color and a heart that wights as much as a small car.
These sea giants are baleen whales, meaning they have a comb-like ridge on the top and bottom of their mouths where teeth are normally found. These whales take in water as they swim, and the baleen, equipped with bristles, filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. These whales eat around 40 million krill per day, totaling over 3,600 kilograms.
Blue whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but overhunting has nearly driven them to extinction; today it is believed that only a few thousand remain.
Gray whales
Gray whales are another kind of baleen whale. They typically swim along the ocean bottom, using their mouths to suck up mud and their baleen to filter their prey.
With heads usually covered in barnacles, gray whales are easy to recognize and not shy, often swimming alongside boats and watching the people aboard.
Info Cloud
The baleen whales use bristles to filter the water and catch krill.
This process reminds me of the expression "going over something with a fine-tooth comb."
Well, it's easy to make that assoication as our lesson mentions, "a comb like ridge in the whale's mouth that works pretty much like a comb".
Right! But in this case, the comb is not used to comb hair; rather, it works like a filter.
Which is interesting because for centuries, people use combs for the unglamarous purpose of removing lice eggs from their hair.
And, a fine-tooth comb, or one that has small narrow teeth that are set closely together, is especially effective in this endeavor.
Now, the expression "going over things with a fine-tooth comb", was first used in detective or police work.
Just as a person would use a fine-tooth comb, to find and remove the smallest of filth from one's hair, investgators would carefully go over the details of a crime scene, looking for the smallest of clues to solve the case.
Today, the expression can apply to a very detailed apporach to anything.
An editor might go over a book or article with a fine-tooth comb, checking for small mistakes.
If your teacher uses a fine-tooth comb when he or she is examining your work, you'd better make sure everything is in order before you hand it in.
baleen whales
go over something with a fine-tooth comb
fine-tooth comb
Language Lab
ridge n. 隆起部位; 山脊
/ˈrɪʤ/
1 a long area of high land, especially at the top of a mountain;
2 a) something long and thin that is raised above the things around it
2 b) the part at the top of a roof, where the two sides meet
- Trying to fix the antenna, Dad sat on the ridge of the roof.
爸爸坐在屋脊, 為了要試著修理天線
- The mountaineers finally reached the mountain ridge at 4 p.m.
這些登山客最後終於在下午四點的時候達到山脊
filter v. 過濾, 濾除
to remove unwanted substances from water, air etc by passing it through a special substance or piece of equipment
- The water in the pool was filtered before it was recycled.
游泳池的水在回收水之前, 都有先被過濾
- All the boss' emails are filtered by his secretary.
老闆所有的電子郵件都是他的秘書先過濾
filter n. 濾器; 多孔過濾材料
a device that is used to remove something unwanted from a liquid or gas that passes through it
- The AC filter needs to be cleaned periodically.
空調的濾網需要定期的清洗
prey n.[U]被捕食的動物
an animal, bird etc that is hunted and eaten by another animal
- Spiders catch their prey with their elaborate webs.
蜘蛛用它們精巧的蜘蛛網來抓取臘物
- An eagle is hovering above looking for its prey.
一隻老鷹在盤懸尋找臘物
prey n. 欺負傷害愚弄的對象
- Many burglars or robbers see old people as easy prey.
許多小偷和強盜都視老人為容易欺負的對象
alongside prep. 在...旁邊; 沿著...的邊; 與...並排靠攏著
next to (someone or something) ; along the side of (something)
- I rode my bike alongside my brother's.
我和哥哥並排騎著腳踏車
- Many tourists strolled alongside the River Seine.
許多觀光客 沿著賽娜河邊散步
alongside prep. 和某個對象一起
at the same time as (something) : together with (something)
- Jessie has been working alongside Jeff for ten years.
Jessie 和 Jeff 一起並肩工作十年了
slender adj.
/ˈslɛndɚ/
thin especially in an attractive or graceful way
very narrow : not wide
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130730_fa186.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130730baa9847ee1df3da84a3a53ad120d2284e769a5edecce68c4898506baf67cd9bc7ff.wma
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world, many weighing up to 180,000 kilograms and reaching lengths of over 30 meters. They are long and slender with a bluish-gray color and a heart that wights as much as a small car.
These sea giants are baleen whales, meaning they have a comb-like ridge on the top and bottom of their mouths where teeth are normally found. These whales take in water as they swim, and the baleen, equipped with bristles, filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. These whales eat around 40 million krill per day, totaling over 3,600 kilograms.
Blue whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but overhunting has nearly driven them to extinction; today it is believed that only a few thousand remain.
Gray whales
Gray whales are another kind of baleen whale. They typically swim along the ocean bottom, using their mouths to suck up mud and their baleen to filter their prey.
With heads usually covered in barnacles, gray whales are easy to recognize and not shy, often swimming alongside boats and watching the people aboard.
Info Cloud
The baleen whales use bristles to filter the water and catch krill.
This process reminds me of the expression "going over something with a fine-tooth comb."
Well, it's easy to make that assoication as our lesson mentions, "a comb like ridge in the whale's mouth that works pretty much like a comb".
Right! But in this case, the comb is not used to comb hair; rather, it works like a filter.
Which is interesting because for centuries, people use combs for the unglamarous purpose of removing lice eggs from their hair.
And, a fine-tooth comb, or one that has small narrow teeth that are set closely together, is especially effective in this endeavor.
Now, the expression "going over things with a fine-tooth comb", was first used in detective or police work.
Just as a person would use a fine-tooth comb, to find and remove the smallest of filth from one's hair, investgators would carefully go over the details of a crime scene, looking for the smallest of clues to solve the case.
Today, the expression can apply to a very detailed apporach to anything.
An editor might go over a book or article with a fine-tooth comb, checking for small mistakes.
If your teacher uses a fine-tooth comb when he or she is examining your work, you'd better make sure everything is in order before you hand it in.
baleen whales
go over something with a fine-tooth comb
fine-tooth comb
Language Lab
ridge n. 隆起部位; 山脊
/ˈrɪʤ/
1 a long area of high land, especially at the top of a mountain;
2 a) something long and thin that is raised above the things around it
2 b) the part at the top of a roof, where the two sides meet
- Trying to fix the antenna, Dad sat on the ridge of the roof.
爸爸坐在屋脊, 為了要試著修理天線
- The mountaineers finally reached the mountain ridge at 4 p.m.
這些登山客最後終於在下午四點的時候達到山脊
filter v. 過濾, 濾除
to remove unwanted substances from water, air etc by passing it through a special substance or piece of equipment
- The water in the pool was filtered before it was recycled.
游泳池的水在回收水之前, 都有先被過濾
- All the boss' emails are filtered by his secretary.
老闆所有的電子郵件都是他的秘書先過濾
filter n. 濾器; 多孔過濾材料
a device that is used to remove something unwanted from a liquid or gas that passes through it
- The AC filter needs to be cleaned periodically.
空調的濾網需要定期的清洗
prey n.[U]被捕食的動物
an animal, bird etc that is hunted and eaten by another animal
- Spiders catch their prey with their elaborate webs.
蜘蛛用它們精巧的蜘蛛網來抓取臘物
- An eagle is hovering above looking for its prey.
一隻老鷹在盤懸尋找臘物
prey n. 欺負傷害愚弄的對象
- Many burglars or robbers see old people as easy prey.
許多小偷和強盜都視老人為容易欺負的對象
alongside prep. 在...旁邊; 沿著...的邊; 與...並排靠攏著
next to (someone or something) ; along the side of (something)
- I rode my bike alongside my brother's.
我和哥哥並排騎著腳踏車
- Many tourists strolled alongside the River Seine.
許多觀光客 沿著賽娜河邊散步
alongside prep. 和某個對象一起
at the same time as (something) : together with (something)
- Jessie has been working alongside Jeff for ten years.
Jessie 和 Jeff 一起並肩工作十年了
slender adj.
/ˈslɛndɚ/
thin especially in an attractive or graceful way
very narrow : not wide
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130730_fa186.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130730baa9847ee1df3da84a3a53ad120d2284e769a5edecce68c4898506baf67cd9bc7ff.wma
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Whales: The Giants of the Sea (1)
Discover more about the world’s biggest mammals
"There she blows!"
That famous line from Herman Melville's famous 1851 novel, Moby Dick, evokes images of Captain Ahab and his sailors on their search for the great white whale. Today people still go in search of the great whales, hoping for a glimpse of them in their natural habitat.
A mystery
These giant marine mammals have always fascinated humans because of their enormous size as well as their mysterious ways.
The sperm whale, for example, is an elusive creature that lives in remote waters and has rarely been tagged with long-distance tracking devices by researchers. For that reason, not much is known about these whales.
Researchers have discovered that sperm whales are the largest toothed animal, reaching 18 meters, and that they have the largest brain of any animal. It is believed that while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters and stay under water for at least 90 minutes.
Squid is their favorite food, and sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. Battle scars in the form of permanent squid sucker marks provide evidence of deep-sea battles.
Info Cloud
rules 是當做 guidelines 原則, 大方向
語言是可以活用的
Grammar Gym
... while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters...
while + verb 1-ing, subject + verb 2.
- While shopping for grocery, Betsy looks for discounts.
- While cleaning the house, Sam keeps his TV on.
Language Lab
evoke v. 喚起, 引起, 使人想起
to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind;
to cause (a particular reaction or response) to happen
- The music and decorations of the cafe evoke a feeling of the 70s.
這間咖啡廳的音樂和裝演使人想起七零年代
- The smell of apple pie evokes fond memories of time spent with my grandparents.
這塊小的蘋果派 喚起了我和爺爺奶奶相處的回憶
elusive adj. 逃避的, 躲避的; 難以理解的, 難以記起的
/iˈlu:sɪv/
hard to find or capture;
hard to understand, define, or remember
- This rare and elusive species of bird is sold at a very high price.
這隻稀有絕種的鳥被很高的價錢賣掉
- The novelist is elusive and can only be contacted by email.
這小說家
forage v. 搜索糧秣; 搜尋
/ˈforɪʤ/
1 of an animal : to eat growing grass or other plants
2 to search for something (such as food or supplies)
- A brown bear was discovered foraging in the backyard of a residence.
- The homeless children foraged for scraps of food on the streets.
scar n.
a mark that is left on your skin after a wound heals
- The car accident left him with a large scar on his forehead.
scar v. scarred
- Michael's face was scarred by a piece of glass.
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130729_09df7.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130729baa9e2913c411ec69acb35eaefc661d115d723ed38e36d3a10d0d75ecd051d0e732.wma
"There she blows!"
That famous line from Herman Melville's famous 1851 novel, Moby Dick, evokes images of Captain Ahab and his sailors on their search for the great white whale. Today people still go in search of the great whales, hoping for a glimpse of them in their natural habitat.
A mystery
These giant marine mammals have always fascinated humans because of their enormous size as well as their mysterious ways.
The sperm whale, for example, is an elusive creature that lives in remote waters and has rarely been tagged with long-distance tracking devices by researchers. For that reason, not much is known about these whales.
Researchers have discovered that sperm whales are the largest toothed animal, reaching 18 meters, and that they have the largest brain of any animal. It is believed that while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters and stay under water for at least 90 minutes.
Squid is their favorite food, and sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. Battle scars in the form of permanent squid sucker marks provide evidence of deep-sea battles.
Info Cloud
rules 是當做 guidelines 原則, 大方向
語言是可以活用的
Grammar Gym
... while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters...
while + verb 1-ing, subject + verb 2.
- While shopping for grocery, Betsy looks for discounts.
- While cleaning the house, Sam keeps his TV on.
Language Lab
evoke v. 喚起, 引起, 使人想起
to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind;
to cause (a particular reaction or response) to happen
- The music and decorations of the cafe evoke a feeling of the 70s.
這間咖啡廳的音樂和裝演使人想起七零年代
- The smell of apple pie evokes fond memories of time spent with my grandparents.
這塊小的蘋果派 喚起了我和爺爺奶奶相處的回憶
elusive adj. 逃避的, 躲避的; 難以理解的, 難以記起的
/iˈlu:sɪv/
hard to find or capture;
hard to understand, define, or remember
- This rare and elusive species of bird is sold at a very high price.
這隻稀有絕種的鳥被很高的價錢賣掉
- The novelist is elusive and can only be contacted by email.
這小說家
forage v. 搜索糧秣; 搜尋
/ˈforɪʤ/
1 of an animal : to eat growing grass or other plants
2 to search for something (such as food or supplies)
- A brown bear was discovered foraging in the backyard of a residence.
- The homeless children foraged for scraps of food on the streets.
scar n.
a mark that is left on your skin after a wound heals
- The car accident left him with a large scar on his forehead.
scar v. scarred
- Michael's face was scarred by a piece of glass.
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130729_09df7.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130729baa9e2913c411ec69acb35eaefc661d115d723ed38e36d3a10d0d75ecd051d0e732.wma
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Springtails
These tiny animals are one of nature’s greatest success stories!
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. When they are disturbed, their tails pop out very quickly. This action sends them springing as high as 100 millimeters into the air. That’s amazing since most are only a few millimeters long!
Besides jumping, springtails have another special ability. They make the soil cleaner because they eat fungus and dead plant material. Their eating habits help reduce the levels of bad chemicals in the soil.
With more than 6,000 different species, springtails come in many shapes, sizes and colors.
These tiny insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups. Some areas have as many as a million springtails per acre of soil! That’s why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals on Earth.
In 1996 in Austria, firemen were called about a chemical spill. They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn’t chemicals, but several million springtails. Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles.
They jump together in the same direction. People watching might think a giant puddle is moving!
Info Cloud
Hi, friends. Let’s pause and ponder “nature” for a minute.
What is nature exactly?
Well, nature has several definitions. It can refer to the natural physical world, or less-than-perfect human behavior. But in addition to asking what is nature, we might also want to ask who is nature.
Ah, you must be referring to Mother Nature.
We often hear about her on TV when weather men talk about the weather. Mother Nature unleashed her wrath today when tornadoes tore their way across the county.
Hmm. Or Mother Nature smiled on us today with this warm weather. This is an example of personification, which is giving human traits to non-living things. Nature is non-living. But calling it Mother Nature is giving it a human quality.
Now there is another word that sounds a lot like nature – the word nurture.
And there’s the age old debate about nature versus nurture. Child psychologists like to debate whether nature or nurture plays a bigger role in a child’s development.
I remember studying that in college. People who subscribe to the nature theory believe that children are born to behave a certain way. How they behave is inside them already.
That’s right, Ken.
But the nurture theory maintains that children think and behave only according to how they are raised and taught.
到底什麼是 nature? 今天課文附標題講到:
These tiny animals are one of nature's greatest success stories.
這些小小生物是大自然最優秀的物種之一
所以 nature 就是大自然, 大自然也常常會用 Mother Nature 來表示,
這是 personification 的運用, 也就是以人的特質來形容非人類的經驗或概念,
英文的氣象報告就常常會提到 mother nature,
比如說: Mother Nature smiled on us with this warm weather.
自然之母今天對我們微笑, 意思就是今天出太陽了
nature 也有另一個定義, 表示先天的
兒童心裡學有一個很大的議題 nature v. nurture
nature 大自然 表示先天
nurture 養育 表示後天
也就是遺傳跟環境對兒童的影響
要注意 nature / nurture 有押韻, 這二個字在這裡都是名詞
nurture n.
/ˈnɚtʃɚ/
the education and care that you are given as a child, and the way it affects your later development and attitudes
ponder v. [= consider]
to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about a problem, a difficult question, or something that has happened
- He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home.
well
- how something is done
- filler:
/ˈfɪlɚ/
a sound, word, or phrase (such as “um” or “you know?”) that people say during a pause when they are speaking
Hi, friends. I hope you’re all doing well today. My name is Liz. And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym.
And here’s our Grammar Tip sentence for today. Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. Our focus today is on the word “well.”
We normally use it to talk about how something is done, like: That was a job well done!
But in today’s sentence, “well” is a filler. Fillers are used to give the speaker time to think about an explanation. When you hear a speech, you might hear “well” used several times. So why do we see the word “well” in today’s article?
The writer starts out by trying to explain how springtails get their name, and he wants to give readers the feeling that he is talking to them. So he just writes out the word “well” into the sentence. This is a good example of creative writing.
Here are more sentences:
A: Why did you do that?
B: Well, I wasn’t paying attention.
Or,
A: Do we all have to clean the kitchen?
B: Well, you could take the trash out.
So next time when you need to pause and think of something to say, try using “well” instead. And that’s it for today. This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. See you next time.
Language Lab
pop out v.彈出, 跳出
if words pop out, you suddenly say them without thinking first
pops; popped; pop·ping
- My eyes almost popped out of my head when I heard the news.
pop out 出去
- Sam popped out to get some pizza and drinks and will be right back.
reduce v. 減少, 降低 [re字首-回來]
to make something smaller or less in size, amount, or price
- The doctor suggested Rita reduce her calorie intake to control her weight.
- The company will reduce their workforce by 20%.
公司會減少百分之二十的人力
species n. 生物的物種 [單複數拼法一樣, 字尾都有s]
a group of animals or plants whose members are similar and can breed together to produce young animals or plants
- There's hundreds of species of butterflies in Taiwan.
- This flower species is rare and can only be found in this area.
creature n. 創造物, 生物, 人 [create v.創造]
anything that is living, such as an animal, fish, or insect, but not a plant
- This creature can survive in extreme weather conditions.
- I have to keep the secret and cannot tell a single creature.
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130515_3d64f.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130515baa84be7f782e9c25231557e8ecc2b25847.wma
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. When they are disturbed, their tails pop out very quickly. This action sends them springing as high as 100 millimeters into the air. That’s amazing since most are only a few millimeters long!
Besides jumping, springtails have another special ability. They make the soil cleaner because they eat fungus and dead plant material. Their eating habits help reduce the levels of bad chemicals in the soil.
With more than 6,000 different species, springtails come in many shapes, sizes and colors.
These tiny insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups. Some areas have as many as a million springtails per acre of soil! That’s why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals on Earth.
In 1996 in Austria, firemen were called about a chemical spill. They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn’t chemicals, but several million springtails. Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles.
They jump together in the same direction. People watching might think a giant puddle is moving!
Info Cloud
Hi, friends. Let’s pause and ponder “nature” for a minute.
What is nature exactly?
Well, nature has several definitions. It can refer to the natural physical world, or less-than-perfect human behavior. But in addition to asking what is nature, we might also want to ask who is nature.
Ah, you must be referring to Mother Nature.
We often hear about her on TV when weather men talk about the weather. Mother Nature unleashed her wrath today when tornadoes tore their way across the county.
Hmm. Or Mother Nature smiled on us today with this warm weather. This is an example of personification, which is giving human traits to non-living things. Nature is non-living. But calling it Mother Nature is giving it a human quality.
Now there is another word that sounds a lot like nature – the word nurture.
And there’s the age old debate about nature versus nurture. Child psychologists like to debate whether nature or nurture plays a bigger role in a child’s development.
I remember studying that in college. People who subscribe to the nature theory believe that children are born to behave a certain way. How they behave is inside them already.
That’s right, Ken.
But the nurture theory maintains that children think and behave only according to how they are raised and taught.
到底什麼是 nature? 今天課文附標題講到:
These tiny animals are one of nature's greatest success stories.
這些小小生物是大自然最優秀的物種之一
所以 nature 就是大自然, 大自然也常常會用 Mother Nature 來表示,
這是 personification 的運用, 也就是以人的特質來形容非人類的經驗或概念,
英文的氣象報告就常常會提到 mother nature,
比如說: Mother Nature smiled on us with this warm weather.
自然之母今天對我們微笑, 意思就是今天出太陽了
nature 也有另一個定義, 表示先天的
兒童心裡學有一個很大的議題 nature v. nurture
nature 大自然 表示先天
nurture 養育 表示後天
也就是遺傳跟環境對兒童的影響
要注意 nature / nurture 有押韻, 這二個字在這裡都是名詞
nurture n.
/ˈnɚtʃɚ/
the education and care that you are given as a child, and the way it affects your later development and attitudes
ponder v. [= consider]
well
- how something is done
- filler:
/ˈfɪlɚ/
a sound, word, or phrase (such as “um” or “you know?”) that people say during a pause when they are speaking
Hi, friends. I hope you’re all doing well today. My name is Liz. And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym.
And here’s our Grammar Tip sentence for today. Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. Our focus today is on the word “well.”
We normally use it to talk about how something is done, like: That was a job well done!
But in today’s sentence, “well” is a filler. Fillers are used to give the speaker time to think about an explanation. When you hear a speech, you might hear “well” used several times. So why do we see the word “well” in today’s article?
The writer starts out by trying to explain how springtails get their name, and he wants to give readers the feeling that he is talking to them. So he just writes out the word “well” into the sentence. This is a good example of creative writing.
Here are more sentences:
A: Why did you do that?
B: Well, I wasn’t paying attention.
Or,
A: Do we all have to clean the kitchen?
B: Well, you could take the trash out.
So next time when you need to pause and think of something to say, try using “well” instead. And that’s it for today. This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. See you next time.
Language Lab
pop out v.彈出, 跳出
pops; popped; pop·ping
- My eyes almost popped out of my head when I heard the news.
pop out 出去
- Sam popped out to get some pizza and drinks and will be right back.
reduce v. 減少, 降低 [re字首-回來]
to make something smaller or less in size, amount, or price
- The doctor suggested Rita reduce her calorie intake to control her weight.
- The company will reduce their workforce by 20%.
公司會減少百分之二十的人力
species n. 生物的物種 [單複數拼法一樣, 字尾都有s]
- There's hundreds of species of butterflies in Taiwan.
- This flower species is rare and can only be found in this area.
creature n. 創造物, 生物, 人 [create v.創造]
- This creature can survive in extreme weather conditions.
- I have to keep the secret and cannot tell a single creature.
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130515_3d64f.wmv
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130515baa84be7f782e9c25231557e8ecc2b25847.wma
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Komodo Dragons
Meet the world’s largest living lizard
Dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. Listed as vulnerable (to extinction) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, they number less than 6,000. They mostly inhabit the islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park as well as some areas of Flores. These formidable predators devour deer, wild pigs, smaller dragons, water buffalo - and humans if given a chance. Their clay-colored, scaly skin provides them with perfect camouflage as they lie on the brown earth among dead leaves waiting for unsuspecting prey. To seize their prey, the lizard's powerful legs spring into action, and their deadly bites leave little hope for the victim unless treated immediately.
The dragons will follow a bitten water buffalo about a month, waiting for it to succumb to the venomous bite. Their keen sense of smell enables the dragons to detect the scent of blood up to 10 kilometers.
The females lay from 15 to 30 eggs in ground nests that they have overtaken from wild turkey-like birds. The mothers then lie near their nests, protecting the eggs until hatched. According to the park ranger, only three to five newborns survive due to predators, including their own cannibal mothers!
Upon hatching, the babies climb trees, build nests and survive on birds and insects until they are big enough to survive in the dragon world below.
Info Cloud
本文說到科摩多巨蜥: Komodo Dragons
dragon 是龍, 但西方跟東方的龍是不一樣的,
在西方dragon 是有大翅膀, 四肢粗壯的巨獸, 是邪惡的象徵
中國的dragon 頭上有一對角, 沒有翅膀, 沒有粗壯四肢, 而是正義吉祥的象徵,
也是中華文化特有的標誌
所以在西方稱中國的龍, 會說 Chinese dragon
但因為dragon有負面的象徵, 此後有學者說要把龍的英文改成音譯 long
目前為止還沒有得到廣泛的認可
Grammar Gym
"Upon hatching, the babies climb trees..."
upon: at that moment
- Upon hearing the good news of his promotion, Timothy called his parents to let them know.
- Upon seeing the mess in the living room, Cynthia knew her kids were home.
Language Lab
aptly adv.
likely to do something : having a tendency to do something
vulnerable adj. 脆弱的, 容易受傷害的 — often + to
easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally
- This kind of material is vulnerable to heat.
這種材質對高溫很脆弱
vulnerability n. 很容易受傷害
- The engineers are trying to reduce the system's vulnerability to viruses.
工程師們正嘗試降低系統被攻擊的可能性
formidable adj. 強大的,
very powerful or strong : deserving serious attention and respect
- a formidable enemy/opponent/weapon
very difficult to deal with
- The mountains were a formidable barrier.
- This quarterback is a formidable opponent.
- Setting up a branch office is a formidable challenge.
設立分公司是個艱鉅的任務
succumb v.屈服於, 死於— often + to
/səˈkʌm/
to stop trying to resist something; to die
- After years of treatment, Vivian succumbed to cancer last year.
- We refuse to succumb to the enemy's threats.
venomous adj. 有毒的, 分泌毒液的
/ˈvɛnəməs/
capable of putting poison or venom into another animal's body usually by biting or stinging it
- This venomous spider can kill a small animal in seconds.
這種有毒的蜘蛛可以在秒殺一隻小型的動物
惡毒的, 狠毒的
expressing very strong hatred or anger
- These venomous personal attacks on the web wounded her so much.
這些網路上的人身攻擊讓他深受傷害
cannibal n.
/ˈkænəbəl/
a person who eats the flesh of human beings or an animal that eats its own kind
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130422_73070.wmv
Dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. Listed as vulnerable (to extinction) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, they number less than 6,000. They mostly inhabit the islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park as well as some areas of Flores. These formidable predators devour deer, wild pigs, smaller dragons, water buffalo - and humans if given a chance. Their clay-colored, scaly skin provides them with perfect camouflage as they lie on the brown earth among dead leaves waiting for unsuspecting prey. To seize their prey, the lizard's powerful legs spring into action, and their deadly bites leave little hope for the victim unless treated immediately.
The dragons will follow a bitten water buffalo about a month, waiting for it to succumb to the venomous bite. Their keen sense of smell enables the dragons to detect the scent of blood up to 10 kilometers.
The females lay from 15 to 30 eggs in ground nests that they have overtaken from wild turkey-like birds. The mothers then lie near their nests, protecting the eggs until hatched. According to the park ranger, only three to five newborns survive due to predators, including their own cannibal mothers!
Upon hatching, the babies climb trees, build nests and survive on birds and insects until they are big enough to survive in the dragon world below.
Info Cloud
本文說到科摩多巨蜥: Komodo Dragons
dragon 是龍, 但西方跟東方的龍是不一樣的,
在西方dragon 是有大翅膀, 四肢粗壯的巨獸, 是邪惡的象徵
中國的dragon 頭上有一對角, 沒有翅膀, 沒有粗壯四肢, 而是正義吉祥的象徵,
也是中華文化特有的標誌
所以在西方稱中國的龍, 會說 Chinese dragon
但因為dragon有負面的象徵, 此後有學者說要把龍的英文改成音譯 long
目前為止還沒有得到廣泛的認可
Grammar Gym
"Upon hatching, the babies climb trees..."
upon: at that moment
- Upon hearing the good news of his promotion, Timothy called his parents to let them know.
- Upon seeing the mess in the living room, Cynthia knew her kids were home.
Language Lab
aptly adv.
likely to do something : having a tendency to do something
vulnerable adj. 脆弱的, 容易受傷害的 — often + to
easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally
- This kind of material is vulnerable to heat.
這種材質對高溫很脆弱
vulnerability n. 很容易受傷害
- The engineers are trying to reduce the system's vulnerability to viruses.
工程師們正嘗試降低系統被攻擊的可能性
formidable adj. 強大的,
very powerful or strong : deserving serious attention and respect
- a formidable enemy/opponent/weapon
very difficult to deal with
- The mountains were a formidable barrier.
- This quarterback is a formidable opponent.
- Setting up a branch office is a formidable challenge.
設立分公司是個艱鉅的任務
succumb v.屈服於, 死於— often + to
/səˈkʌm/
to stop trying to resist something; to die
- After years of treatment, Vivian succumbed to cancer last year.
- We refuse to succumb to the enemy's threats.
venomous adj. 有毒的, 分泌毒液的
/ˈvɛnəməs/
capable of putting poison or venom into another animal's body usually by biting or stinging it
- This venomous spider can kill a small animal in seconds.
這種有毒的蜘蛛可以在秒殺一隻小型的動物
惡毒的, 狠毒的
expressing very strong hatred or anger
- These venomous personal attacks on the web wounded her so much.
這些網路上的人身攻擊讓他深受傷害
cannibal n.
/ˈkænəbəl/
a person who eats the flesh of human beings or an animal that eats its own kind
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130422_73070.wmv
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound (3)
"Caroline knows these individuals so well she can recognize them from the other side of the dunes," Reichmuth said of Casey. One male, "3C," produces a measured series of clanging pulses.
Another's call has the rhythm of a galloping horse. Other males sound like chainsaws, flamenco dancers or shuffling a deck of cards. Some, like "3C," begin and end their calls with a special touch - "a snorty flourish," according to Reichmuth.
This season, scientists used a speaker to broadcast recorded elephant seal calls to specific males on the beach. One seal, when hearing the recording, turned around and sped away. Another charged the speaker. "We've had a few speakers run over," Reichmuth said.
The different responses indicate that the calls are important, and the next step is figuring out what's encoded in the grunty orations. "There's no one thing about the sound that allows you to know whether it's a big male, or a dominant male," Reichmuth said.
When the seals return next winter, scientists will be there once more. " It's kind of addicting," Reichmuth said. "Sometimes the people migrate back as well."
Info Cloud
migrate v.遷徙
1. to move from one country or place to live or work in another
2. of a bird or animal : to move from one area to another at different times of the year
* North elephant seal is the only mammal in the world that makes not one but two migrations each year.
北方象鼻海豹這種動物, 它是會遷徙 (migrate),
但是它跟其他動物不同的地方是, 它每年遷徙不只一次, 而是二次,
它們每年會從加州的沿岸前往北太平洋覓食, 再回到南方的海岸
molt v.脫換 (一般用在動物的毛,羽毛, 皮)
to lose a covering of hair, feathers, etc., and replace it with new growth in the same place
molt its skin
* Snakes molt their skin each year. 蛇每年都會脫皮
海豹脫皮之後呢, 它們會把自己餵的飽飽的, 再回到南方
它們一次游泳的距離可以高達3萬3千公哩,
這就是北方象鼻海豹的一大特色
Language Lab
gallop v. 馬匹奔騰, 騎馬奔馳
[no obj] of a horse or similar animal : to run very fast : to run at a gallop
* The race horses started to gallop once they heard the signal.
這些賽馬一聽到信號就開始奔馳
* The cowboy jumped on his horse and galloped away.
這位牛仔騎上了馬背就奔馳離去
shuffle v.
1. 洗牌
to mix (playing cards) before playing a game so that no one knows what order they are in
* The dealer professionally shuffled the playing cards.
莊家很專業的洗牌
* It's my turn to shuffle the cards.
輪到我洗牌了
2. 托著腳走
to slide your feet along the ground or back and forth without lifting them completely
* Mom always reminds me not to shuffle when I walk.
媽媽總是提醒我走路的時候, 不要托著腳
encode v.譯成密碼, 編成密碼
to put (a message) into the form of a code so that it can kept secret
en 使成為
code 密碼
* The confidential data were encoded.
這些機密資料已經編成密碼
* These encoded files are accessible only to the supervisors.
只有上級們才可以讀取這些加密的檔案
oration n. 演說, 演講, 口若懸河
a formal speech
ora 字根有說話的意思
* The novelist's oration at the awards ceremony touched a lot of people.
這位小說家在頒獎典禮的演說感動了許多人
* The speaker delivered an oration on the subject of single parents.
這位講演講的人是位單親父母
-clang v.
to make or cause (something) to make the loud, ringing sound of metal hitting against something
-special touch
*add a special touch to make it unique
-flourish v.
1. to grow well: to be healthy
2. to be very successful: to do very well
3. to hold up and show (something) in an excited or proud way
-grunt v. to make a short, low sound : to make a grunt
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130220_928ca.wmv
Another's call has the rhythm of a galloping horse. Other males sound like chainsaws, flamenco dancers or shuffling a deck of cards. Some, like "3C," begin and end their calls with a special touch - "a snorty flourish," according to Reichmuth.
This season, scientists used a speaker to broadcast recorded elephant seal calls to specific males on the beach. One seal, when hearing the recording, turned around and sped away. Another charged the speaker. "We've had a few speakers run over," Reichmuth said.
The different responses indicate that the calls are important, and the next step is figuring out what's encoded in the grunty orations. "There's no one thing about the sound that allows you to know whether it's a big male, or a dominant male," Reichmuth said.
When the seals return next winter, scientists will be there once more. " It's kind of addicting," Reichmuth said. "Sometimes the people migrate back as well."
Info Cloud
migrate v.遷徙
1. to move from one country or place to live or work in another
2. of a bird or animal : to move from one area to another at different times of the year
* North elephant seal is the only mammal in the world that makes not one but two migrations each year.
北方象鼻海豹這種動物, 它是會遷徙 (migrate),
但是它跟其他動物不同的地方是, 它每年遷徙不只一次, 而是二次,
它們每年會從加州的沿岸前往北太平洋覓食, 再回到南方的海岸
molt v.脫換 (一般用在動物的毛,羽毛, 皮)
to lose a covering of hair, feathers, etc., and replace it with new growth in the same place
molt its skin
* Snakes molt their skin each year. 蛇每年都會脫皮
海豹脫皮之後呢, 它們會把自己餵的飽飽的, 再回到南方
它們一次游泳的距離可以高達3萬3千公哩,
這就是北方象鼻海豹的一大特色
Language Lab
gallop v. 馬匹奔騰, 騎馬奔馳
[no obj] of a horse or similar animal : to run very fast : to run at a gallop
* The race horses started to gallop once they heard the signal.
這些賽馬一聽到信號就開始奔馳
* The cowboy jumped on his horse and galloped away.
這位牛仔騎上了馬背就奔馳離去
shuffle v.
1. 洗牌
to mix (playing cards) before playing a game so that no one knows what order they are in
* The dealer professionally shuffled the playing cards.
莊家很專業的洗牌
* It's my turn to shuffle the cards.
輪到我洗牌了
2. 托著腳走
to slide your feet along the ground or back and forth without lifting them completely
* Mom always reminds me not to shuffle when I walk.
媽媽總是提醒我走路的時候, 不要托著腳
encode v.譯成密碼, 編成密碼
to put (a message) into the form of a code so that it can kept secret
en 使成為
code 密碼
* The confidential data were encoded.
這些機密資料已經編成密碼
* These encoded files are accessible only to the supervisors.
只有上級們才可以讀取這些加密的檔案
oration n. 演說, 演講, 口若懸河
a formal speech
ora 字根有說話的意思
* The novelist's oration at the awards ceremony touched a lot of people.
這位小說家在頒獎典禮的演說感動了許多人
* The speaker delivered an oration on the subject of single parents.
這位講演講的人是位單親父母
-clang v.
to make or cause (something) to make the loud, ringing sound of metal hitting against something
-special touch
*add a special touch to make it unique
-flourish v.
1. to grow well: to be healthy
2. to be very successful: to do very well
3. to hold up and show (something) in an excited or proud way
-grunt v. to make a short, low sound : to make a grunt
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130220_928ca.wmv
Monday, February 18, 2013
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound (2)
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound
Once hunted to near-extinction, the northern elephant seals have rebounded. Now, scientists are concerned about the potential human impact on the growing population, and they hope that understanding the seals' communication and organization will help protect the bulbous-nosed cutie-pies.
"The more we can learn, the more we can predict how they'll respond to these types of encroachments and better protect them," said Caroline Casey, the project's field research coordinator.
And as winter ends it might seem quiet during a visit to Año Nuevo because most of the seals have left this favored breeding ground. Make no mistake, though, they are among the loudest animals on land. Their calls can [be] as loud as a jackhammer, with frequencies low enough to vibrate the sand around them. To understand what all the fuss is about, Southall has been recording their rumblings from 3 feet away.
"It's kind of crazy to think you're so close to 4,000-pound males while they're trying to fight," he said. "You can feel it resonating in your chest and sinus cavities." The team found that each male has a unique call.
Info Could
cutie-pies
在英文我們對不同的人會用到不同的稱呼,
對於不認識的人可以用 mister 先生/ ma'am= madam 女士,
對於比較熟的朋友我們通常會用小名 nickname,
例如: Robert, 朋友可能會叫他 Rob 或 Bobby,
比較親密的像夫妻暱稱我們稱為 pet name,
像 darling, sweetheart, honey, sugar
本文作者用 cutie-pie 來形容北方象鼻海豹
Language Lab
rebound v. 回升, 重新振作
re 再一次
* The stock market rebounded yesterday after a week's poor performance.
經過一週表現普通之後, 股巿在昨天反彈
rebound n. 反彈, 籃板球 (重音放在第一個音節)
encroachment n. 侵入,侵占
* The range of rainforests is gradually shrinking because of the encroachment of land development.
由於土地發展的入侵, 雨林的範圍漸漸的縮小
encroach v.
* Our neighbor's shed encroached on our land.
我們鄰居的小木屋侵占到我們的土地
rumbling n. 轟隆聲、轆轆聲
rumble v.隆隆作響
* After living here for a while, I got used to the rumblings of the trains passing by.
我在這裡住一陣子之後, 習慣了經過的火車發出的隆隆聲
* The rumbling of the thunder frightened the baby.
小寶寶裡打雷的隆隆聲給嚇到了
cavity n. (身體的)腔；蛀牙
sinus cavity鼻腔
* The doctor looked at the patient's X-ray to make sure his chest cavity was clear.
醫生檢示病人的X光片, 確認他的胸腔是通暢的
* The cavity needs to be filled.
這個蛀牙要補
What's all the fuss about?
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130219_e1b46.wmv
Once hunted to near-extinction, the northern elephant seals have rebounded. Now, scientists are concerned about the potential human impact on the growing population, and they hope that understanding the seals' communication and organization will help protect the bulbous-nosed cutie-pies.
"The more we can learn, the more we can predict how they'll respond to these types of encroachments and better protect them," said Caroline Casey, the project's field research coordinator.
And as winter ends it might seem quiet during a visit to Año Nuevo because most of the seals have left this favored breeding ground. Make no mistake, though, they are among the loudest animals on land. Their calls can [be] as loud as a jackhammer, with frequencies low enough to vibrate the sand around them. To understand what all the fuss is about, Southall has been recording their rumblings from 3 feet away.
"It's kind of crazy to think you're so close to 4,000-pound males while they're trying to fight," he said. "You can feel it resonating in your chest and sinus cavities." The team found that each male has a unique call.
Info Could
cutie-pies
在英文我們對不同的人會用到不同的稱呼,
對於不認識的人可以用 mister 先生/ ma'am= madam 女士,
對於比較熟的朋友我們通常會用小名 nickname,
例如: Robert, 朋友可能會叫他 Rob 或 Bobby,
比較親密的像夫妻暱稱我們稱為 pet name,
像 darling, sweetheart, honey, sugar
本文作者用 cutie-pie 來形容北方象鼻海豹
Language Lab
rebound v. 回升, 重新振作
re 再一次
* The stock market rebounded yesterday after a week's poor performance.
經過一週表現普通之後, 股巿在昨天反彈
rebound n. 反彈, 籃板球 (重音放在第一個音節)
encroachment n. 侵入,侵占
* The range of rainforests is gradually shrinking because of the encroachment of land development.
由於土地發展的入侵, 雨林的範圍漸漸的縮小
encroach v.
* Our neighbor's shed encroached on our land.
我們鄰居的小木屋侵占到我們的土地
rumbling n. 轟隆聲、轆轆聲
rumble v.隆隆作響
* After living here for a while, I got used to the rumblings of the trains passing by.
我在這裡住一陣子之後, 習慣了經過的火車發出的隆隆聲
* The rumbling of the thunder frightened the baby.
小寶寶裡打雷的隆隆聲給嚇到了
cavity n. (身體的)腔；蛀牙
sinus cavity鼻腔
* The doctor looked at the patient's X-ray to make sure his chest cavity was clear.
醫生檢示病人的X光片, 確認他的胸腔是通暢的
* The cavity needs to be filled.
這個蛀牙要補
What's all the fuss about?
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130219_e1b46.wmv
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound (1)
Breaking the code of seal communication
海豹的聲音密碼- 破解海豹溝通密碼
northern elephant seals pic:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2238584778/
Scientists learning the snorty language of northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant mammals use vocalizations to prevent costly fights and structure their colonies - and how we can keep the expanding population safe.
Armed with microphones, researchers from UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences have spent hundreds of hours on the brush-filled, windy dunes and beaches of Año Nuevo State Park, tracking more than 160 elephant seals and collecting some of their grumbly grunts and growls.
"These are fascinating animals, and they use sounds for really important parts of their lives," said Brandon Southall, a marine scientist and UC Santa Cruz research associate who studies elephant seal communication.
Like showing who's boss, Scientists think males use vocal calls to prevent fighting - much like smack-talk betweeen two guys in a bar - since seals vocalize before coming to blows. Often, challenges are settled by the calls alone.
"It's striking how rare physical fights are," said Colleen Reichmuth, research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory.
But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer Fight, it's bloody and violent.
Info Cloud
the northern elephant seals 北方象鼻海豹
象鼻海豹其名elephant seals因為：
1. 象鼻海豹體型和大象差不多,
本文作者用Ford Explorer福特探險家這部車來形容它的大型體積
2.象鼻海豹鼻子和大象鼻子trunk很像
3. 兩者動物都擅長游泳
4. 兩者都有鬍鬚whiskers
Grammar Gym
striking => very noticeable
* It's striking how rear physical fights are.
* The tourist found it striking that all the public bathrooms were so clean.
* She is very striking.
* His striking good looks and charm made him very popular.
Language Lab
vocalization n.發聲、發聲法
vocal adj.聲音的
vocalize v.發聲、說出
* Whales use vocalizations to locate their schools.
鯨魚用發聲的方式尋找他們的魚群
* He couldn't vocalize his feelings because he was too shy.
他無法說出他的感受，因為他太害羞了。
grumbly adj.低吼的
grumble v.抱怨、發牢騷
* The bear's grumbly growl scared the intruder.
這隻熊低沉的怒吼聲，嚇到了入侵者。
* Vivian grumbled that she always has to help people with their workloads.
Vivian抱怨她老是要分擔別人的工作量
smack-talk 威脅性的言語、叫囂smack 一下的打, 甩
* Crazy fans exchanged smack-talk after the game.
比賽後，瘋狂的粉絲互相叫囂挑釁。
* Theo's smack-talk on Facebook caused him a lot of troubles.
Theo在臉書上威脅性的發言，給他帶來不少麻煩。
cognition 不可數n.認知
* The development of children's cognition can be enhanced by good stimulation.
孩童認知發展可以透過好的刺激來增進
* Philip's brain injury affected his cognition and memory.
Philip的腦傷影響了他的認知和記憶
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130218_bbf98.wmv
海豹的聲音密碼- 破解海豹溝通密碼
northern elephant seals pic:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2238584778/
Scientists learning the snorty language of northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant mammals use vocalizations to prevent costly fights and structure their colonies - and how we can keep the expanding population safe.
Armed with microphones, researchers from UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences have spent hundreds of hours on the brush-filled, windy dunes and beaches of Año Nuevo State Park, tracking more than 160 elephant seals and collecting some of their grumbly grunts and growls.
"These are fascinating animals, and they use sounds for really important parts of their lives," said Brandon Southall, a marine scientist and UC Santa Cruz research associate who studies elephant seal communication.
Like showing who's boss, Scientists think males use vocal calls to prevent fighting - much like smack-talk betweeen two guys in a bar - since seals vocalize before coming to blows. Often, challenges are settled by the calls alone.
"It's striking how rare physical fights are," said Colleen Reichmuth, research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory.
But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer Fight, it's bloody and violent.
Info Cloud
the northern elephant seals 北方象鼻海豹
象鼻海豹其名elephant seals因為：
1. 象鼻海豹體型和大象差不多,
本文作者用Ford Explorer福特探險家這部車來形容它的大型體積
2.象鼻海豹鼻子和大象鼻子trunk很像
3. 兩者動物都擅長游泳
4. 兩者都有鬍鬚whiskers
Grammar Gym
striking => very noticeable
* It's striking how rear physical fights are.
* The tourist found it striking that all the public bathrooms were so clean.
* She is very striking.
* His striking good looks and charm made him very popular.
Language Lab
vocalization n.發聲、發聲法
vocal adj.聲音的
vocalize v.發聲、說出
* Whales use vocalizations to locate their schools.
鯨魚用發聲的方式尋找他們的魚群
* He couldn't vocalize his feelings because he was too shy.
他無法說出他的感受，因為他太害羞了。
grumbly adj.低吼的
grumble v.抱怨、發牢騷
* The bear's grumbly growl scared the intruder.
這隻熊低沉的怒吼聲，嚇到了入侵者。
* Vivian grumbled that she always has to help people with their workloads.
Vivian抱怨她老是要分擔別人的工作量
smack-talk 威脅性的言語、叫囂smack 一下的打, 甩
* Crazy fans exchanged smack-talk after the game.
比賽後，瘋狂的粉絲互相叫囂挑釁。
* Theo's smack-talk on Facebook caused him a lot of troubles.
Theo在臉書上威脅性的發言，給他帶來不少麻煩。
cognition 不可數n.認知
* The development of children's cognition can be enhanced by good stimulation.
孩童認知發展可以透過好的刺激來增進
* Philip's brain injury affected his cognition and memory.
Philip的腦傷影響了他的認知和記憶
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130218_bbf98.wmv
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