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.


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