A whooping crane is a large white North American crane famous for its loud call.
You may weigh more than a whooping crane, but maybe you aren’t taller than one! Whooping cranes can grow up to five feet tall. It makes them the tallest birds in North America. But even as tall as they are, whooping cranes weigh only about 15 pounds, because of their hollow （空心的） bones.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
Whooping cranes live in wetlands, wet prairies, and fields. They’re not picky （挑剔的） about their meals—they have a mixed diet and eat small fish, and insects, as well as grains and marsh plants.
CALL OF THE WILD
Whooping cranes really like to ‘whoop it up’ when they want to attract a mate （伙伴）. They call loudly and do what might look like a crazy dance to be eye—catching. They flap their wings, and move their heads from side to side quickly, jumping up and down.
A SPECIAL TRICK
These cranes are in danger, but scientists have used some very interesting tricks to help them stay alive. At first, they moved one group of cranes to Florida, but the cranes never learned to migrate （迁徙）. When they got to Florida, they didn’t know how to fly back home. Scientists did all they could do to make the number of the cranes larger, so they used a special trick with another Florida group of cranes. Scientists “taught” the younger cranes to migrate by having them follow a very light airplane from Florida to Wisconsin. After the cranes gave birth to their babies in Florida, they’d follow the plane back to Wisconsin!
Some whooping cranes stay in Florida all year round, some fly from Florida to Wisconsin, and others fly from Texas to Canada and back again each year.
Whooping Cranes | |
| A whooping crane is from North America. | |
Looks | Whooping cranes can be five feet in They weigh only about 15 pounds |
Food | They |
Qualities | To catch a mate’s eyes, whooping cranes use a |
Fun facts | Scientists moved one group of cranes to Florida, but they were not Scientists wanted to have Scientists used a plane to |
In the deserts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia lives the fennec fox, which is smaller than any other kind of foxes.
Fennec foxes have ears that are 5 to 6 inches long. That’s big for an animal that weighs less than four pounds. Their ears help shed (去除) body heat. And, as you may have guessed, they also provide great hearing.
It’s also interesting to think about the hair of fennec foxes. Why would a fox that lives in the desert need a thick, fur coat? Actually, the desert isn’t always warm. During the nighttime, a desert can be terribly cold! A fennec fox’s fur keeps them warm during those desert nights. They also have long bushy (浓密的) tails that they use as a blanket. And the hair on their feet protects them from the hot sand in the daytime.
Fennec foxes live in small communities of dens (兽穴). They spend most of the day sleeping in their dens, out of the hot sun. Then, when night comes, they come out looking for food. Besides their great hearing, fennecs also use their great sense of smell and big eyes to find dinner.
Like other foxes, fennecs are omnivores. This means they eat both meat and plants. They like eating birds, eggs, insects, snails, fruit and leaves best.
An | |
| Where they live | They live in the deserts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia |
What they look like | 1. They are the 2. Their big ears 3. Their thick fur helps them to survive in the cold desert night. 4. The hair on their feet protects them from the heat of the sand during the daytime. |
| How they live | 1. They live in small communities. 2. They 3. Their |
| Jack: Linda, I lost my dog. Linda: Oh, no! Let's make a poster. What's the dog's name? Jack: Its name is Muffin. Linda: Poor Muffin. How old is he? Jack: He is two years old. Linda: Well, what color is he? Jack: He is black and white. Look, here is picture of Muffin. Linda: Oh, he is so cute. And your e-mail address? Jack: Uh, it's jack978@163.com. Thank you, Linda. Linda: You're welcome. |
 Name: Age: Color: Please e-mail Jack at |
Jimmy Chipolata is a famous face at Nottingham Trent University. He is a therapy(治疗) dog there. He’s very friendly. When students feel stressed or upset, Jimmy helps cheer them up. His owner, Debra Easter, also works at NTU. Debra said, “Since Jimmy came here, I’ve seen people come forward, including some shyer students. Lots of our staff and students’ health can improve by stroking(抚摩) Jimmy.” She added that quite a lot of students missed their pets at home, and had a hard time with their studies and exams. After spending time with Jimmy, they felt more comfortable.
Jimmy was saved by Debra from a broken home two years ago. When she first saw him, he looked heavy and couldn’t walk. However, with hard work, Jimmy overcame(克服) the difficulties in his life. And now he's able to help stressed-out university students do the same! Jimmy really enjoys his work and loves all the attention he gets. In fact, he’ll get down if people don't take notice of him.
Although the staff and students love Jimmy, not everyone believes in his therapy ability. Chris McGovern said: “If students are getting to 18, 19 and 20 and need a dog to cheer them up, they’ve got a real problem.” But many people think Jimmy is really helpful.
1. Is Jimmy a famous face at NTU?2. When do students at NTU need Jimmy’s help?
3. What problems did Jimmy have when Debra first met him?
4. What will happen to Jimmy if people don’t notice him?
5. What do you think of Jimmy?
5 . Can plants eat people? Probably not, but there are many plants that eat meat. Some of them are big, and they can eat small animals. One famous meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap(捕蝇草).
The Venus flytrap is a very strange plant. It grows in dry parts of the US. Its leaves are like the pages of a book. They can open and close very quickly.
Inside the leaves, there are three small hairs. If a fly (苍蝇) touches one of the hairs, the leaf closes quickly. The fly cannot get out. After about half an hour, the leaf presses (压) the fly to make it die. Then, the plant covers the fly. Slowly, the plant eats the fly.
Plants are living things that have leaves and roots and grows in earth. Most plants get what they need from the sun, the air, and the ground. In some places, the ground is very poor. It doesn’t have all these important things, especially nitrogen(氮). Animal meat has a lot of nitrogen，so some plants eat it. Let’s hope that some of the bigger plants don’t get the same idea!
1. Where does the Venus flytrap grow?2. What do the plant’s leaves look like?
3. How many small hairs are there inside the leaves?
4. When does the leaf press the fly to make it die?
5. Why do some plants eat animal meat?
There are two mice called Bill and Paul. They are good friends. One mouse lives in the country; the other one lives in the city. On a sunny day they meet in the street.
Paul: Hi, Bill! Have a look at my house in the country. I'm sure you can enjoy yourself.
Bill: I'd love to. But I hear that the food is not delicious and your house is not good. Is it so?
Paul: No, that's not true. Go and see!
Then Bill goes to the countryside with Paul.
Bill: Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house made of stone(石头). You would have better(更好的) food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city.
Paul: Thanks! Maybe you are right. I'll visit your house one day.
Several days later, Paul goes to Bill's house in the city. The house is big and beautiful. They are sitting in the dining room, having a big dinner comfortably. Suddenly, there is a great noise.
Bill: Run! Paul! Run! Run! The cat is coming!
Paul: Oh, no! It's terrible! Both the house and the food are nice, but I do not like living in the city. I prefer to live in my hole in the country, for it's nice to be poor but happy than to be rich but afraid.
Information Card
The number | The story talks about |
The place | The mice meet in the |
The times | Paul visited Bill's living place only |
The feeling | Bill is living in a big and beautiful house and always have a big a dinner but he is |
The name |
In my family, all of us like animals. I like pandas best. Pandas live in China. They are very cute and lovely. They like eating bamboo. My father likes the tiger very much. He thinks the tiger is strong and the king of the beasts(兽中之王). My mother keeps some chickens, ducks and pigs in the yard( 院子). The chickens and ducks lay eggs. They like to walk around in the yard. My grandfather keeps some sheep. After breakfast, my grandfather takes them out and goes back home in the afternoon.
Do you like animals? I think you should keep some animals,too.
1. 完成句子In the yard, we can see2. 简略回答问题What do pandas like eating?
3. 简略回答问题What does my grandfather do after breakfast?
4. 找出并写下本文的主题句
5. 将文中画线句子译成汉语。
It’s the first time I write to you, my Children. I sent you many messages in the past, but you didn’t take them seriously. So I decide to write you a letter.
First, let me tell you more about our family. Dear humans, besides you, I have many other children. Some of them fly in the sky; some of them swim in the water; some live in ice-covered places; some run in the grasslands.
They might be very close to you, or even live in your house. But there are others that you may never have the chance to meet.
You bring them home to be your pets, friends and helpers. You put them in the zoos. You kill them for their meat and fur. And you even hunt them for fun. They bring you money and happiness, but they also bring you illness and death.
I hope you remember that wild animals are not your food, clothes or furniture. They are not killers, either. They are, in fact, your brothers and sisters. You should grow up together. I’m worried that one day you will be lonely if you keep killing them.
So, grow up, humans. Grow up to be more loving and caring. I hope you and all the wildlife can live happily in my arms.
Yours,
Mother Earth
1. Who are “they” in the third paragraph?2. Why do humans kill “them” according to the letter?
3. Do you think humans will listen to Mother Earth’s words? Why or why not.
9 . In order to get away from the busy life in the big city, two young men decided to spend a holiday in the countryside. They enjoyed the beautiful scenery and fresh air there. One day, while taking a walk together, they crossed a large field.
“Look out!” one of the young men shouted, because a bull（公牛） appeared and began to chase（追赶）them. The bull looked like a monster and made a terrible roar（咆哮）, rolling its big eyes. They were very scared. They ran as fast as they could, but the bull kept running after them.
Finally, one of the men climbed up a tree. The other jumped into a hole, but soon he came out of it. And then the bull chased him back into the hole.
“Stay there!” his friend shouted, but soon the man came out again, and again the bull chased him right back.
The same thing went on another three times.
At last, the man in the tree got angry and shouted to his friend, “How foolish you are! I have told you to stay in the hole for a while! Why are you always coming out?”
“It's easy for you to say,” the other man said more angrily. “But there is a bear in the hole!”
So you see, sometimes things are not what they appear to be. We should always try to stand in others' shoes and look from there.
1. Where did the two young men spend a holiday?2. What animal appeared and began to chase them?
3. How many times in total did the man in the hole come out of it?
4. What did the man in the tree think of the man in the hole?
5. Why was the man in the hole always coming out?
10 . Australian Green Tree Frog
The Australian green tree frog is a large species of frog. It measures up to 10 centimeters in length. Females are generally larger than males. These frogs are usually green or brown with white underparts. They have small discs on their toes, which allow them to climb steep and slippery objects. Their lifespan is around 16 years, and they are often kept as pets. They are nocturnal (夜行的), and sleep in dark, damp places during the day.
The Australian green tree frog prefers wet, tropical environments and are often found high in the trees.
These fogs are native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea.
A lot of insects are eaten by the Australian green tree frog. It catches them with its long, sticky tongue. Females lay between 1000 and 3000 eggs in a jelly-like mass that floats on top of shallow water. These eggs eventually sink to the bottom, where they attach to vegetation.
The Australian green tree frog is declining( 下降) in numbers, mainly because of habitat destruction and a fungus(真菌) that attacks their skin.
1. Are female Australian green tree frogs generally larger than the males?____________________________________________________________________________
2. How long can Australian green tree frogs live?
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3. Where can Australian green tree frogs be found?
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4. What do Australian green tree frogs eat?
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5. Why is the number of Australian green tree frogs declining?
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