Giant Reptiles
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents King-Sized Lizards.
内容列表 King-Sized Lizards. 中国植物物种信息数据库.
4 Lean, Mean Fighting Machines.
4 Lean,平分战斗机.
5 Hot Spot.
5热点。
7 Deadly Predators.
7 致命捕食者。
9 Komodo Babies.
九克摩多婴儿.
12 Lizard Hazards.
12 蜥蜴危险。
14 Mammoth Lizards.
(原始内容存档于2018-10-12). Mammoth Lizards.
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 King-Sized Lizards Wildlife ecologist Dr.
16 King-Sized Lizards 野生动物生态学家 Dr.
Tim Jessop is an expert on Komodo dragons.
Tim Jessop是科莫多龙的专家.
He had quite a surprise when he was starting out and saw his first wild Komodo dragon in 2002.
他刚开始的时候很惊讶,2002年见到了自己的第一只野生科莫多龙.
“Is it really possible for a lizard to get this large?”
“蜥蜴真的有可能得到这么大的面积吗? “
he wondered.
他问起
As he watched a huge male basking on a rock, he actually felt as though his eyes were playing tricks on him.
当他看到巨型雄性在岩石上晃来晃去时,他实际上感觉好像眼睛在对他耍花样.
Since then, he has observed, studied, and handled Komodo dragons enough to know that these king-sized reptiles are as real as can be.
此后,他观察,研究,并处理了足够多的克莫多龙,以知道这些由国王大小的爬行动物是真实的.
Komodo dragon length: 10 feet (3 m) weight: 176 pounds (80 kg) Human height: 6 feet (1.
克莫多龙长:10英尺(3米)重:176磅(80公斤) 人高:6英尺(1.
8 m) weight: 176 pounds (80 kg) How Big Is It?
8米)体重:176磅(80公斤)多大?.
Lean, Mean Fighting Machines Komodo dragons are built for a fight, and they have the bodies to show for it.
利能,平庸的战斗机器 科莫多龙是用来战斗的 他们有尸体来展示
These enormous lizards are all muscle and can overpower just about any opponent.
这些巨大的蜥蜴都是肌肉,能够战胜任何对手。
When two males fight over a female, they stand upright using their muscular tails for balance as they try to throw each other to the ground.
当两个雄性争夺一雌性时,在试图将对方抛入地时,用肌肉尾巴来保持平衡而站起.
Dragons have bony plates in their skin for protection from opponents’ bites and scratches.
龙的皮肤有骨牌,
Their greatest weapons—sharp, serrated teeth and huge claws—are useful for killing prey as well as in battle with other dragons.
他们最大的武器 -- -- 尖牙、锯齿和巨大的爪子 -- -- 既能杀死猎物,又能与其他龙进行战斗。
A fight between two of these creatures is likely to draw blood.
这两种生物之间的争斗很可能会招来鲜血.
A younger dragon battles with a dominant male for females and for food.
较年轻的龙会与雄性的雄性争夺雌性和食物.
What Makes a Komodo Dragon a Reptile?
何以使克摩多龙为回放?
A Komodo dragon has long, curved claws.
克莫多龙有长而弯曲的爪子.
A Komodo dragon has a long tail with strong muscles.
克莫多龙有长尾,肌肉强壮.
A Komodo dragon has rough black or yellow-gray skin with bony plates.
科莫多龙有粗糙的黑色或黄灰色有骨板的皮肤.
A Komodo dragon has about sixty sharp teeth for tearing flesh.
一只克莫多龙有约60个尖牙来撕裂肉.
A Komodo dragon has a forked tongue.
克摩多龙有叉舌.
Hot Spot The Asian country of Indonesia is home to all wild Komodo dragons.
热点 印度尼西亚的亚洲国家是所有野生克莫多龙的家园.
They live on five of the Lesser Sunda Islands, which are located northwest of Australia and just south of the equator.
它们活在小森达群岛的5个上,它们位于澳大利亚西北部和赤道正以南.
These small volcanic islands have rugged, hilly terrain with a mix of forests and grasslands.
这些小火山岛地势崎岖,丘陵多地,森林和草地混合.
The climate is hot year round, with high humidity from December through February, which is the rainy season.
气候全年炎热,从12月到2月湿度高,是雨季.
Daytime temperatures average 91°F (33°C) and can reach 110°F (43°C), while temperatures at night average 73°F (23°C).
日平均气温91°F(33°C)并可以达到110°F(43°C),而夜间平均气温为73°F(23°C).
Komodo dragons escape the heat of the day by resting in shallow burrows.
克莫多龙通过在浅坑中休息来躲避白天的发热.
The burrows also provide relief from the cool nighttime temperatures.
洞穴还提供从凉爽的夜间温度中解脱.
Dragons may dig their own burrow or use one made by another dragon.
龙可能会挖出自己的地洞,或使用由另一只龙所制造的地洞.
For the most part, they are solitary animals that spend their time hunting, eating, and napping.
他们大多是孤独的动物 他们花时间打猎 吃东西 睡觉
Komodo dragons keep cool in burrows during the day and sleep in them at night.
科莫多龙白天会保持洞穴的凉爽,晚上会睡在洞穴中.
Burrows are often barely big enough for the dragons.
Burrows往往对龙来说都不够大.
Where Komodo Dragons Live Lesser Sunda Islands SAVU SEA FLORES SEA Komodo Rinca Gili Motang Padar Gili Dasami Flores INDONESIA INDIAN OCEAN Dragons are strong swimmers and can swim from one nearby island to another.
科莫多龙生活在小孙达群岛 SAVU SEA FLORES SEA 科莫多语Name 林卡岛 吉利·莫唐·帕达尔·吉利·达萨米·弗洛雷斯 龙是强壮的游泳者,可以从相邻的岛屿游到相邻的岛屿.
However, most dragons stay on their home island.
然而,大多数龙会留在家乡岛上.
They often walk along beaches, looking for dead fish that have washed ashore.
他们经常走在海滩上,寻找被冲上岸的死鱼.
Komodo dragons used to live in larger areas than they do now.
科莫多龙以前生活在比现在更大的地区.
Disappearing food and habitat have caused their range to shrink over time.
食物和栖息地的消失使其范围随着时间的推移而缩小.
The dragons on two of the islands—Gili Motang and Gili Dasami—are much smaller.
两个岛屿上的龙——吉利·莫唐和吉利·达萨米——小得多。
Over time, these dragons have become smaller as a way of adapting to less food and a harsher environment.
随着时间的推移,这些龙逐渐变小,成为适应较少食物和更恶劣环境的一种方式.
They weigh an average of 44 pounds (20 kg), while dragons on the other three islands weigh an average of 176 pounds (80 kg).
它们的平均体重为44磅(20公斤),而其他三个岛屿上的龙的平均体重为176磅(80公斤).
Deadly Predators Komodo dragons are carnivores that eat a wide variety of food.
致命的捕食者 克莫多龙是食肉动物,食用多种食物.
They are active predators as well as scavengers with a distinct fondness for carrion.
它们是活生生的掠食者 也是食腐动物 对生化动物有特别的喜爱
Their main foods are deer, wild pigs, and water buffalo, all of which have been introduced to the Lesser Sunda Islands by humans.
他们的主要食物有鹿,野猪和水牛,这些食物都已经引入了小圣达 人类的岛屿。
Other prey include rats, snakes, bird eggs, and dead fish.
其他猎物有老鼠,蛇,鸟蛋等和死鱼等.
In addition, Komodo dragons are cannibalistic, eating the young of their own kind.
此外克莫多龙还食人,吃自己同类的少年.
Scientists have determined that about one-tenth of an adult Komodo dragon’s diet is young dragons.
科学家已经确定,大约十分之一的成年科莫多龙的饮食是幼龙.
Komodo dragons may chase down prey, but a more common hunting strategy involves ambushing and then overpowering their prey.
科莫多龙可能追逐猎物,但更常见的狩猎策略包括伏击并随后压倒猎物.
Dragons often hide along game trails, waiting (sometimes for hours) for animals to pass by, and then attack.
龙经常会沿着游戏小道隐藏,等待(有时会等上几个小时)动物经过后再进行攻击.
Like most predators, dragons aren’t usually successful in bringing down the animals they hunt.
龙像大多数捕食者一样,
However, they often succeed in biting an animal, which then escapes.
然而,他们往往成功咬取一头动物,而后又逃脱.
The bite usually causes death, either quickly or within a few days.
被咬通常会造成死亡,要么很快,要么几天之内.
The wound itself may be severe enough to cause the prey animal to bleed to death.
伤口本身可能严重到会使被猎物动物出血而死亡.
In addition, harmful bacteria in a dragon’s mouth may cause a deadly infection.
此外,龙口的有害细菌还可能造成致命感染.
Wounded prey may also die from an infection caused by standing in bacteria- laden water at watering holes.
受伤的猎物还可能死于站在细菌 -- -- 在取水孔的含水处 -- -- 所引发的感染。
Scientists recently discovered that Komodo dragons have venom—a type of poison delivered with bites.
科学家们最近发现克莫多龙有毒液——一种用咬来送去的毒物.
Evidence suggests that dragon venom speeds up blood loss by preventing blood from clotting properly and also causes the animal to go into shock.
有证据表明,龙毒通过防止出血正常地凝血来加速失血,也使动物进入休克.
More research is needed to understand the roles of venom and bacteria in causing deaths.
需要进行更多的研究,以了解毒液和细菌在造成死亡方面的作用。
Komodo dragons generally share kills, although mealtime is often when fights break out between dragons.
科莫多龙一般会分享杀戮,虽然吃餐时间往往是在龙之间爆发战斗时.
Komodo dragon prey use game trails—long-established animal paths through the forest—to find food and water.
科莫多龙猎物利用游戏小道——经过森林的动物路径——寻找食物和水。
If wounded prey wander off and die, the Komodo dragon uses a convenient tool for locating it in the form of a long, forked tongue.
如果受伤的猎物徘徊而死,科莫多龙会使用一种方便的工具来以长而叉的舌头来定位.
It flicks its tongue to “taste” the air and sample airborne molecules.
它闪烁出舌头来“取味”空气和空气分子样本。
Then it withdraws its tongue into its mouth and touches the two tips to a special organ on the roof of its mouth.
后将舌头抽入口中,将两道尖接入口顶上的特殊器官.
This organ can detect odor molecules on the dragon’s tongue from nearby dead animals.
这种器官可以从附近的已死动物身上检测出龙舌上的臭味分子.
Messages are sent to the brain, which determines which tip, left or right, has a higher concentration of molecules.
消息被发送到大脑中,大脑决定了哪一个尖端,左右,分子浓度较高.
Then the dragon knows in which direction to head out in search of a meal.
然后龙知道朝哪个方向去寻找一顿饭.
Dr.
医生
Jessop once watched a Komodo dragon kill and eat a water buffalo.
杰索普曾经看着一头克莫多龙杀死并吃一头水牛.
“Over time, many other dragons arrived to join in the feast.
" 随着时间的推移,许多其他龙也赶来参加宴会.
Eventually, several days later, just bones, horns, and hoofs remained—proof of these lizards’ amazing appetites.”
最终,几天后,只有骨骼、角和蹄子仍能抵御蜥蜴惊人的食欲。 “
Komodo Babies Female Komodo dragons use different types of nests.
科莫多婴儿(Komodo Babies) 女科莫多龙使用不同类型的巢.
They may build a nest in the ground or on a hillside.
它们可能在地上或山坡上筑巢.
They have also been known to use a mound made by a ground-dwelling bird called the orange-footed scrub fowl.
也有人称它们使用由地栖鸟所造出的一个丘地,取名"橙脚取洗花".
Depending on their age, female dragons lay between ten and thirty- five eggs at a time.
根据年龄的不同,雌性龙一次下10到35个卵.
Laying eggs involves a lot of energy and responsibility.
产卵需要大量的精力和责任.
During the six to nine months before the eggs hatch, the female must stand guard to protect them from predators.
在卵孵化前的六至九个月里,雌鸟必须站出防守来保护它们免受捕食者.
Females sometimes build decoy chambers in their nests to trick predators, including other dragons.
雌鸟有时会在其巢穴中建立诱饵室来欺骗捕食者,包括其他的龙.
Females don’t lay eggs every year; they recover their energy during the off years.
女性并不每年产卵,
three-quarters of its weight in one meal.
在一餐中,其重量为四分之三.
opposed to 25 to 30 percent with lions.
25-30%的狮子。
than its head.
而不是它的头。
Komodo dragon eggs measure about 4 inches (10 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
科莫多龙蛋可测量出约4英寸(10厘米)长和2英寸(5厘米)宽.
Baby dragons are a little longer than a ruler when they hatch.
幼龙孵出后会比尺子长出一点.
Baby dragons hatch at the end of the rainy season in April, when many insects are available for food.
幼龙于雨季后期于4月孵出,当时有许多昆虫可供食用.
Babies receive no care from their mothers— they’re on their own right away.
婴儿得不到母亲的照顾,
They climb trees to stay safe from adult dragons and other predators, especially hawks and other birds of prey.
它们会爬上树木来躲避成年龙和其他捕食者,特别是鹰和其他被猎物的鸟类.
Young dragons stay in the trees for two to four years.
幼龙入树中住二至四年.
In addition to insects, they eat geckos, rodents, and birds.
除昆虫外,还吃克克斯,啮齿动物和鸟类.
When they’re older, they also eat leftovers from adult meals while being careful not to become the meal themselves!
也吃成人饭后所剩的饭,
Male and female dragons grow at the same rate and are the same size until they reach adulthood at around age seven.
雄性与雌性龙的生长速度相同,体型相同,直到七岁左右才成年.
Then males grow larger than females and live much longer.
然后雄性长出比雌性大,活得更长.
They can live to age sixty, but females may only live about half as long.
它们可以活到60岁,但雌性只可能活到大约一半.
Scientists think the extra energy required to build nests and produce and guard eggs causes females to age much faster.
科学家认为需要额外的能量来建造巢穴并出产和守卫卵子,这让雌鸟年龄要快得多.
Lizard Hazards Only 3,000 to 5,000 Komodo dragons live in the wild.
蜥蜴危害 只有3000到5000个克莫多龙生活在野外.
Few of these are breeding females—possibly as few as 350.
其中很少雌性繁殖,可能多达350只。
The conservation status of dragons is “vulnerable,” which means at risk of becoming endangered.
龙的保护状况“脆弱”,这意味着濒临濒危。
Competition with humans and wild dogs for food is a threat to the survival of Komodo dragons.
与人类和野狗争夺食物是对克莫多龙生存的威胁.
In addition, dragons are losing their habitat to humans, and villagers may kill dragons that attack livestock.
此外,龙正在失去栖息地给人类,而村民可能会杀死攻击牲畜的龙.
Laws protect dragons in Indonesia, and international law prohibits their sale or trade.
在印度尼西亚,法律保护龙,而国际法禁止出售或买卖龙.
Still, poachers sometimes kill them.
尽管如此,偷猎者有时也会杀死他们.
Scientists in many places are working to keep Komodo dragons from becoming extinct.
许多地方的科学家正在努力使克莫多龙免于灭绝.
Indonesia established Komodo National Park in 1980 to protect these rare reptiles.
印度尼西亚于1980年建立了科莫多国家公园来保护这些稀有的爬行动物.
Dr.
医生
Jessop, an Australian, along with scientists from Italy and Indonesia, established the Komodo Survival Program in 2007 to study wild dragons and devise ways to manage and conserve them and their natural habitat.
Jessop是一位澳大利亚人,与来自意大利和印度尼西亚的科学家一道,于2007年建立了"科莫多生存计划"来研究野生龙并设计出管理和保护它们及其自然栖息地的方法.
Scientists in zoos in Europe, Indonesia, Canada, and the United States work to maintain a genetically diverse population of captive dragons.
在欧洲,印度尼西亚,加拿大和美国等动物园的科学家致力于维持被俘龙的基因多样化种群.
Baby dragons are commonly green with black and yellow stripes and spots.
婴儿龙一般为绿色,有黑色和黄色的条纹和斑点.
Mammoth Lizards Komodo dragons are remarkable, super-sized reptiles and the largest lizards in the world.
哺乳动物蜥蜴 克莫多龙是出众的,超大型的爬行动物和世界上最大的蜥蜴.
If you see one in a zoo or even in a video, you can’t help but marvel at the way these giants are perfectly designed for the life they lead.
如果你在动物园里看到一个,
They carry around the tools of their trade at all times, especially their razor-sharp teeth and long, strong claws.
它们随时随地携带着贸易工具,尤其是剃刀尖牙和长而坚固的爪子.
Watching a dragon move around, it’s not hard to imagine the damage it can do when it’s on the prowl for a meal or a mate.
看着龙在周围移动,
Komodo dragons are an important part of Earth’s biodiversity.
科莫多龙是地球生物多样性的重要组成部分.
Dr.
医生
Jessop encourages people to do everything they can to help these amazing creatures as well as other wild animals.
杰索普鼓励人们尽自己所能帮助这些神奇的生物以及其他野生动物.
Supporting conservation groups and seeking ways to find a balance between people’s needs and the needs of other living things can help these enormous lizards survive.
支持保护团体并寻求在人们的需求和其他活物的需求之间找到平衡的方法,可以帮助这些巨大的蜥蜴生存.
Glossary adapting (v.)
修改词汇表(五.)
changing to fit a new or specific situation or environment (p.
修改以适应新的或特定的情况或环境(第2页)。
8) bacteria (n.)
8)细菌 (n.
small one-celled organisms that sometimes cause infections and disease (p.
小型一细胞生物,有时会导致感染和疾病(p.
10) basking (v.)
10) ba(五.
resting and taking in warmth from the Sun (p.
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4) carrion (n.)
4)活体(n.
the decaying meat of a dead animal (p.
已死亡动物腐烂的肉类(p.
9) clotting (v.)
9) 凝块(五.
changing from a liquid to a semisolid or solid state; usually refers to blood (p.
从液态变为半固态或固态;通常指血(p.
10) conservation (n.)
10) 保护 (n.
the protection of wild lands and the living things found there (p.
保护野地和发现的活物(p.
14) decoy (n.)
14)诱饵 (n.
a person or object used to trick or lure someone or something away from a target (p.
用于欺骗或引诱某人或某物远离目标的人或物体(p.
12) genetically (adv.)
12) 遗传学(adv.
in a manner having to do with heredity and variation in living things (p.
与生物的遗传和变化有关(p.
14) molecules (n.)
14) 分子 (n.
the smallest parts of a substance that can exist by themselves, each made of two or more atoms (p.
由两个或两个以上的原子所制成的物质本身能够存在的最小部分(p.
11) scavengers (n.)
11) 扫荡者 (n.
animals that find and eat animals that are already dead (p.
发现并食用已经死亡的动物的动物(p.
9) serrated (adj.)
9）锯齿状的（形容词）
having a jagged or tooth-shaped edge; saw-toothed (p.
具有相上相上相下相上相上相上相下相上相下相上相上相下相上相下相上相下相上相上相下相上相下相上相上相下相下相上相上相下相下相下相上相下相下相下相下相上相上相上相上相下相下相下相上相下相上相上相下相下相下相上相下相下相上相相上相上相下相上相下相上相上相上相上相上相上相下相上相下相下相上相上相上相下相下相上相下相下相下相下相下相上相上相上相下相下相上相相上相相下相相上相相相上相相下相下相上相下相相相下相下相下相下相相上相上相相相下相相下相相相上相相下相下相下相下相相相相下相相下相下相上相相相上相上相相相相相下相相
5) solitary (adj.)
(5) 单独(adj.)
A Komodo dragon can move at speeds of up to 11 mph (17.
一只克莫多龙可以以最高可达11 mph (17)的速度移动.
7 kmph) for short periods.
7 kmph)),短期使用.