Giant Birds
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents High in the Sky.
高空目录.
4 Searching on the Wind.
4"搜风".
5 An Acquired Taste.
5 获得的口味。
7 Bald Is Beautiful.
7 Bald是美丽的。
9 Handle with Care.
9 处理与关心。
11 People and Condors.
11人与鹰.
13 A Magnificent Bird.
13个大鸟
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 How Big Is It?
16号有多大?
High in the Sky Soaring at 15,000 feet (4,572 m), a California condor scavenges for food on the ground far below.
高地上15,000英尺(4,572米)高地上,一个加利福尼亚神鹰在很深的地上寻找食物.
It glides effortlessly on its wings that span 10 feet (3.
它在10英尺(3英尺)长的翅膀上无心地滑翔.
04 m).
(中文(简体) ). 04 m.
Then it spots something—the carcass of a rabbit—and begins its slow descent.
然后它发现了一些东西——一具兔子的尸体—— 并开始缓慢地下降。
Weighing in at more than 30 pounds (13 kg), making the condor one of the largest flying birds in the world, it has little concern for predators as it lands and starts feeding on the dead animal.
以30多磅(13公斤)的速度入住,使秃鹰成为了世界上最大的飞行鸟之一,随着它登陆并开始以已死的动物为食,它对捕食者没有什么顾虑.
For many years, very few condors were seen in the skies over California, as the giant birds hovered on the brink of extinction.
多年来,在加利福尼亚上空的天空中很少看到神鹰,因为巨型鸟在灭绝的边缘徘徊.
Thanks to the tireless work of conservationists and government, these giants of the animal world are making a comeback.
由于保护主义者和政府的不懈努力,这些动物界的巨头们正在重新崛起.
Searching on the Wind There are two species of condors and they both live in the Western Hemisphere—the California condor in the southwestern United States, and the Andean condor in western South America.
寻找"风" 有两种神鹰,它们都生活在西半球——美国西南部的加利福尼亚神鹰和南美洲西部的安第斯神鹰。
Some Andean and California condors live in coastal areas, while others live in arid inland regions.
一些安第斯和加利福尼亚神鹰生活在沿海地区,而另一些则生活在干旱的内陆地区.
Typical condor habitats include rocky canyons, gorges, deserts, cliffs, and mountains.
典型的神鹰栖息地包括岩石峡谷,峡谷,沙漠,悬崖和山脉.
All these landforms serve condors well since they prefer to perch in high places.
所有这些地形都很好地服务于神鹰,因为它们喜欢高地的地道.
Experts have recently discovered California condors settling high in the cavities of giant redwoods—the world’s largest trees.
最近,专家们发现加利福尼亚神鹰高耸地栖息在世界上最大的树木 -- -- 大红杉 -- -- 的洞穴中。
Whatever regions condors inhabit, the location must meet their number one priority—their hunting requirements.
无论是哪个地区都居住着神鹰,地点必须满足他们的头等优先——他们的狩猎要求。
They also require thermal wind currents or updrafts, which allow the birds to soar.
它们也需要热风流或起落架,使鸟类能飞起.
Thermals are columns of warm air that flow upward, and strong updrafts can be caused when wind passes over mountains or cliffs.
地壳是暖气向上流动的柱子,当风从山上或悬崖上过后会引起强烈的上流.
These conditions allow condors to fly in tight circles as they scavenge.
这些条件允许神鹰在取景时以紧凑的圆形飞行.
They may fly as far as 150 miles (241 km) per day at speeds up to 50 miles per hour (80.
它们以时速可达50英里(80.
4 kmph).
(原始内容存档于2017-03-26). 4 kmph.
Condors are capable of soaring on the wind for hours without flapping their wings.
秃鹰可以在风上飞上数小时而不拍翅膀.
When they’re not busy flying to dizzying heights, condors are usually perched on high, rocky ledges.
当它们不忙地飞到头晕的高度时,神鹰通常会被困在高高的岩石上。
The inaccessibility of their dwellings keeps their eggs safe from flightless potential predators below.
由于无法进入他们的住所,他们的卵子在下面不会被无所事事的潜在捕食者捕捉到。
Condors begin to fly when they’re five or six months old.
秃鹰在5到6个月大时就开始飞行。
When they’re two years old, they begin to search for food on their own.
他们开始自己寻找食物。
An Acquired Taste Condors are vultures, a term used for all birds that eat carrion—the remains of dead animals.
后天鹰是秃鹰, 用来形容所有食用腐烂的鸟类—— 死动物的遗骸。
California condors eat rabbits, squirrels, and gophers, but they prefer larger animals such as deer, elk, and cattle.
加利福尼亚神鹰会吃兔子,松鼠和地鼠,但他们更喜欢鹿,麋鹿等更大型的动物和牛.
Andean condors also feast on small and large animals, including local llamas and alpacas.
安第斯神鹰也以小型和大型动物为食,包括当地的山羊和美洲狮.
Condors along the coast clean beaches of dead fish, seabirds, and even the occasional whale that washes ashore.
海岸沿岸的秃鹰清洁了死鱼,海鸟等海滩,甚至偶尔会冲上岸的鲸鱼.
Normally, condors are social animals and share their food.
通常,神鹰是社会动物并分享食物.
This California condor is about to feast on what’s left of a humpback whale.
这个加州神鹰即将在座头鲸身上盛宴。
Condors feast together.
鹰同宴.
Andean condors live in Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
安第斯神鹰生活在哥伦比亚,玻利维亚,厄瓜多尔,秘鲁,智利和阿根廷.
Condors may eat 4 pounds (1.
鹰可吃4磅(1.
81 kg) of flesh at one time and then go for days without eating, so they must be expert scavengers.
一次有81公斤)的肉,再去几天不吃,所以它们必须是专家取出.
While condors don’t have a good sense of smell, their eyesight is an exceptional tool that allows them to zero in on food from tremendous heights.
虽然神鹰没有很好的嗅觉,但他们的视力是一个非凡的工具,可以让他们从巨大的高地上对食物零下手。
Sometimes a condor will see other vultures circling—a sure sign that they’ve spotted food.
有时,秃鹰会看到其他秃鹰环绕,这确实表明它们发现了食物。
The larger condor simply descends and gobbles the other birds’ meal.
更大型的神鹰只会下降并吞噬其他鸟类的食物。
Carrion can be full of bacteria, which could be deadly to most living things, but condors’ risk from bacterial infections is low.
卡里翁可以充满细菌,这对大多数活物来说可能是致命的,但秃鹰感染细菌的风险较低.
Condors can eat all the bacteria-infected dead animals they want and never get sick.
秃鹰可以吃掉所有他们想要的被细菌感染的死活动物,并且永远不会生病.
Recent studies show that condor stomach acid is ten to one hundred times stronger than human stomach acid.
最近的研究表明,神鹰胃酸比人类胃酸强10到100倍.
The cleanup function condors provide is important to the health of the ecosystems where they live.
清理功能神鹰对其所居住的生态系统的健康十分重要。
Bald Is Beautiful Up close, condors may not be considered beautiful, but they look the way they do for a reason.
秃头是美丽的 近地上,神鹰可能不被认为是美丽的,但是它们看起来和以前一样是有原因的.
Condors’ bare heads are specifically adapted for the way they eat.
秃鹰的光头特别适合他们的饮食方式。
Few feathers make for less mess when condors stick their heads into animal carcasses—which makes washing up after a meal much easier!
当神鹰把头伸入动物尸体中时,很少的羽毛会减少混乱,这样一顿饭后就更容易洗了!
The ratio of condors’ light body weight to their sturdy, broad wings makes these birds expert gliders.
秃鹰的轻体重与其坚固,宽的翅膀之比,使得这些鸟类具有专家的滑翔机.
Males are typically larger than females, but other differences depend on the species.
雄性通常比雌性大,但其他差异取决于物种.
California condors have predominantly black feathers, with fluffier black feathers at the “collar,” or neck.
加利福尼亚神鹰以黑色羽毛为主,"领"或"颈"有更活泼的黑色羽毛.
Andean condors are also mostly black, but with contrasting white feathers at the neck.
安第斯神鹰也多为黑色,但颈部有相形见绌的白色羽毛.
Andean males stand out from all other condors with a soft, fleshy growth on their heads called a comb.
安第斯雄性在所有其他神鹰中突出,头部有柔软而肉质的生长称为梳子.
They are born with their combs, making it easy to pinpoint male chicks from females.
它们生来就带着梳子 很容易从雌鸟中找出雄鸟
Scientists have even learned to identify individual male birds by observing and recognizing these wrinkles on their heads.
科学家甚至学会了通过观察和识别头上的这些皱纹来识别个体雄鸟.
Condors also belong to another bird category— raptors.
鹰也属于另一种鸟类——猛禽.
Like other raptors, such as eagles and hawks, condors have sharp, hooked beaks that help them tear off pieces of flesh.
和其他猛禽一样,如鹰和鹰等,神鹰有锋利,被钩住的喙可以帮助它们撕去肉块.
Raptors also have strong legs, and most have razor-sharp talons to catch live prey.
猛禽也有着很强的腿,大多数有剃须-尖爪来捕捉活生生的猎物.
Condors, however, have no need to grab living animals, so their talons have adapted to their eating habits, becoming more clawlike and less sharp.
然而,秃鹰并不需要抓住活生生的动物,因此它们的齿轮已经适应了它们的饮食习惯,变得更像爪子,更不尖锐.
Condors’ talons help them balance while feeding on the ground.
Condors的爪牙有助于他们平衡,
closest relatives of condors.
离神鹰最近的亲戚
on rocks and tree branches.
在岩石和树枝上。
They spend hours smoothing their feathers.
他们花几个小时来平滑羽毛。
When condors are excited, their heads turn a deep pink or orange color.
当神鹰兴奋时,它们的头会变成深粉色或橙色.
Handle with Care On average, a female condor lays only one egg every two years—which is one rare and significant egg for an endangered species!
处理 护理 平均来说,一只雌性秃鹰每两年只产一卵,这对濒危物种来说是一个稀有而重要的卵!
Even though each egg is vitally important to the survival of the species, a condor mother doesn’t build a soft nest in which to lay her egg.
即使每个蛋对物种的生存都至关重要,
She lays the egg right on the hard surface of a rocky cliff or cave floor.
她把蛋放入岩石悬崖或洞地的硬地上
Condor parents are diligent about protecting the precious egg.
秃鹰父母很努力保护珍贵的蛋
After about fifty-six days, the chick begins to hatch.
大约56天后,小鸡开始孵出.
It can take up to a week to completely emerge from the egg.
可能要花上一周的时间才能完全从蛋中脱出.
Both parents help feed the chick.
双亲都帮忙喂小鸡.
They store food for the chick inside their throats, carry it back to the nest, and then pass the food from their bills to the chick’s bill.
他们将食物存放在喉咙里,
As the chick eats and grows, its feathers gradually turn from gray to black.
随着小鸡的吃和生长,它的羽毛从灰色逐渐变为黑色.
When the young bird is around six months old, it’s ready to fly.
当幼鸟6个月大时,
Condors have few predators and live long lives, usually about sixty years.
秃鹰很少有捕食者并活了很长的寿命,通常大约活了60年.
In the wild, the biggest threats are from falcons and eagles, which try to snatch condor eggs.
在野外,最大的威胁来自猎鹰和鹰,它们试图抢取秃鹰的卵.
Condors live longer in captive settings, such as zoos, where some have lived for more than seventy-five years.
秃鹰在被囚禁的环境下活得更久,例如动物园,有些动物已经居住了超过75年.
What Makes a Condor a Bird?
什么让一只鹰成为鸟?
All birds • have a backbone • have feathers • have wings • have a bill • lay eggs • are warm-blooded A condor’s wings can reach as wide as 10.
所有鸟类都有骨干 有羽毛 有翅膀 有帐单 产卵 温暖出血 秃鹰的翅膀能达到10个
5 feet (3.
5英尺(3个).
2 m).
2米长).
A condor has strong legs and wide talons.
秃鹰有很强的腿和宽的地铁.
A condor’s bill is strong and sharp.
一个神鹰的法案是有力而尖锐的。
A condor has feathers on its body but not on its head.
秃鹰身上有羽毛 但头部没有
An Andean condor chick waits on a nest ledge in Ecuador for its parents to deliver food.
一个安第斯秃鹰小鸡在厄瓜多尔的巢穴上等父母送来食物。
People and Condors Both species of condors are endangered.
人与神鹰 这两类神鹰都濒临灭绝.
The Andean condor was added to the endangered species list in 1973, and the California condor has been listed since 1967.
1973年将安第斯神鹰列入濒危物种名录,自1967年起将加利福尼亚神鹰列入.
There are some differences in their struggle for survival, but one fact is certain—humans have been among condors’ biggest all-time enemies.
他们争取生存的斗争有些不同,但一个事实是,神鹰有史以来最大的敌人中确实有人类。
The numbers of California condors plunged when settlers reached the American West in the nineteenth century.
当19世纪定居者到达美国西部时,加利福尼亚神鹰的数量急剧下降。
At that time, these condors ranged up and down the entire Pacific coast.
当时,这些神鹰遍布整个太平洋海岸上下行.
But many people didn’t like the big birds—they thought condors were ugly and shot them.
许多人不喜欢大鸟,
People also wanted to exterminate coyotes and wolves, so they left poison out to kill them.
人们也想消灭野狼和狼,所以留下了毒药去杀死它们.
When the condors ate the poisoned animals, the condors perished, too.
当神鹰吃掉了被毒害的动物时,神鹰也死去了.
Lead from bullets also killed many condors.
子弹的铅还杀死了多只神鹰。
Condors would eat animals that people had shot and die from lead poisoning.
秃鹰会吃人们射杀的动物 并死于铅中毒
In more recent times, condors died from flying into electrical power lines.
在更近的时代,秃鹰从飞入电力线而死.
These dangers have also lowered the number of Andean condors, but they face additional perils as well.
这些危险还使安第斯神鹰的数量减少,但它们也面临更多的危险。
Some South American villagers shoot condors because they believe the birds kill their livestock.
一些南美村民射杀神鹰,因为他们相信鸟会杀死他们的牲畜.
Astoundingly, at one time in the United States, fewer than ten California condors were alive in the wild.
令人惊讶的是,在美国一度,只有不到10个加利福尼亚神鹰活在野外.
The species was unbelievably close to extinction.
该物种不可思议地接近灭绝.
But in 1987, scientists humanely rescued them.
但在1987年,科学家们人道地拯救了他们.
Scientists carefully brought the condors to areas where they could safeguard the condors and help them raise their young.
科学家们小心翼翼地将神鹰带到了能够保护神鹰并帮助他们抚养幼年人的地区.
After five years and great effort, scientists began releasing California condors back into the wild.
经过了五年和巨大的努力,科学家们开始释放出加利福尼亚神鹰回到了野外.
They attached numbered tags on the birds’ wings.
他们给鸟的翅膀贴上编号标签。
These tags help the scientists know how many condors exist as well as track how they are coping.
这些标签帮助科学家们知道有多少神鹰存在,并跟踪它们是如何应对的.
By May 2013, more than 230 California condors were flying free.
至2013年5月,超过230个加州神鹰自由飞行.
In South America, organizations have secured reserves for condors.
在南美洲,各组织为神鹰提供了储备。
They’ve also worked to inform the public about extinction and to clarify that condors are not hazardous to livestock.
并澄清神鹰对牲畜无害。
Today, it is estimated that a few thousand Andean condors survive in the wild.
今天,据估计有几千个安第斯神鹰在野外生存.
Some tags on condors contain radio transmitters.
秃鹰上的一些标记上包含有无线电发射机.
They send signals showing the bird’s location.
他们发出信号显示鸟类的位置。
A Magnificent Bird If you extend your arms straight out from your sides, what do you suppose your “wingspan” is?
一个伟大的鸟 如果你从侧面伸出手臂,你认为你的"翅膀"是什么?
Whatever the measurement, it’s probably only around half the expanse of an average condor’s wingspan.
不管测量结果如何,它可能只有一般神鹰翼展的一半左右。
California and Andean condors are among the most enormous flying birds in the world.
加利福尼亚和安第斯神鹰是世界上最巨大的飞行鸟类之一.
They are very rare, so most of us can only imagine a giant condor elegantly sailing above.
它们非常罕见,所以我们大多数人只能想象出一个巨大的神鹰优雅地航行在上方.
The populations of these birds were once much larger than they are today, but they are slowly making a comeback.
这些鸟类的种群曾经比今天大得多,但是它们正在缓慢地恢复。
Threats to magnificent condors still exist, but if people understand their plight, condors may be able to soar high in the sky for years to come.
对雄伟的神鹰的威胁依然存在,但如果人们了解自己的困境,神鹰也许能够在未来数年中在天空中高涨.
Glossary adapted (v.)
调整后的词汇表(五)
changed to fit a new or specific situation or environment (p.
改为适应新的或特定的情况或环境(p.
9) cavities (n.)
9) 口腔 (n.
empty spaces inside a solid object (p.
固体对象内的空格(p.
5) conservationists (n.)
5) 保护学家 (n.
people who work to protect the environment, including animals, plants, and natural resources (p.
为保护环境而努力的人,包括动物、植物和自然资源(p.
4) currents (n.)
4) 电流 (n.
air or water that flows in a certain direction (p.
气或水会向某一方向流动(p.
6) ecosystems (n.)
6) 生态系统 (n.)
communities of living things together with their habitats (p.
生物群落及其栖息地(p.
8) inaccessibility (n.)
8) 无法进入(n.
the quality of being impossible or hard to reach (p.
无法或难以达到的质量(p.
6) raptors (n.)
6) 猛禽 (n.
birds of prey (p.
被猎物的鸟类(p.
10) reserves (n.)
10) 储备金(n.)
places where wild plants and animals are protected (p.
保护野生动植物的地方(p.
14) scavenges (v.)
14) 扫荡(五.
finds and eats scraps of garbage or animals that are already dead (p.
发现并食用已经死亡的垃圾或动物(p.
4) talons (n.)
4）利爪（名词）
claws on the feet of birds such as owls, hawks, and eagles (p.
猫头鹰,鹰等鸟类脚上的爪子和鹰(p.
10) thermal (adj.)
10)热能(adj.
of, relating to, or caused by heat (p.
(第2页)
6) vultures (n.)
6)秃鹫 (n.
large birds of prey that are scavengers, feeding mostly on dead animals (p.
大型的猎物鸟类是食腐动物,多以已死的动物为食(p.
7) A rare California condor soars above a canyon in Utah.
7)是犹他州一峡谷上方罕见的加利福尼亚神鹰.