New Words 新单词
owl (n.)
读音：[aʊl]
释义：猫头鹰（名词）
Europe(n.)
读音：[ˈjʊərəp]
释义：欧洲（名词）
intelligent (adj.)
读音：[ɪnˈtelɪdʒənt]
释义：聪明的（形容词）
able to
读音：[ˈeibl tu:]
释义：能，会
seventy (num.)
读音：[ˈsevnti]
释义：七十（数字）
smallest(adj.)
读音：['smɔ:lɪst]
释义：最小的（形容词）
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Owls live all over the world. They live in Asia, Africa and South America. They also live in Australia, North America and Europe.
猫头鹰生活在世界各地。它们生活在亚洲、非洲和南美洲。它们也生活在澳洲、北美洲和欧洲。
In North America and Europe, many people think of owls as good and intelligent birds. It is different in some other parts of the world. In some places, people think of owls as bad and dangerous.
在北美洲和欧洲，许多人认为猫头鹰是又好又聪明的鸟。这在世界其他一些地方就不一样了。在某些地方，人们认为猫头鹰又坏又危险。
We do not usually see owls in the day because at that time they are sleeping. They are able to sleep standing up in tall trees and only fly around at night. Owls are able to fly around at night because they have very good eyes. At night, they fly around hunting for insects and small animals like rats and baby chickens. When they are flying, owls are able to move their wings very quietly. Because of this, the animals they are hunting cannot hear them coming.
我们不常在白天看见猫头鹰，因为那时它们在睡觉。它们能在高高的树上站着睡觉，只在夜晚到处飞翔。猫头鹰能够在夜晚到处飞翔是因为它们视力敏锐。在夜里，它们到处飞翔去捕捉昆虫以及老鼠和小鸡这样的小型动物。当它们飞翔的时候，猫头鹰能很快地扇动它们的翅膀。因此，它们捕捉的动物听不见它们的到来。
Owls are very good at hunting because they move so quietly and because of their very good eyes and ears. They are able to hear much better than other animals. Because they can hear so well, they can hear small animals moving around on the ground. They can hear small animals from very, very far away.
猫头鹰非常善于捕猎，因为它们行动很迅速，而且它们的视力和听觉非常敏锐。它们能比其他动物听得更清楚。正因它们听力敏锐，它们能听见小型动物在地上活动。它们能在非常非常远的地方听见小型动物。
Most kinds of owls are brown and white in color and come in different sizes. The smallest can be just twelve or thirteen centimeters tall, the tallest can be sixty or even seventy centimeters.
大多数种类的猫头鹰的颜色是棕白相间，而且大小不同。最小的可以只有十二或十三厘米高，最高的可以有六十或甚至七十厘米高。
Female owls lay two to three eggs at a time. While the female is waiting to lay her eggs, she is not able to hunt for food. At that time, the male owl hunts for food and brings it to the female owl.
雌性猫头鹰一次下两三个蛋。当雌性猫头鹰在等待下蛋时，它是不能捕食的。在那时，雄性猫头鹰会捕食并带回去给雌性猫头鹰。
After the baby owls come out of their eggs, both the mother and father owl go off to hunt for food for the young owls. Baby owls need to eat a lot of food because they grow very quickly. Baby owls grow to nearly adult size in just four weeks!
小猫头鹰从蛋里孵出来后，猫头鹰父母会外出为小猫头鹰捕食。小猫头鹰需要吃很多食物，因为它们长得非常快。小猫头鹰只用四周时间就能长到成年猫头鹰大小！
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Lee and Pat are talking about owls.
李和佩特正在谈论猫头鹰。
Lee
School was interesting today, wasn’t it?
Pat
Yes, it was. It was interesting learning all about owls. I learned a lot!
Lee
I know - let’s get an owl! Let’s get an owl and keep it in our garden. It can live in one of the tall trees.
Pat
Lee, people don’t keep owls as pets. They are not like parrots. All owls are wild birds. It’s best for them to live in the forests.
Lee
Not always. The teacher told me that, in Asia, some farmers keep owls on their farms.
Pat
Really? Why do they do that?
Lee
So the owls can protect the food the farmers grow. They are able to hunt and kill rats and other animals that eat the food the farmers grow.
Pat
Really? That’s interesting. I don’t think farmers in Europe or America do that.
Lee
If we keep an owl here, we will be able to protect it and bring it food every day.
Pat
But there are no other owls in the trees around here.
Lee
So?
Pat
So if we have a female owl, it won’t be able to find a male owl.
Lee
So?
Pat
And if we have a male owl, it won’t be able to find a female owl.
Lee
So?
Pat
So our owl would not be able to make baby owls. Owls have to have babies. If they are not able to make babies, they will not be happy.
Lee
Well then, let’s get two owls. Let’s get a male and a female.
Pat
Where? Where do you think you can get owls from? They don’t sell them in shops you know.
Lee
Oh yes, that’s right. I didn’t think of that.
Pat
You know, Lee… sometimes I think you are not so intelligent.
李
今天学校很有趣，不是吗？
佩特
是的。学习所有关于猫头鹰的知识很有趣。我学了很多！
李
我知道——我们养一只猫头鹰吧！我们养一只猫头鹰，把它养在我们的花园里。它可以生活在其中一棵高大的树上。
佩特
李，人们不养猫头鹰作宠物。它们不像鹦鹉。所有的猫头鹰都是野生鸟类。它们最好生活在森林里。
李
并不总是这样。老师告诉我，在亚洲，有些农民在他们的农场上养猫头鹰。
佩特
真的吗？他们为什么要那样做？
李
那样猫头鹰就能保护农民种植的粮食。它们能捕杀老鼠和其他吃农民种植的食物的动物。
佩特
真的吗？那很有趣。我觉得欧洲或者美洲的农民不会那样做。
李
如果我们在这儿养一只猫头鹰，我们就得保护它并每天给它喂食。
佩特
但是周围的树上没有其他的猫头鹰。
李
所以呢？
佩特
所以如果我们有一只雌性猫头鹰，它将没法找到一只雄性猫头鹰。
李
所以呢？
佩特
而如果我们有一只雄性猫头鹰，它就没法找到一只雌性猫头鹰。
李
所以呢？
佩特
所以我们的猫头鹰将没法生出猫头鹰宝宝。猫头鹰得有宝宝。如果它们没法生宝宝，它们将会不开心的。
李
那么，我们养两只猫头鹰。我们养一只公的一只母的。
佩特
从哪儿？你觉得你从哪儿能弄到猫头鹰？你知道人们不在商店里出售它们的。
李
噢对，说得对。我没想到那一点。
佩特
你知道的，李……有时我觉得你没那么聪明。
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Questions
1. Do you think owls look intelligent?
2. How do owls sleep?
3. When do they hunt?
4. Are owls able to hear well?
5. How many eggs do female owls lay?
6. Why do some farmers in Asia keep owls?
7. Who wants to get an owl?
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