Lesson 9
Flying cats
飞猫
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. They never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
fascinate
v. 迷住，吸引住
affectionate
adj. 充满深情，柔情的
mysterious
adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
submissive
adj. 服从的，顺从的
feline
adj. 猫的
independence
n. 独立，独立性
high-rise
adj. 高层的
windowsill
n. 窗槛
paratrooper
n. 伞兵
squirrel
n. 松鼠
air-resistance
n. 空气阻力
impact
n. 冲击力
猫 总能引起人们的极大兴趣。它们可以对人友好，充满柔情。但是，它们又有自己神秘的生活方式。它们从不像狗和马一样变得那么顺从。结果是人们已经学会尊重 猫的独立性。在它们的一生中，大多数猫都对人存有戒心。最使我们感兴趣的一件事情就是一种通俗的信念——猫有九条命。显然，这种说法里面包含着许多真实 性。猫在跌落时能够大难不死是有事实作为依据的。 最近，纽约动物医疗中心对132只猫进行了为期5个月的综合研究。所有这些猫有一个共同的经历：它们都曾从高层建筑上摔下来过，但只有其中的8只猫死于震 荡或跌伤。当然，纽约是进行这种有趣的试验的一个理想的地方，因为那里根本不缺乏高楼大厦，有的是高层的窗槛从上往下坠落。有一只叫萨伯瑞的猫从32层楼 上掉下来，但只摔断一颗牙。“猫就像训练有素的跳伞队员，” 一位医生说。看起来，猫跌落的距离越长，它们就越不会伤害自己。在一个长长的跌落过程中，它们可以达到每小时60里甚至更快的速度。在高速下落中，猫有时 间放松自己。它们伸展四肢，就像飞行中的松鼠一样。这样就加大了空气阻力，并减少了它们着地时冲击力带来的震动。
★fascinate
v. 迷住，吸引住
be fasinated with
He is fascinated with chess.
Are you fascinated with English?
like,love,be fond of
The boy is fond of football.
be crazy <I>about:</I> 着迷
be mad about
He is crazy/mad about music.
He is fascinated with music.
fascination,fascinating
Sweet music is fascinating.
★affectionate
adj. 充满深情，柔情的
Cats are affectionate animals.
affectionately adv.
The lady is looking that man affectionately
affection n.
★mysterious
adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
a mysterious plan
a mysterious explanation
mystery n.谜面，神秘感
His death is a mystery.
★submissive
adj. 服从的，顺从的
obedinent
Are you obedient?
Dogs and horses are submissive,but Cats are never submissive to us.
be submissive to sb.
submit v.
submit oneself to sb/sth
submission n.
★feline
adj. 猫的
★independence
n. 独立，独立性
independent adj.
You have already grown up,you must be independent.
depend:依靠
You must depend on yourself
depend,dependence
independence,independent
★high-rise
adj. 高层的
★windowsill
n. 窗槛
★paratrooper
n. 伞兵
★squirrel
n. 松鼠
★air-resistance
n. 空气阻力
★impact
n. 冲击力
never fail to ,双重否定意味肯定，运用双重否定结构加深句子的语义
If you ask for help in the polite way,you never fail to succeed.
If you receive requests like this,you'll never fail to accept.
双重否定结构
1. never fail to,can't fail to,don't fail to,否定词＋fail to
2. 否定的形容词之前加以否定，unreasonable,not unreasonable
What he said is not unreasonable.
It is quite common(not unvommon) for us to make mistakes.
3.not+without
You can't obtain English without working hard.
He doesn't have any meal without meats.
4.no+not
There is no cat that doesn't like fish.
There is nothing that he can't do.
There is no rule that has no exception.
as well
as a result
have learned to :学会了，习惯了
People have learned to expect that trains are punctual.
Children have learned to expect that their parents are very able.
be suspicious of sb:对什么表示怀疑，存有戒心
one of the things that fascinates us most,that引导定语从句
that 引导同位语从句
One of the things that fascinates us most about planes is the popular fact that they are safe and fast.
turth,不可数名词，a good deal of
apparently:显然，显而意见
It seems that...
survive(v.),fall(v&n.)
a cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact
be based on: 基于事实基础之上
base sth on：把某事加强在什么基础之上
We base the theory on the fact.
The theory is based on fact.
make a study of sth:对什么作出研究
over a period of five months.
in common=the same.
fall off ：坠落，掉落
die from:死于
死于疾病：die of illness/disease/hunger/thirst.自然的死亡用of
死于非自然原因：die from shock/injures/wound ,用from
there is no shortage
shortage:缺乏＝lack,于of搭配
Shortage of money led to the failure of the experiments.
32 storeys
suffer from:遭受什么痛苦
A lot of people in the world are suffering from terrible disease.
behave like=act like
well-trained: 训练很好的，well-decorated：装饰漂亮的
the further cats fall,the less
典型的the more...the more...句型，用定冠词the修饰形容词或副词的比较级
The harder you study English ,the better you can learn it.
The more you eat,the fatter you will be.
be likely to do:有可能如何，强调可能性
In cold winter,We are likely to catch a cold.
and more :甚至更多
at high speeds
stretch out:充分伸展
1....A
endlessly fascinating 无穷的，特别吸引人的魅力
2....D
that the further cats fall,the less they are likely to injure themselves
Because they have got enought time to relax and this increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact
3....A
that the further cats fall,the less they are likely to injure themselves
