❶Red pandas

By Hainsworth/王 玲（编）

◆语篇导读

看到文章的题目，你可能会好奇，红熊猫是不是熊猫？其实，红熊猫中文学名是小熊猫，与熊猫有着相似的饮食习性，但不像熊猫那样憨态可掬。红熊猫有着红色的皮毛，动作灵巧，大多数时间生活在树上。

Red pandas live in forests high in the mountains.They usually live alone.

Red pandas spend most of their lives eating and sleeping in the trees.Their main food isshootsand leavesof bamboo plants.A red panda eats lots and lots of bamboo leaves every day.It also sleeps a lot.A red pandacurls upon a nice tree branch andwrapsits tailaroundits body like a blanket（毛毯）.When it runs to the treetop,the long claws（爪子）on its feet help it take hold of branches.Its long tail helps the red panda keep balance in the trees.A red panda climbs along the branches of a green tree,putting one claw in front of the other like a gymnast（体操运动员）on a balance beam.But then,the red panda loses its footing（立足处）.A fall from this height—about a hundred feet—could be deadly.But the red panda quickly catches hold of the branch with its sharp claws,makes itselfsafe, and keeps moving.Red pandas spend about 90 percent of their time in the trees.In fact,red pandas haveadaptedso welltolife in the trees that theyare famous fortheir excellent gymnastic skills.But red pandas can't exactly spread out their arms like a gymnast.Instead they hold their tails straight behind them.If they start to swingin one direction,they can move their tailsthe opposite way.And they jump down trees headfirst.How?They turn their ankles（脚踝）180 degrees—that means they are able to turn their feet backward!The move gives their claws a better angle（角度）tohang on tothe tree.And the special fingers and toes help them climb down trees headfirst.When red pandas need to cool off,they hang their legs down the sides of branches.

They are cute,aren't they?But now they are endangered.

◆语块收藏

shoots and leaves嫩芽和树叶

curl up蜷缩起来

wrap around用……缠绕

adapt to适应

be famous for因……而著名

in one direction朝着一个方向

the opposite way相反的方式

hang on to紧紧握住

◆典句赏析

1.A red panda climbs along the branches of a green tree,putting one claw in front of the other like a gymnast on a balance beam.一只红熊猫沿着绿树的树枝爬行，它把一只爪子放在另一只的前面，像体操运动员在平衡木上一样。

现在分词短语putting one claw...在句中作状语，意为“把一只爪子放在……”，表示谓语动词climb的伴随状况；like在这里作介词，意为“像……一样”，后接名词或代词。

2.But the red panda quickly catches hold of the branch with its sharp claws,makes itself safe,and keeps moving.但是这只红熊猫快速地用锋利的爪子抓住树枝，让自己平稳，然后继续往前移动。

catch hold of是固定短语，意为“抓住；捉住”；with是介词，意为“用……（工具）”；makes itself safe是“make+名词（代词）+形容词”结构，意为“使某人……”，该名词（代词）作make的宾语，形容词作名词（代词）的宾语补足语。

3.They turn their ankles 180 degrees—that means they are able to turn their feet backward!它们把脚踝转动180度，这就意味着它们能够把脚向后转动！

复合句that means they are able to turn their feet backward对破折号前面的句子作进一步解释说明，此句为宾语从句。句中的they are able to turn their feet backward作动词me

ans的宾语。be able to...是情态动词短语，意为“有能力……”，后接动词原形。

◆理解自测

根据短文内容，从A、B、C、D四个选项中选择适当的答案。

1.A red panda lives mainly on _________most of time.

A.the mountain B.a blanket

C.the branches of a tree D.a balance beam

2.A red panda keeps balanced with its _________.

A.feet B.claws C.tail D.a balance beam

3.Red pandas climb and jump down trees headfirst because of__________ .

A.their special claws B.their special tails

C.their special feet D.their special fingers and toes

4.What does this passage want us to know?

A.Red pandas'life style. B.Red pandas'climbing trees.

C.Red pandas are endangered. D.Red pandas'claws and feet.

◆词句微练

根据所给汉语句子，完成下列英语句子。每空词数不限。1

.四川卧龙以熊猫闻名。

Wolong,Sichuan______________________________________________________________.

2.北方人不适应南方的潮湿天气。

People in the north_______________________________________the weather in the south.

3.横过街道时，小姑娘紧抓着她妈妈的手。

The little girl_______________________her mother's hand when they crossed the street.

4.听到枪声，鸟儿都向四面八方飞走了。

Hearing the gunshot,the birds flew away ______________________________.

5.确保你认识路，否则你会朝相反方向走。

Make sure you know the way,or you will go __________________________.

6.中学生每天要花费大量的时间读书和写作业。

Middle school students ____________________reading and doing homework every day.