Lesson 9 Flying cats
飛貓
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?
貓從高處落下怎樣試圖保護自己的？
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings.
貓總能引起人們的極大興趣。
They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well.
它們可以對人友好，充滿柔情。但是，它們又有自己神秘的生活方式。
They never become submissive like dogs and horses.
它們從不像狗和馬一樣變得那么順從。
As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence.
結果是人們已經(jīng)學會尊重貓的獨立性。
Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives.
在它們的一生中，大多數(shù)貓都對人存有戒心。
One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives.
最使我們感興趣的一件事情就是一種通俗的信念--貓有九條命。
Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea.
顯然，這種說法里面包含著許多真實性。
A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
貓在跌落時能夠大難不死是有事實作為依據(jù)的。
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months.
最近，紐約動物醫(yī)療中心對132只貓進行了為期5個月的綜合研究。
All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries.
所有這些貓都有一個共同的經(jīng)歷：它們都曾從高層建筑上摔下來過，但只有其中的8只貓死于震蕩或跌傷。
Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings.
當然，紐約是進行這種有趣的試驗的一個理想的地方，因為那里根本不缺乏高樓大廈，
There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from!^有的是高層的窗檻從上往下墜落。
One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth.
有一只叫薩伯瑞娜的貓從32層樓上掉下來，但只摔斷了一顆牙。
'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said.
“貓就像訓練有素的跳傘隊員，” 一位醫(yī)生說。
It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves.
看起來，貓跌落的距離越長，它們就越不會傷害自己。
In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more.
在一個長長的跌落過程中，它們可以達到每小時60英里甚至更快的速度。
At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax.
在高速下落中，貓有時間放松自己。
They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels.
它們伸展四肢，就像飛行中的松鼠一樣。
This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
這樣就加大了空氣阻力，并減小了它們著地時沖擊力帶來的震動。
飛貓
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?
貓從高處落下怎樣試圖保護自己的？
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings.
貓總能引起人們的極大興趣。
They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well.
它們可以對人友好，充滿柔情。但是，它們又有自己神秘的生活方式。
They never become submissive like dogs and horses.
它們從不像狗和馬一樣變得那么順從。
As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence.
結果是人們已經(jīng)學會尊重貓的獨立性。
Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives.
在它們的一生中，大多數(shù)貓都對人存有戒心。
One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives.
最使我們感興趣的一件事情就是一種通俗的信念--貓有九條命。
Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea.
顯然，這種說法里面包含著許多真實性。
A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
貓在跌落時能夠大難不死是有事實作為依據(jù)的。
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months.
最近，紐約動物醫(yī)療中心對132只貓進行了為期5個月的綜合研究。
All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries.
所有這些貓都有一個共同的經(jīng)歷：它們都曾從高層建筑上摔下來過，但只有其中的8只貓死于震蕩或跌傷。
Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings.
當然，紐約是進行這種有趣的試驗的一個理想的地方，因為那里根本不缺乏高樓大廈，
There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from!^有的是高層的窗檻從上往下墜落。
One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth.
有一只叫薩伯瑞娜的貓從32層樓上掉下來，但只摔斷了一顆牙。
'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said.
“貓就像訓練有素的跳傘隊員，” 一位醫(yī)生說。
It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves.
看起來，貓跌落的距離越長，它們就越不會傷害自己。
In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more.
在一個長長的跌落過程中，它們可以達到每小時60英里甚至更快的速度。
At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax.
在高速下落中，貓有時間放松自己。
They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels.
它們伸展四肢，就像飛行中的松鼠一樣。
This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
這樣就加大了空氣阻力，并減小了它們著地時沖擊力帶來的震動。