Animal’s “Sixth Sense”
A tsunami was triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean in December, 2004. It killed tens of thousands of people in Asia and East Africa. Wild animals,____1____, seem to have escaped that terrible tsunami. This phenomenon adds weight to notions that1 they possess a “sixth sense” for____2____, experts said.
Sri Lankan wildlife officials have said the giant waves that killed over 24,000 people along the Indian Ocean island’s coast clearly____3____ wild beasts, with no dead animals found.
“No elephants are dead, not____4____ a dead rabbit. I think animals can____5____ disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening,” H. D. Ratnayake, deputy director of Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Department, said about one month after the tsunami attack. The____6____washed floodwaters up to 2 miles inland at Yala National Park in the ravaged southeast, Sri Lanka’s biggest wildlife____7____ and home to hundreds of wild elephants and several leopards.
“There has been a lot of____8____ evidence about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But it has not been proven,” said Matthew van Lierop, an animal behavior____9____ at Johannesburg Zoo.
“There have been no____10____ studies because you can’t really test it in a lab or field setting2,” he told Reuters. Other authorities concurred with this____11____ ·
“Wildlife seem to be able to pick up certain____12____ especially birds ... there are many reports of birds detecting impending disasters/’ said Clive Walker, who has written several books on African wildlife.
Animals____13____ rely on the known senses such as smell or hearing to avoid danger such as predators.
The notion of an animal “sixth sense” — or____14____ other mythical power — is an enduring one3 which the evidence on Sri Larika’s ravaged coast is likely to add to.
The Romans saw owls____15____ omens of impending disaster and many ancient cultures viewed elephants as sacred animals endowed with special powers or attributes.
词汇:
tsunami / tsʊ'næmɪ / n.海啸
trigger / 'trɪgə(r) / v.引发,触发
ravaged / 'rævɪdʒid / adj.被毁坏的
leopard / 'lepəd / n.豹
eruption / ɪ'rʌpʃən / n.喷发
migrate / maɪ'greɪt / v.迁移
volcanic / vɒl'kænɪk / adj.火山的
concur / kən'kɜː(r) / v.(with)同意,赞成
impending / ɪm'pendɪŋ / adj.迫近的
predator / 'predətə(r) / n.食肉动物
mythical / 'mɪθɪkl / adj.神话般的
owl / aʊl / n.猫头鹰
omen / 'əʊmən / n.预兆,征兆
endow / ɪn'daʊ / v.赋予
注释:
1.adds weight to notions that:更加相信
2.field setting:field意为“实地,野外”,setting意为“环境”。field setting可译为“野外环境”。
3.enduring one:由来已久的信念。one指代在句首出现的notion。enduring意为“持久的,永久的”。
练习:
1.A therefore B however C although D whatever
2.A shelters B foods C disasters D water
3.A missed B protected C raised D caught
4.A such B too C so D even
5.A feel B see C hear D sense
6.A waves B tides C winds D rivers
7.A birthplaces B playground C reserve D storage
8.A experimental B apparent C scientific D chemical
9.A specialist B assistant C supporter D sponsor
10.A additional B specific C especial D exceptional
11.A modification B detection C assessment D value
12.A route B behavior C principle D phenomenon
13.A unwillingly B occasionally C doubtfully D certainly
14.A some B much C many D few
15.A on B as C for D in
答案与题解 :
1. B 第一句说的是海啸造成了巨大的人员伤亡,第二句说的是动物能逃脱海啸的袭击。两句意思相反,所以要用 however以承接上文。
2. C上文说的是:海啸是一种自然灾害,所以“ sixth sense”范围只能是 disasters,不能是 shelters,foods或 water。
3. A 本句继续在对比海啸造成的人员伤亡和动物能逃脱海啸这一现象。答案应该是选项 A (missed)。其他三个选项的词义与上下文都不相配。
4. D从上下文判断,本句的意思应该是:没有大象死亡,甚至连一只野兔或兔子也没有死。“甚至”的英语词是 even。
5. D 全文说的是动物的第六感觉,而 feel(触觉),see,hear都属于前五个感觉,所以不是正确答案。
6. A 本句说的是海的巨浪将洪水带到离海岸远达 2英里的地方。正确答案应该是 waves。
7. C 从上下文判断,本句的意思应该是: Yala国家公园是斯里兰卡野生动物昀大的保护区,而 birthplaces(出生地)、playground (操场)和 storage(储存)都与上下文表达的意思接不上,因此不是答案。 reserve的意思是“保护区”不是“储备”或“保留”。因此,选项 C是答案。
8. B 下一句说,这些迹象 (evidence)并没有被证实。因此,这些迹象不可能是 scientific的。而 experimental和 chemical的词义与上下文不配合,因此也不是答案。只有 apparent(明显的)与上下文的意思相配。 apparent的迹象还需得到科学的验证。
9. A 在动物园里工作并发表对动物行为的专业性见解的人一定是专家学者 (specialist)。其他的三个选项都不合适。
10. B本段的第一句是说明为什么 evidence没有得到科学验证。原因是科学家无法在实验室或野外进行特定的实验,以验证动物预见灾难的第六感觉。理解了上下文的意思,就知道选 specific是昀合适的。其他三个选项的词义与上下文不符合, additional,especial和 exceptional分别是“额外的”、“特别的”和“例外的”的意思。
11. C concurred with(同意)支配的宾语应该是 view,opinion,judgment这一类词。前面句子说的是某位科学家指出无法验证动物预见灾难的第六感觉的困难所在,其他专家也同意这一看法,所以选 assessment是正确的。
12. D 本句说提动物特别是鸟有捕捉灾难来临前某些征兆的能力。 route (路线)、behavior (行为)和 principle (原则)与上述意思相去甚远,只有 phenomenon是答案。
13. D 根据常识判断,动物是要信赖味觉、听觉等逃避食肉动物的攻击。 Unwillingly(不情愿地)、 occasionally (偶尔)、doubtfully(怀疑地)与上述意思有悖,只有 certainly是合适选项。
14. A 从本句的意思判断,应该是“某种神奇的能力”,所以要选 some。
15. B本句的意思是“将…看成”,而英语的用词是 see … as,所以要选 as。
2017职称英语综合类B级完形填空辅导(3).doc