A puma at large

·Lesson 1 A puma at large 逃遁的美洲狮


Lesson 01 A Puma at large 逃遁的美洲狮
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Where must the puma have come from?

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.

The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.

The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.

The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

spot
v. 看出，发现

evidence
n. 证据

accumulate
v. 积累，积聚

oblige
v. 使……感到必须

hunt
n. 追猎；寻找

blackberry
n. 黑莓

human being
人类

corner
v. 使走投无路，使陷入困境

trail
n. 一串，一系列

print
n. 印痕

cling
v. 粘

convince
v. 使……信服

somehow
adv. 不知怎么搞地，不知什么原因

disturb
v. 令人不安

参考译文

美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物，产于美洲。当伦敦动物园接到报告说，在伦敦以南45英里处发现一只美洲狮时，这些报告并没有受到重视。可是，随着证据越来越多，动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查，因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似。
搜寻美洲狮的工作是从一座小村庄开始的。那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时的看见“一只大猫”，离她仅5码远，她刚看见它，它就立刻逃走了。专家证实，美洲狮非被逼得走投无路，是决不会伤人的。事实上搜寻工作很困难，因为常常是早晨在甲地发现那只美洲狮，晚上却在20英里外的乙地发现它的踪迹。无论它走哪儿，一路上总会留下一串死鹿及死兔子之类的小动物，在许多地方看见爪印，灌木丛中发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛。有人抱怨说夜里听见“像猫一样的叫声”；一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。专家们如今已经完全肯定那只动物就是美洲狮，但它是从哪儿来的呢？由于全国动物园没有一家报告丢了美洲狮，因此那只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏豢养的，不知怎么设法逃出来了。搜寻工作进行了好几个星期，但始终未能逮住那只美洲狮。想到在宁静的乡村里有一头危险的野兽继续逍遥流窜，真令人担心。

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生词和短语

学习词汇时仅知道汉语语义是不够的，要把单词放在语句中体会其应用

学习关键句结构是则要把它放在段落结构或文章里

puma n.美洲狮

spot v.看出, 发现

= see, pick out, recognize, catch sight of 强调结果, 辨别出, 看见, 识别, 发现

-- A tall man is easy to spot in the crowd.

-- He has good eye for spotting mistakes.

同意词：

-- find：强调发现的结果 / find out：查出事实真相

-- discover：做出重大发现 / notice：注意到

-- observe：观察 / watch：观察活动中的人或画面

Spot n.斑点

-- There is a white spot on the shirt.

on the spot有两个含义：

1> 立刻, 马上（at once, immediately）

-- Anyone breaking the rules will be asked to leave on the spot.

2> at the place of the action 在现场

-- Wherever she is needed, she is quickly on the spot.

Evidence n.证据（不可数名词）

Evident adj.明显的, 显然的 / evidently adv.明显地, 显然

Evidence = proof (n.证据)

-- When the police arrived, he had already destroyed the evidence.

in evidence 显而易见的

-- He was in evidence at the party.

Accumulate v.积累, 积聚（强调积累的过程）

-- As the evidence accumulates, experts from the zoo felt obliged to investigate.

Gather vt.聚集, 把某人召集在某处

-- The teacher gathered his students in the class

Collect vt.搜集, 采集

-- Do you collect stamps? Yes, I collect stamps as my hobby.（n.业余爱好）

Assemble v.集合, 集会 / 装配

-- A large number of people assemble on the square.

Hoard vt.大量的储存 （-- hoard up = store up 储藏）

-- The squirrel hoards up nuts for the cold winter （squirrel n.松鼠）（nut n.坚果）

amass vt.积聚（主要用于诗歌和文学作品）

-- The clouds amassed above the hills

Oblige v.使…感到必须

feel obliged to do sth 感觉有必要做某事

-- I feel obliged to say no to his demand（n.要求, 需要）

be obliged to do sth 被迫做某事

-- They were obliged to sell their car to pay their debts off.（debt n.债务）

hunt v.n.追猎, 寻找 （hunt for）

-- The experts from London zoo began to hunt (v.) for a puma.

-- The hunt (n.) for the puma proved the difficult. （prove vt.证明, 证实）

search 搜寻某处为了寻找到某人或某物

-- The police were searching the forest for the missing boy.

run after 强调追赶, 追求

-- look, a dog is running after a cat

-- what are you run after in your life

seek = pursue v.追寻(理想)

chase v.追赶 （-- They are chasing a thief / They are running after a thief）

blackberry n.黑莓 / berry n.浆果

human being 人类

corner v.使走投无路, 使陷入困境 作为动词, 经常使用被动语态

-- The thief was cornered at last

-- The problem cornered me.

corner n.角落

-- at the corner of the street -- in the corner of the room -- on the corner of the desk

Trail n.一串, 一系列

trail vt. 跟踪, 追踪（= follow）

-- The police trailed the criminal to the place where he was hiding （criminal n.罪犯）

Print n.印痕

Cling v.粘 （clung, clung, clinging）

-- She is always clinging to her mother.

-- He clung to the hope that he would succeed. 他怀有成功的希望

stick v.粘住 （-- stick the envelop）n.信封

stick to 坚持 （-- stick to the plan / stick to one’s promise）n.许诺

sticky adj.粘的 （-- sticky fingers）

convince v.使…信服

1>convince sb of sth -- I convince him of my honesty.（n.诚实, 正直） 我使他相信我的诚实。

2> be convinced that… -- I am convinced that she is honest girl.（adj.诚实的, 正直的）

somehow adv.不知怎么搞地, 不知什么原因

= by some means, in some way, for some reason unknown

-- I’ll get the book back somehow. 无论如何我要把这本书取回来。

-- I got lost somehow 不知怎么搞地, 我迷失了。

Somewhat adv.稍微, 有点, 有些 （= a little）

-- The price is somewhat higher than I expect.（high adj.高的）

disturb v.令人不安

disturbing adj.令人不安的 / disturbed adj.感到不安的

surprising adj.令人惊讶的 / surprised adj.感到惊讶的

exciting adj.令人激动的 / excited adj.感到激动的

wild adj.野性的, 野生的

investigate v.调查, 研究

description n.描写, 描述

extraordinarily adv.特别地，非常地，格外

similar adj.相似的, 类似的

attack vt.攻击

difficult adj.困难的, 艰难的 difficulty n.困难, 难点

rabbit n.兔, 野兔

paw n.手掌, 手爪

fur n.毛皮, 毛, 软毛

bush n.矮树丛

fully adv.充分地, 完全地

collector n.收藏家, 征收者

Text 课文

at large 逃遁的, 没有被控制的 -- The thief is still at large

at large 详细地（= in detail）n.细节, 详情 -- I need talk to you at large

at large 总体来讲（= as a whole）

-- The students at large are hungry for English. （hungry adj.饥饿的, 渴望的）

Where must the puma have come from?

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.

在英文的表达方式中，首先呈现给读者的是结果（和中文不同）

英文擅长用长句，中文擅长用短句。

-- Pandas are large cat-like animals which are found in Asia. （panda n.熊猫）

cat-like 猫一样的, 偷偷摸摸的 / dog-like 狗一样的 / life-like 栩栩如生的

When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.

一般来讲定语从句和同位语从句紧随在被修饰名词的后面，但为了保持句子平衡，也可以把谓语动词放到从句之前

1> 定语从句只是对于被修饰词的补充说明、修饰

-- 定语从句的引导词：

-- 指人：主语who；宾语who, whom；定语 whose

-- 指物：that（也可以指人）/ which

-- 时间状语：when / 地点状语：where / 原因状语：why

2> 同位语从句则是讲述被修饰名词的内容

-- 同位语从句的引导词：

-- 名词(做主语、宾语等)：关系词用that而不是which

-- 时间：when； 地点：where

-- 定语从句中没有what这个关系词，但what可以引导同位语从句

-- An idea came to her that she might do the experiment in another way.

-- I have no idea what has happened to him。

they were not taken seriously（they指代reports）

take sth seriously = deal with sth seriously 认真地对待某事

-- I always take your suggestions seriously.

take sth lightly 草率地对待某事 （lightly adv.轻率地）

-- Don’t take the hot potato lightly （hot potato n.棘手的问题）

However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.

However adv.然而(起转折作用)

As 连词：随着, 当...之时

过去分词做定语：

-- the descriptions given by people

-- the story told by the sailor (n.海员, 水手, 船员)

-- a book written by Luxun

claim to have done sth 声称曾经做过某事

-- He claimed to have been the manager of the large shop.

The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her.

Where a woman picking… 定语从句

-- I still remember the school where I studied English.

It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.

Confirm = be sure = be certain (confirm vt.确定)

Unless it is cornered = if it is not cornered (unless conj.如果不, 除非)

-- He will accept the job unless the salary is too low.

The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening.

search = hunt

Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.

把某物留在后面：leave behind

-- Wherever he went, the wound left behind him a trail of blood.（n.血）

Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.

英文表达方式习惯用被动语态, 突出客观事实。而中文则善于运用动作的执行者。

puma fur was found clinging to bushes. （被动）

à We found the puma fur clinging to bushes. （主动）

-- clinging to bushes是现在分词短语做宾补

Several people complained of "cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip

saw the puma up a tree.

complain of/about sth 抱怨某事

on+名词：强调动作正在进行

-- on the rise 在上升 / on the increase 在增加

-- on the watch 在观看 / on the match 在比赛中

-- on the fishing trip 在钓鱼的途中 / on holiday 在度假

The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come

from?

Fully（adv.充分地, 完全地）= completely = entirely

As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have

been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.

sth be in the possession of sb = sth be in sb's possession 某物归某人所有(主语是物)

-- The beautiful car is in my possession.= The beautiful car is in the possession of me.

Sb be in possession of sth 某人拥有某物(主语是人)

-- I am in possession of the beautiful car.（in possession of… 做表语）

-- The person in possession of the big house is excited. （in possession of… 做定语）

take possession of… 拥有…

The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.

Went on = lasted （last vi.继续, 持续）

It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

It is disturbing to think that... 一想到…就心理不安

-- It is disturbing to think that I fail my examination

in the quiet countryside 在宁静的山村

Special difficulties 难点

Exercises A

1. at/for 2. to 3. to 4. in 5. on

Exercises B

1. He is the man we have heard about so much.

2. The shelf you put those books on has collapsed.（vi.倒塌, 崩溃, 瓦解）

3.Whom did you receive a letter from?

特殊疑问句中whom 不能省略（本句）。

定语从句中Which以及指代人的做宾语的Whom, 在非正式用法当中可以省略。

省略时，介词不能前置到关系代词Whom, Which前，只能用于非固定的动词短语后面。

固定的动词短语

look for：寻找（去掉for后look没有寻找的意思，所以介词for不能前置）

非固定的动词短语

look at：注视

live in：居住（去掉in后live仍有居住的意思，所以介词in可以前置）

This is the old house in which he lived. = This is the old house he lived in.

4.This is the road we came by?

5.Where is the pencil you were playing with?

Multiple choice questions 多项选择

1… 正确答案：D in common adv.共有 （替换了similar）

2… 正确答案：B

A）只是一个具体的特定的事列，阅读理解题的时候要把握中心大意 B） large cat

persuade v.说服, 劝说

3… 答案正确：C

做理解题时要紧扣主题、紧扣中心大意。文章最后一句话总结了大意

句型结构题和词汇题是每课的关键

4… 答案正确：C

Make的用法：

make somebody do（在主动语态中不定式的符号to应该省略）

be made to do（被动语态中不定式的符号to必须补充完整）

-- They made her wait for hours. à She was made to wait for hours.

5… 答案正确： D

A）把say改成claim就对了 （-- People claimed to have seen the puma.）

D）清楚的道明了动作发生的先后关系

6… 正确答案：B

原句中的 when引导的时间状语从句表示：－...就…（as soon as）

被动：On being observed, it immediately ran away.

主动：On observing her, it immediately ran away.

On seeing me, he waved to me.

7… 正确答案：D

except可以和名词/名词性从句进行搭配（也可是when/if引导的从句形式）

unless = if...not = except on the condition that…

when = if

-- …except when they are cornered. = …except if they are cornered.

-- Whenever you come, you are welcome. = If ever you come, you are welcome.

8… 正确答案：D

A）must be只是对客观现实的推测，时态不一致

-- 对于过去事实推测一定要用：情态动词+ have +过去分词

9… 正确答案：C

on more than = nothing more than = only / within = not more than

10… 正确答案：B

in a corner 偷偷摸摸地, 暗中地, 秘密地

in a trap 落于陷阱中

at an angle 不正的, 倾斜的（angle n.角, 角度, 角落, 墙角, 棱角）

under cover 在遮蔽处, 秘密地, 暗中

11... 正确答案：B

fishes for pleasure 钓鱼消遣 travel for pleasure 外出游玩 read for pleasure 阅读消遣

12… on one's own adv.独自地, 独立地, 主动地 （= alone）

for one's own benefit 为了某人自己的利益

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