1)Fennec Fox

Elinor供稿

翻譯：小新

大家還記得《瘋狂動物城》里面的芬尼克（Finnick）嗎？大家知道它是一種什么動物嗎？其實，Finnick就是由該物種（耳廓狐）的英文名fennec演化而來。本期小編就要給大家介紹這只萌萌噠耳廓狐，它的那只招風大耳并不僅僅負責賣萌哦，那可是人家覓食的神器呢！

The fennec fox is a small foxthat lives in deserts. It is the smallest of all the world’s foxes, weighing only 1 kilogram, about the size of a large house cat.

This fox is2)agile. It has huge ears and very large eyes. The large ears help the fox stay cool and help it to hear its3)preyfrom far away. Its hearing is so4)sharpthat it can hear a watch5)ticking36 meters away. It can also hear something moving underground. The fennec fox has hairy feet thatprotectitfromthe hot sand. Like most desert animals, the fennec fox can live without water for a long time.

The fennec foxes6)huntat night and they often play with their prey before they kill it. They eat rabbits, insects and small birds. If they live near a farm, they will steal the chickens. They will also eat plants. They rest during the day in a7)burrowin the sand. They live in groups ofup to10 animals. They can live for up to 10～14 years.

1) fennec ['fenek] n. 一種非洲產的大耳小狐

2) agile ['?d?a?l] adj. 機敏的

3) prey [pre?] n. 獵物

4) sharp [?ɑ?p] adj. 敏銳的

5) tick [t?k] v. 發出滴答聲

6) hunt [h?nt] v. 捕獵

7) burrow ['b?r??] n. 地洞

參考譯文

耳廓狐是生活在沙漠里的一種小型狐貍。它是世界上最小的狐貍，僅一公斤重，約一只大家貓般大。

耳廓狐很機靈。它有一對巨耳和一雙大眼。大耳能使它們保持涼爽，同時使它們聽到遠處獵物的動靜。耳廓狐的聽覺非常敏銳，它們能聽到36米開外鐘表的嘀嗒聲。它們甚至可以聽到地下物體移動的聲音。耳廓狐有毛茸茸的腳，可使它們免受熱沙燙傷。和大多數沙漠動物一樣，耳廓狐能長時間不喝水。

耳廓狐夜間捕獵，而且在弄死獵物前往往會和它們玩耍。耳廓狐吃兔子、昆蟲和小鳥。如果住在農場附近，它們還會去偷雞。它們也吃植物。它們白天在沙地的洞穴里休息，屬群居動物，通常10只一群。它們的壽命可達10～14年。

詞組加油站

★protect sb./sth. from sth.

保護，防護

e.g: Try to protect your skin from the sun.盡量不要讓皮膚曬到太陽。

1. 本句中that lives in deserts為定語從句，修飾先行詞a small fox，that為關系代詞，在定語從句中作主語。that既可指人又可指物，在從句中做主語或賓語。例如：

A plane is a machine that can fly.（做主語）飛機是一種會飛的機器。

The dumplings(that) I made were delicious.（作賓語）我做的餃子味道很好。

名師考點小結

2.up to意為“多達；高達”。例如：

I can take up to four people in my car. 我的車能載4個人。拓展：up to意為“不多于，不遲于”。例如：

Read up to page100. 讀到第100頁。Let’s Try!

請根據文章內容，在橫線上填上合適的單詞。

1. The large ears help the fox ____ cool and help it _____ its prey from far away.

2. It can also hear something ____ underground.

3. The fennec fox has hairy feet that ____ it from the hot sand.