Discover more about the world’s biggest mammals
海中巨人：鯨 , 一同來探索更多全球最大型哺乳 類動物的奧祕
"There she blows!"
That famous line from Herman Melville's famous 1851 novel, Moby Dick, evokes images of Captain Ahab and his sailors on their search for the great white whale. Today people still go in search of the great whales, hoping for a glimpse of them in their natural habitat.
A mystery
These giant marine mammals have always fascinated humans because of their enormous size as well as their mysterious ways.
The sperm whale, for example, is an elusive creature that lives in remote waters and has rarely been tagged with long-distance tracking devices by researchers. For that reason, not much is known about these whales. Researchers have discovered that sperm whales are the largest toothed animal, reaching 18 meters, and that they have the largest brain of any animal. It is believed that while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters and stay under water for at least 90 minutes.
Squid is their favorite food, and sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. Battle scars in the form of permanent squid sucker marks provide evidence of deep-sea battles.
Blue whales
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world, many weighing up to 180,000 kilograms and reaching lengths of over 30 meters. They are long and slender with a bluish-gray color and a heart that weights as much as a small car.
These sea giants are baleen whales, meaning they have a comb-like ridge on the top and bottom of their mouths where teeth are normally found. These whales take in water as they swim, and the baleen, equipped with bristles, filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. These whales eat around 40 million krill per day, totaling over 3,600 kilograms.
Blue whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but over-hunting has nearly driven them to extinction; today it is believed that only a few thousand remain.
Gray whales
Gray whales are another kind of baleen whale. They typically swim along the ocean bottom, using their mouths to suck up mud and their baleen to filter their prey.
With heads usually covered in barnacles gray whales are easy to recognize and not shy, often swimming alongside boats and watching the people aboard.
Orcas
These stylish black and white mammals are probably the most easily identifiable whales in the sea. Also called "Killer whales" because of their aggressive predatory style, orcas prey on seals, sharks and even other whales. Orcas often travel, live and hunt in groups called "pods," which are somewhat similar to a pack of wolves. Killer whales can be found in every ocean around the world and have no natural predator except humans.
Whale-watching locations
Here are some of the best places to catch sight of these giant mammals:
Canada
Some of the world's best whale-watching can be done in British Columbia. Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, Canada. Orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales and others can all be spotted from May through October.
Hawaii
Another great location is Hawaii, where more than 6,000 humpback whales migrate to the islands' warm waters to mate and give birth. Whale-watching season runs from November through early May.
Alaska
With a season that begins in April and almost never ends, you'll spot orcas, minke and gray whales.
Other places like Mexico, Iceland, Britain, Norway and the Arctic will also afford you once-in-a-lifetime views of these astonishing creatures of the sea.
Grammar Gym:
.....while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters...
"While + verb(1) -ing, subject + verb(2).
While shopping for grocery, Betsy looks for discounts.
While cleaning the house, Sam keeps his TV on.
Vocabulary Tips:
evoke -bring it out, bring it out of someone, bring it out to your mind, memory of childhood....引起，挑起，唤起，使想起。
*The music and decorations of the cafe' evoke a feeling of the 70s.
*The smell of apple pie evokes fond memories of time spent with my grandparents.
elusive -very difficult to catch or to find it.难以捉摸的，神出鬼没的。
*This rare and elusive species of bird is sold at a very high price.
*The novelist is elusive and can only be contacted by email.
forage - seeking food.觅食。
*A brown bear was discovered foraging in the backyard of a residence.
forage - seeking.搜寻，寻找。
*The homeless children foraged for scraps of food on the streets.
scar (v), (n) - something stay on skin after healed from wound.伤疤，伤痕。疤痕。
*The car accident left him with a large scar on his forehead.
scarred -。疤痕，留下伤痕的
*Nick's face was scarred by a piece of glass.
ridge - the edge of something, the top of the mountain. the door edge that easy to tape people to fall.崇起的部分，山脊。
*Trying to fix the antenna, Dad sat on the ridge of the root.
*The mountaineers finally reached the mountain ridge at 4 p.m.
filter (v) -screen out.过滤，滤除。
*The water in the pool was filtered before it was recycled.
*All the boss' emails are filtered by his secretary.
filter (n)-过滤器，（过）滤网。
*The AC filter needs to be cleaned periodically.
prey -a target food that animal searches and catch. 掠物。动物捕食的 掠物。
*Spiders catch their prey with their elaborate webs.
*An eagle is hovering above looking for its prey.
prey - a target for fishing. 作为伤害或愚弄的对象。
*Many burglars or robbers see old people as easy prey.
alongside -beside of something. 并排，沿着。。。，
*I rode my bike alongside my brother's 并排
*Many tourists strolled alongside the River Seine.沿着。。。
alongside - with someone together.和某对象一起。
*Jessie has been working alongside Jeff ten years. 和。。一起工作了十年。
enormous - very big, huge.
believe - something you are not 100 percent sure.
mammal - female animals can produce milk.
habitat - where animal lives.
take in something (by or from your eyes, mind, mouth or nose).
bristle (n)-刚毛，猪鬃，植物的刺毛。(vi) 发怒，林立，毛发竖立。
bristled (adj) - 有刚毛的，多刺毛的，倒立的，竖立的。
drive to -cause. drive me to anger; the car break down all the time drive me to buy a new one.
predatory -hunt fro prey. 掠食性的，肉食性的。
*Many predatory mammals have sharp teeth and strong jaws.
predator -An animal that need to eat other animals and hunt animals for food.掠食者。
*Antelopes run extremely fast so they can escape from their predators.
wolf (n) - wolves.狼
*You can hear wolves crying during the night.
wolfed (adj) -狼吞虎咽。
*My son's soccer-team friends wolfed down eight large pizzas after the game.
migrate -move from one place to another. 迁移，迁徙 'migra' -“漂泊”之意。
*Canadian Geese migrate between Canada and United States.加拿大的飞雁。。
migrating /migration (n) -迁移，迁徙
*The massive migration of farmers to cities has caused a lot of social problems. 大量的农夫迁移到。。。
astonishing -惊人的，令人惊讶，讶异的。
*The circus performance is astonishing. ( astonishing performance)
astonish (adj) -使人惊讶的，令人惊心的。
*The couple's sudden breakup astonished many of their friends.
have no natural predator except human - No predator hunt Orcas for food except human.
catch sight of something - to spot of something, see, enjoy and share a short of moment.
run from ....through.....- start at the certain date, continue a period of time and end at a certain date.
prey on animal- seek for food on animals, not people.
Language Tips:
rule-规则。
guidelines -规则，大方向。
double negative -双重否定法，在英文中不建议多用，是比较粗俗的英文，但运用的当，更显得特别。同样的，英文中有个规则，一段中要有五个句子。但是本文作者并未如此作，是因为英文是活的，太拘泥于形式，规则，会令文章显得呆板，挥洒不开，了无新意。
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baleen whales - 鬚鲸。鲸的一种。baleen (n) -鲸鬚
fine-tooth comb -齿牙很密的梳子，古时人用来移除头发上，头虱的卵子。
“go over something with a fine-tooth comb”.彻底的，仔细地检查，寻找。。如编辑仔细校对文稿。
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beached - 搁浅在沙滩上的。
beach -沙滩，海滩。
a beached whale -被搁浅在沙滩上的鯨鱼。
I feel like a beached whale -被搁浅在沙滩上的鯨鱼，（是鯨鱼最不喜欢的事）如果一个人‘在进退维谷，动弹不得的窘境，就可以说“I feel like a beached whale”。
whale (adj) - huge, very big.
a whale of something. - very big of something/very good of something.
There's a big difference. -很大的不同。= There is a whale of difference. (口语 )
There is a whale of problem. -很大的问题
whale - very good. 很棒，很好。
a whale of something - very big of something/very good of something。
you did a whale of a job.-表现的很棒。
I had a whale of a time.超开心的。很愉悦的时光。
Taking notes of StudioClassroom
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Springtails
These tiny
animals are one of nature’s greatest success stories!
認識小小生物「跳蟲」 -這些小小生物是大自然最優秀的 物種之一！
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. When they are disturbed, their tails pop out very quickly. This action sends them springing as high as 100 millimeters into the air. That's amazing since most are only a few millimeters long!
Besides jumping springtails have another special ability. They make the soil cleaner because they eat fungus and dead plant material. Their eating habits help reduce the levels of bad chemicals in the soil.
With more than 6,000 different species, springtails come in many shapes, sizes and colors. These tiny, insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups. Some areas have as many a a million springtails per acre of soil! That's why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals on Earth.
In 1996 in Austria, fireman were called about a chemical spill. They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn't chemicals, but several million springtails. Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles. They jump together in the same direction. People watching might think a giant puddle is moving.
Grammar Tips:
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring.
well - how something is done. That was a job well done!
well - here is filler that give people to think.
A: Why did you do that?
B: Well, I wasn't paying attention.
A: Do we all have to clean the kitchen?
B: Well, you could take the trash out.
"well" - get a pause let people to think or have something to say.
Vocabulary Tips:
pop out / popping out/ popped out -弹出，跳出，
*My eyes almost popped out of my head when I heard the news.
pop out -也指“出去,冒出来了”
*Sam popped out to get some pizza and drinks and will be right back.
reduce - make less.减少，降低。
*The doctor suggested Rita reduce her calorie intake to control her weight.
*The company will reduce their workforce by 20%.
species (n) -单，复数拼法相同都要有"s"在字尾。生物的物种，种类，种，外形。
*There's hundreds of species of butterflies in Taiwan.
*This flower species is rare and can only be found in this area.
creature (n) -创造物，生物。 create (v)-创造
*This creature can survive in extreme weather conditions.
creature -人
*I have to keep the secret and cannot tell a single creature. 任何一个人。
Language Tips:
nature -大自然
Mother Nature -大自然之母。大地之母。
personification -凝人化，赋予生命给事物，使其凝人化。
Mother Nature smiled on us with this warm weather.凝人化，称大自然为大自然之母。
nature vs. nurture.自然 vs.养育
nature -自然，天然。
nurture -养育，包括供养，抚育以及教育，训练等。
Taking notes of study "StudioClassroom"
認識小小生物「跳蟲」 -這些小小生物是大自然最優秀的 物種之一！
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. When they are disturbed, their tails pop out very quickly. This action sends them springing as high as 100 millimeters into the air. That's amazing since most are only a few millimeters long!
Besides jumping springtails have another special ability. They make the soil cleaner because they eat fungus and dead plant material. Their eating habits help reduce the levels of bad chemicals in the soil.
With more than 6,000 different species, springtails come in many shapes, sizes and colors. These tiny, insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups. Some areas have as many a a million springtails per acre of soil! That's why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals on Earth.
In 1996 in Austria, fireman were called about a chemical spill. They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn't chemicals, but several million springtails. Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles. They jump together in the same direction. People watching might think a giant puddle is moving.
Grammar Tips:
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring.
well - how something is done. That was a job well done!
well - here is filler that give people to think.
A: Why did you do that?
B: Well, I wasn't paying attention.
A: Do we all have to clean the kitchen?
B: Well, you could take the trash out.
"well" - get a pause let people to think or have something to say.
Vocabulary Tips:
pop out / popping out/ popped out -弹出，跳出，
*My eyes almost popped out of my head when I heard the news.
pop out -也指“出去,冒出来了”
*Sam popped out to get some pizza and drinks and will be right back.
reduce - make less.减少，降低。
*The doctor suggested Rita reduce her calorie intake to control her weight.
*The company will reduce their workforce by 20%.
species (n) -单，复数拼法相同都要有"s"在字尾。生物的物种，种类，种，外形。
*There's hundreds of species of butterflies in Taiwan.
*This flower species is rare and can only be found in this area.
creature (n) -创造物，生物。 create (v)-创造
*This creature can survive in extreme weather conditions.
creature -人
*I have to keep the secret and cannot tell a single creature. 任何一个人。
Language Tips:
nature -大自然
Mother Nature -大自然之母。大地之母。
personification -凝人化，赋予生命给事物，使其凝人化。
Mother Nature smiled on us with this warm weather.凝人化，称大自然为大自然之母。
nature vs. nurture.自然 vs.养育
nature -自然，天然。
nurture -养育，包括供养，抚育以及教育，训练等。
Taking notes of study "StudioClassroom"
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound Their Sound
Breaking the code of seal
communication
海豹的聲音密碼 -
"It's striking how rare physical fights are," said Colleen Reichmuth, research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory. But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer fight, it's bloody and violent.
Once hunted to near-extinction, the northern elephant seals have rebounded. Now, scientists are concerned about the potential human impact on the growing population, and they hope that understanding the seals' communication and organization will help protect the bulbous-nosed cutie-pies.
"The more we can learn, the more we can predict how they'll respond to these types of encroachments and better protect them," said Caroline Casey, the project's field research coordinator. And as winter ends it might seem quiet during a visit to Ano Nuevo because most of the seals have left this favored breeding ground.
Make no mistake, though, they are among the loudest animals on land. Their calls can (be) as loud as a jackhammer, with frequencies low enough to vibrate the sand around them. To understand what all the fuss is about, Southall has been recording their rumblings from 3 feet away.
"It's kind of crazy to think you're so close to 4,000-pound males while they're trying to fight," he said. "You can feel it resonating in your chest and sinus cavities." The team found that each male has a unique call. " Caroline knows these individuals so well she can recognize them from the other side of the dunes," ROichmuth said of Casey.
One male, "3C." produces a measured series of clanging pulses. Another's call has the rhythm of a galloping horse. Other males sound like chainsaws, flamenco dances or shuffling a deck of cards. Some, like "3C," begin and end their calls with a special touch - " a snorty flourish," according to Reichmuth.
This season, scientists used a speaker to broadcast recorded elephant seal calls to specific males on the beach. One seal when hearing the recording turned around and sped away. Another charged the speaker. "We've had a few speakers run over," Reichmuth said.
The different responses indicate that the calls are important, and the next step is figuring out what's encoded in the grunty orations. "There's no one thing about the sound that allows you to know whether it's a big male, or a dominant male, "Reichmuth said. When the seals return next winter, scientists will be there once more. "It's kind of addicting," Reichmuth said, "sometimes the people migrate back as well."
Grammar Tips:
"It's striking how rare physical fights are...."
"striking" - hit, when iron is hot we strike it. here means: "very noticeable".
something very strange or noticeable, you can use this word - "striking".
"The tourist found it striking that all the public bathrooms were so clean."
"She is very striking." - when a nice looking lady walk by get all people's attention.
Vocabulary Tips:
vocalization (n)-make sound from vocal core.发声，发声法。
vocal - 声音。
*Whales use vocalization to locate their schools.
vocalize (v)-use your voice to communicate, or just make noise.发声，说出。
*He couldn't vocalize his feelings because he was too shy.
grumbly -低吼
*The bear's grumbly growl scared the intruder.
grumble (v)-抱怨，发牢骚。（雷）隆隆声，怨言，喃喃抱怨。
*Vivian grumbled that she always has to help people with their workloads.
smack-talk : talk with some language that not suppose t use on others, humiliated people, try to gain some territories and show who's boss. 叫嚣，挑起争端，挑衅。
smack -一下子打人或甩打。
*Crazy fans exchanged smack-talk after the game. 互相挑衅。
* Leo's smack-talk on Facebook caused him a lot of troubles.
cognition - knowing. the process of mantle knowing and thinking.认知。
*The development of children's cognition can be enhanced by good stimulation.
*Philip's brain injury affected his cognition and memory.影响他的认知与记忆力。
snorty - make snore sound.
armed - carrying with with you. carry a weapon, here is carry microphones.
dune - a kind like mountain of sand.沙丘
grunt (n) grunts - 哼，(v)火鱼。诉怨，咕噜咕噜，不满之声。
growl (n) growls -犬吠声，怒吠，咆哮，鸣不平，隆隆声，抱怨，发牢骚。 (v) （犬）发出怒吠声）
fascinating - very interesting to something.
showing who's bass - showing who is in charge.
come to blows - get angry and start to a fight.
"the more...the more" - The more time spend in the zoo, the more animal I can see. The more study this, the more interesting I found.
bulbous (adj) - bulb , round shape. like light bulb.
rebound -recover, regain.回升，重振旗鼓。（重音在第二节）
*The stock market rebounded yesterday after a week's poor performance.
rebound -反弹。（注意，重音在第一节）
encroachment - someone come up to your territory and take in charge of it. 侵犯，侵占，侵入。
*The range of rain-forests is gradually shrinking because of the encroachment of land development.
encroach (v) -接 (on)
*Our neighbor's shed encroached on our land.
rumbling (n)-noise it's short but long and continue.隆隆声，（地震动发出的隆隆声，或打雷的隆隆声）或是 people discuss something, you heard the talk sound but not sure what they talk about it.
rumble -隆隆作响的。
*After living here for a while, I got used to the rumblings of the trains passing by.
*The rumbling of the thunder frightened the baby.
cavity - hole, open area of inside of your body. 腔。
sinus cavity -鼻腔。
*The doctor looked at the patient's X-ray to make sure his chest cavity was clear.
cavity (n)-蛀牙。
*The cavity needs to be filled. 蛀牙需要填补。
Make no mistake - 小心，注意，没弄错。
"What's all the fuss about?" -当外面挤满了很多人或是有吵闹声，打架，争执等，你可以使用此句子。
resonating -回响，共鸣。
resonate -共鸣，共振，回响
resonating box -共鸣箱。
gallop (v) - horse run fast, horse fast running sound. 马匹奔驰 ，骑马奔驰。
*The race horses started to gallop once they heard the signal.
*The cowboy jumped on his horse and galloped away.
shuffle (v)- 洗牌。
*It's my turn to shuffle the cars.
*The dealer professionally shuffled the playing cards.
shuffle -拖着脚走。走路时，脚跟不抬起来， 拖着脚跟走。
*Mom always reminds me not to shuffle when I walk. 走路脚跟抬起来，不要 拖着脚跟走
encode - creating a code.弄成密码，编成密码。 "en" -有“使成为”之意。
code - create something that only you know.密码，加密的。
*The confidential data were encoded. 机密质料被编上了密码。
*These encoded files are accessible only to be supervisors.编上了密码的档案只有。。。能取得。
decode - release or break the code. figure out what the code is.
oration - speech. 演说，演讲，口若悬河。
*The novelist's oration at the awards ceremony touched a lot of people.
*The speaker delivered an oration on the subject of single parents.
"special touch" - add more personal touch to it. add something special make it unique.
flourish - spread, sprout. flower blooming.欣欣向荣，兴旺，盛开。
charge (v)- attack, run at it very fast. 对着目标冲上去。
run over - step over, went over.
grunty - from "grunt", add "y" made it into "adj".
big male / dominant male -
big male - the size is huge, big.
dominant male - the male who is in charge.
addicting - addict - something you are very interested and have draw into it. 上瘾，着迷。
Language Tips:
the northern elephant seals -北方象鼻海豹。
elephant -（体型庞大如大象）
Ford Explorer -巨大的体型重量，可比福特的探险家野外重型车型。
trunk -象鼻子。北方象鼻海豹脸部也有如象般的鼻子。
whiskers -胡须，象和北方象鼻海豹都有胡须。
elephant seal -有都善于在水中游泳，因而有“象鼻海豹”
---------------------------------------------------------------
mister-对不认识，不熟的男士，称“mister”。
ma'am -对不认识，不熟的女士，称“ma'am ”。
nickname -小名，对很亲密的人，称呼他们的小名。如下：
Robert - can be called "Rob, or Bobby"
pet name -昵称，对更亲密的人的昵称。
darling -亲爱的。
sweetheart -甜心。
honey -蜜糖。
cutie-pie : 此称那些可爱的海豹们。
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migrate -迁徙， 迁移。
Elephant seals migrate twice a year.
molt - take out of skin. 脱皮，脱（羽）毛，蛇脱皮，脱壳。
molt its skin.
Taking notes of study "Studio Classroom".
海豹的聲音密碼 -
"It's striking how rare physical fights are," said Colleen Reichmuth, research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory. But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer fight, it's bloody and violent.
Once hunted to near-extinction, the northern elephant seals have rebounded. Now, scientists are concerned about the potential human impact on the growing population, and they hope that understanding the seals' communication and organization will help protect the bulbous-nosed cutie-pies.
"The more we can learn, the more we can predict how they'll respond to these types of encroachments and better protect them," said Caroline Casey, the project's field research coordinator. And as winter ends it might seem quiet during a visit to Ano Nuevo because most of the seals have left this favored breeding ground.
Make no mistake, though, they are among the loudest animals on land. Their calls can (be) as loud as a jackhammer, with frequencies low enough to vibrate the sand around them. To understand what all the fuss is about, Southall has been recording their rumblings from 3 feet away.
"It's kind of crazy to think you're so close to 4,000-pound males while they're trying to fight," he said. "You can feel it resonating in your chest and sinus cavities." The team found that each male has a unique call. " Caroline knows these individuals so well she can recognize them from the other side of the dunes," ROichmuth said of Casey.
One male, "3C." produces a measured series of clanging pulses. Another's call has the rhythm of a galloping horse. Other males sound like chainsaws, flamenco dances or shuffling a deck of cards. Some, like "3C," begin and end their calls with a special touch - " a snorty flourish," according to Reichmuth.
This season, scientists used a speaker to broadcast recorded elephant seal calls to specific males on the beach. One seal when hearing the recording turned around and sped away. Another charged the speaker. "We've had a few speakers run over," Reichmuth said.
The different responses indicate that the calls are important, and the next step is figuring out what's encoded in the grunty orations. "There's no one thing about the sound that allows you to know whether it's a big male, or a dominant male, "Reichmuth said. When the seals return next winter, scientists will be there once more. "It's kind of addicting," Reichmuth said, "sometimes the people migrate back as well."
Grammar Tips:
"It's striking how rare physical fights are...."
"striking" - hit, when iron is hot we strike it. here means: "very noticeable".
something very strange or noticeable, you can use this word - "striking".
"The tourist found it striking that all the public bathrooms were so clean."
"She is very striking." - when a nice looking lady walk by get all people's attention.
Vocabulary Tips:
vocalization (n)-make sound from vocal core.发声，发声法。
vocal - 声音。
*Whales use vocalization to locate their schools.
vocalize (v)-use your voice to communicate, or just make noise.发声，说出。
*He couldn't vocalize his feelings because he was too shy.
grumbly -低吼
*The bear's grumbly growl scared the intruder.
grumble (v)-抱怨，发牢骚。（雷）隆隆声，怨言，喃喃抱怨。
*Vivian grumbled that she always has to help people with their workloads.
smack-talk : talk with some language that not suppose t use on others, humiliated people, try to gain some territories and show who's boss. 叫嚣，挑起争端，挑衅。
smack -一下子打人或甩打。
*Crazy fans exchanged smack-talk after the game. 互相挑衅。
* Leo's smack-talk on Facebook caused him a lot of troubles.
cognition - knowing. the process of mantle knowing and thinking.认知。
*The development of children's cognition can be enhanced by good stimulation.
*Philip's brain injury affected his cognition and memory.影响他的认知与记忆力。
snorty - make snore sound.
armed - carrying with with you. carry a weapon, here is carry microphones.
dune - a kind like mountain of sand.沙丘
grunt (n) grunts - 哼，(v)火鱼。诉怨，咕噜咕噜，不满之声。
growl (n) growls -犬吠声，怒吠，咆哮，鸣不平，隆隆声，抱怨，发牢骚。 (v) （犬）发出怒吠声）
fascinating - very interesting to something.
showing who's bass - showing who is in charge.
come to blows - get angry and start to a fight.
"the more...the more" - The more time spend in the zoo, the more animal I can see. The more study this, the more interesting I found.
bulbous (adj) - bulb , round shape. like light bulb.
rebound -recover, regain.回升，重振旗鼓。（重音在第二节）
*The stock market rebounded yesterday after a week's poor performance.
rebound -反弹。（注意，重音在第一节）
encroachment - someone come up to your territory and take in charge of it. 侵犯，侵占，侵入。
*The range of rain-forests is gradually shrinking because of the encroachment of land development.
encroach (v) -接 (on)
*Our neighbor's shed encroached on our land.
rumbling (n)-noise it's short but long and continue.隆隆声，（地震动发出的隆隆声，或打雷的隆隆声）或是 people discuss something, you heard the talk sound but not sure what they talk about it.
rumble -隆隆作响的。
*After living here for a while, I got used to the rumblings of the trains passing by.
*The rumbling of the thunder frightened the baby.
cavity - hole, open area of inside of your body. 腔。
sinus cavity -鼻腔。
*The doctor looked at the patient's X-ray to make sure his chest cavity was clear.
cavity (n)-蛀牙。
*The cavity needs to be filled. 蛀牙需要填补。
Make no mistake - 小心，注意，没弄错。
"What's all the fuss about?" -当外面挤满了很多人或是有吵闹声，打架，争执等，你可以使用此句子。
resonating -回响，共鸣。
resonate -共鸣，共振，回响
resonating box -共鸣箱。
gallop (v) - horse run fast, horse fast running sound. 马匹奔驰 ，骑马奔驰。
*The race horses started to gallop once they heard the signal.
*The cowboy jumped on his horse and galloped away.
shuffle (v)- 洗牌。
*It's my turn to shuffle the cars.
*The dealer professionally shuffled the playing cards.
shuffle -拖着脚走。走路时，脚跟不抬起来， 拖着脚跟走。
*Mom always reminds me not to shuffle when I walk. 走路脚跟抬起来，不要 拖着脚跟走
encode - creating a code.弄成密码，编成密码。 "en" -有“使成为”之意。
code - create something that only you know.密码，加密的。
*The confidential data were encoded. 机密质料被编上了密码。
*These encoded files are accessible only to be supervisors.编上了密码的档案只有。。。能取得。
decode - release or break the code. figure out what the code is.
oration - speech. 演说，演讲，口若悬河。
*The novelist's oration at the awards ceremony touched a lot of people.
*The speaker delivered an oration on the subject of single parents.
"special touch" - add more personal touch to it. add something special make it unique.
flourish - spread, sprout. flower blooming.欣欣向荣，兴旺，盛开。
charge (v)- attack, run at it very fast. 对着目标冲上去。
run over - step over, went over.
grunty - from "grunt", add "y" made it into "adj".
big male / dominant male -
big male - the size is huge, big.
dominant male - the male who is in charge.
addicting - addict - something you are very interested and have draw into it. 上瘾，着迷。
Language Tips:
the northern elephant seals -北方象鼻海豹。
elephant -（体型庞大如大象）
Ford Explorer -巨大的体型重量，可比福特的探险家野外重型车型。
trunk -象鼻子。北方象鼻海豹脸部也有如象般的鼻子。
whiskers -胡须，象和北方象鼻海豹都有胡须。
elephant seal -有都善于在水中游泳，因而有“象鼻海豹”
---------------------------------------------------------------
mister-对不认识，不熟的男士，称“mister”。
ma'am -对不认识，不熟的女士，称“ma'am ”。
nickname -小名，对很亲密的人，称呼他们的小名。如下：
Robert - can be called "Rob, or Bobby"
pet name -昵称，对更亲密的人的昵称。
darling -亲爱的。
sweetheart -甜心。
honey -蜜糖。
cutie-pie : 此称那些可爱的海豹们。
-----------------------------------------------------------------
migrate -迁徙， 迁移。
Elephant seals migrate twice a year.
molt - take out of skin. 脱皮，脱（羽）毛，蛇脱皮，脱壳。
molt its skin.
Taking notes of study "Studio Classroom".
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Trekking Through the Trees
有種冒險在樹梢等著你Adventure awaits in the treetops. by Chelsea Ewald
Tarzan's effortless flights through jungle treetops have had humans living vicariously through him for decades. If only swinging from branch to branch through the jungle rooftop were as feasible for real people. Thanks to canopy trekking, now it is! Today, humans can walk or "fly" through leafy treetops, all the while enjoying nature at its finest.
How it all started
Humans have long been drawn to the mysteries of rainforest canopies. Suspended at around 40 m in the air, these canopies are the most productive habitats on Earth. As much as 40 percent of the world's species spend their lives living among the canopy branches! That's not surprising seeing as the green canopy leaves receive so much sunlight that there is constant food and warmth.
Grammar Tips
I wish =if only
"If only" is a formal way to say "I wish"
If only my house were bigger.
I wish my house were bigger.
I wish the theater tickets were cheaper.
If only the theater tickets were cheaper.
Vocabulary Tips
trek- walk, a long distance hiking. 健行，或緩慢艱辛地跋涉。trekked/trekking
*We trekked through the forest and reached the lake in the afternoon.
*Sam and his friends went trekking in the mountains last weekend. 去健行
vicariously-experience it by watching or listen, not self do it.代替地，間接地，
*Through the author's description we can vicariously experience his exotic journey.
*Those who are addicted to online games live vicariously through computers and stop living in the real world.
surveillance-監視，監督，
*The thief tampered with several surveillance cameras.
*The police put the suspect under surveillance last week. 在什麽的監視下，用 "under"
Chat Room
thank you-謝謝
thanks to you-because of you (being sarcastic) the situation caused because of you.
Thanks to your foolishness, we lost a lot of money.
No thanks to you-- you didn't get any help from someone. Someone did not helping you, instead, he/she intended to hinder you from doing something.
I finally got my license, no thanks to you! (you didn't give me any help)
Thanks, but no thanks-- is a polite way to refuse people's offer. （禮貌地說：不，謝謝）
Tarzan's effortless flights through jungle treetops have had humans living vicariously through him for decades. If only swinging from branch to branch through the jungle rooftop were as feasible for real people. Thanks to canopy trekking, now it is! Today, humans can walk or "fly" through leafy treetops, all the while enjoying nature at its finest.
How it all started
Humans have long been drawn to the mysteries of rainforest canopies. Suspended at around 40 m in the air, these canopies are the most productive habitats on Earth. As much as 40 percent of the world's species spend their lives living among the canopy branches! That's not surprising seeing as the green canopy leaves receive so much sunlight that there is constant food and warmth.
Scientists were among the first to understand the vast diversity of rainforest canopies. In the 1970s they began to study canopies by using ropes to access their heights and building platforms for long-term surveillance. Today, even more elaborate methods are used to study the canopies. One of those methods, canopy walkways, has recently become more than a science project-canopy walkways are now popular tourist attractions too.
Grammar Tips
I wish =if only
"If only" is a formal way to say "I wish"
If only my house were bigger.
I wish my house were bigger.
I wish the theater tickets were cheaper.
If only the theater tickets were cheaper.
Vocabulary Tips
trek- walk, a long distance hiking. 健行，或緩慢艱辛地跋涉。trekked/trekking
*We trekked through the forest and reached the lake in the afternoon.
*Sam and his friends went trekking in the mountains last weekend. 去健行
vicariously-experience it by watching or listen, not self do it.代替地，間接地，
*Through the author's description we can vicariously experience his exotic journey.
*Those who are addicted to online games live vicariously through computers and stop living in the real world.
surveillance-監視，監督，
*The thief tampered with several surveillance cameras.
*The police put the suspect under surveillance last week. 在什麽的監視下，用 "under"
Chat Room
thank you-謝謝
thanks to you-because of you (being sarcastic) the situation caused because of you.
Thanks to your foolishness, we lost a lot of money.
No thanks to you-- you didn't get any help from someone. Someone did not helping you, instead, he/she intended to hinder you from doing something.
I finally got my license, no thanks to you! (you didn't give me any help)
Thanks, but no thanks-- is a polite way to refuse people's offer. （禮貌地說：不，謝謝）
Friday, July 24, 2009
Eye-Catching Trees
引人注目的樹These trees are so special that you’ll take another look! by Lisa Holl Chang
这些树真叫人不由得驻足，再三欣赏。
Henry Ward Beecher, a 19th century minister wrote, “Of all man’s works of art, a cathedral is the greatest. A vast and majestic tree is greater than that.” Whether majestic or simply unusual, these trees stand out.
Baobabs
Found on the plains of Africa, these trees appear upside down. Their branches, which look more like roots, grow out of abnormally thick trunks. The trunks hold water, sometimes up to 120,000 liters, which helps baobabs survive in Africa’s dry climates.
Banyans
Instead of growing up, these unique trees grow outward. From their branches hang aerial roots, which reach to the ground and eventually create new tree trunks. A large banyan tree may look like a forest. The world's largest such tree, the Great Banyan located in Kolkata, India, covers about one and a half hectares.
Redwoods and sequoias
These two related species, found mostly in California, literally stand out for their height and size.
Coastal redwoods commonly grow over 100 m tall. Their slightly shorter relatives, giant sequoias, are simply massive. General Sherman, the world's Largest tree, weighs in at 120,000 kg.
These eye-catching trees are indeed natural treasures worth admiring.
eye catching trees- the trees catch your eyes.
cathedral-great and big church, very beautiful and awe. grand = great.
Majestic (adj)-great and big and awesome. 雄伟的
Peter wants to travel to China so he can see the majestic Great Wall.
Stand out (phr.v)-special, catch people's eyes. 站出来的意思，此指突出的。长的特别高出
Gareth's strong reading skills make him stand out from his classmates.
stand out from someone-从一群体中或是一群东西中显得特别突出。
*Her looks really stood out from other beauty contestants.出众的外表使她在选美佳丽中显得特别突出。
upside down (adv.)-turn around, turn all the way down. 颠倒的，倒过来的。。
This book is turned upside down. You can't read it that way!
*The car landed upside down on the road.
*The books on the shelf were placed upside down.放颠倒。
*These naughtily kids turned my house upside down. 调皮孩子，一片混乱，乱七八糟
outward (adv)-spread from inside to outside.
Because of the heavy rain, the lake filled up and spread outward toward the nearby town.
slightly-just a little bid of.
My next trip to America will be slightly longer than my last one.
literally-really do.
The whole town was literally destroyed by the flood.按字面的意思，确实的，不夸张的，没有夸大其词的。
Our team literally sees each other every day of the week.
aerial root- root hanging in the air.
hectare-10,000 sq. m. land.
Grammar
These eye-catching trees are indeed natural treasures worth admiring.
indeed
The wedding is indeed cancelled.
The secretary did indeed send the proposal last week.
be-verb or helping verb+indeed. give certainly statement.
Is it raining outside? Yes, indeed. (indeed can also use in short sentence)
Gary is late again, right? Indeed, he is.
be-verb or helping verb + indeed.
Chat Room
work of the art-
cathedral 大教堂- is a big church统称的教堂。
towers塔楼, columns大圆柱, mosaic 马赛克and stained glass windows 彩色玻璃窗(some cut into different shape and put together)
chapel-is much smaller, a place for people to worship in Hospital, school, or airport...学校，医院里的小教堂。
这些树真叫人不由得驻足，再三欣赏。
Henry Ward Beecher, a 19th century minister wrote, “Of all man’s works of art, a cathedral is the greatest. A vast and majestic tree is greater than that.” Whether majestic or simply unusual, these trees stand out.
Baobabs
Found on the plains of Africa, these trees appear upside down. Their branches, which look more like roots, grow out of abnormally thick trunks. The trunks hold water, sometimes up to 120,000 liters, which helps baobabs survive in Africa’s dry climates.
Banyans
Instead of growing up, these unique trees grow outward. From their branches hang aerial roots, which reach to the ground and eventually create new tree trunks. A large banyan tree may look like a forest. The world's largest such tree, the Great Banyan located in Kolkata, India, covers about one and a half hectares.
Redwoods and sequoias
These two related species, found mostly in California, literally stand out for their height and size.
Coastal redwoods commonly grow over 100 m tall. Their slightly shorter relatives, giant sequoias, are simply massive. General Sherman, the world's Largest tree, weighs in at 120,000 kg.
These eye-catching trees are indeed natural treasures worth admiring.
eye catching trees- the trees catch your eyes.
cathedral-great and big church, very beautiful and awe. grand = great.
Majestic (adj)-great and big and awesome. 雄伟的
Peter wants to travel to China so he can see the majestic Great Wall.
Stand out (phr.v)-special, catch people's eyes. 站出来的意思，此指突出的。长的特别高出
Gareth's strong reading skills make him stand out from his classmates.
stand out from someone-从一群体中或是一群东西中显得特别突出。
*Her looks really stood out from other beauty contestants.出众的外表使她在选美佳丽中显得特别突出。
upside down (adv.)-turn around, turn all the way down. 颠倒的，倒过来的。。
This book is turned upside down. You can't read it that way!
*The car landed upside down on the road.
*The books on the shelf were placed upside down.放颠倒。
*These naughtily kids turned my house upside down. 调皮孩子，一片混乱，乱七八糟
outward (adv)-spread from inside to outside.
Because of the heavy rain, the lake filled up and spread outward toward the nearby town.
slightly-just a little bid of.
My next trip to America will be slightly longer than my last one.
literally-really do.
The whole town was literally destroyed by the flood.按字面的意思，确实的，不夸张的，没有夸大其词的。
Our team literally sees each other every day of the week.
aerial root- root hanging in the air.
hectare-10,000 sq. m. land.
Grammar
These eye-catching trees are indeed natural treasures worth admiring.
indeed
The wedding is indeed cancelled.
The secretary did indeed send the proposal last week.
be-verb or helping verb+indeed. give certainly statement.
Is it raining outside? Yes, indeed. (indeed can also use in short sentence)
Gary is late again, right? Indeed, he is.
be-verb or helping verb + indeed.
Chat Room
work of the art-
cathedral 大教堂- is a big church统称的教堂。
towers塔楼, columns大圆柱, mosaic 马赛克and stained glass windows 彩色玻璃窗(some cut into different shape and put together)
chapel-is much smaller, a place for people to worship in Hospital, school, or airport...学校，医院里的小教堂。
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