Flying Cats 飛貓
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. They never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
16. 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(dá)到每小時60里甚至更快的速度。
語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:句中的of 60 miles an hour and more充當(dāng)定語，修飾speed。句尾的more在此相當(dāng)于faster，表示“更快的速度”。
語言點(diǎn)2:60 miles an hour表示“每小時60英里”，這種表達(dá)的結(jié)構(gòu)是“N/度量衡標(biāo)準(zhǔn)+時間”。
17. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax.
在高速下落中，貓有時間放松自己。
語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:falling作定語，修飾cats。To relax 為動詞不定式，作后置定語，修飾time。表示“有做…的時間”。
18. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels.
它們伸展四肢，就像飛行中的松鼠一樣。
語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:like flying squirrels在句中作方式狀語。
語言點(diǎn)2:stretch out一詞運(yùn)用得非常恰當(dāng)，如果使用put out或spread的話，都沒有那么生動。
19．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，并減少了它們著地時沖擊力帶來的震動。
語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:句子的主語是this。And連接兩個并列的分句，在后一個分句中，when引導(dǎo)時間狀語從句。Hit the ground這個用詞比較夸張，雖然意思相當(dāng)于fall to the ground(掉到地上)，但是后者的感覺就要差多了。
語言點(diǎn)2:本句可以改寫為:This raises their air-resistance and cuts down the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. They never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat's ability to survive falls is based on fact.
Recently the New York Animal Medical Center made a study of 132 cats over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall from! One cat, Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. 'Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers.' a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground.
16. 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(dá)到每小時60里甚至更快的速度。
語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:句中的of 60 miles an hour and more充當(dāng)定語，修飾speed。句尾的more在此相當(dāng)于faster，表示“更快的速度”。
語言點(diǎn)2:60 miles an hour表示“每小時60英里”，這種表達(dá)的結(jié)構(gòu)是“N/度量衡標(biāo)準(zhǔn)+時間”。
17. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax.
在高速下落中，貓有時間放松自己。
語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:falling作定語，修飾cats。To relax 為動詞不定式，作后置定語，修飾time。表示“有做…的時間”。
18. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels.
它們伸展四肢，就像飛行中的松鼠一樣。
語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:like flying squirrels在句中作方式狀語。
語言點(diǎn)2:stretch out一詞運(yùn)用得非常恰當(dāng)，如果使用put out或spread的話，都沒有那么生動。
19．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，并減少了它們著地時沖擊力帶來的震動。
語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:句子的主語是this。And連接兩個并列的分句，在后一個分句中，when引導(dǎo)時間狀語從句。Hit the ground這個用詞比較夸張，雖然意思相當(dāng)于fall to the ground(掉到地上)，但是后者的感覺就要差多了。
語言點(diǎn)2:本句可以改寫為:This raises their air-resistance and cuts down the shock of impact when they hit the ground.