新概念英語(yǔ)作為家喻戶曉的英文學(xué)習(xí)教材，《新概念英語(yǔ)》在中國(guó)經(jīng)久不衰，影響了好幾代學(xué)習(xí)者。即使以今天的角度來(lái)看，這套出版于幾十年前的教材無(wú)論是在編排體系，題材和題材，詞匯還是語(yǔ)法上都有出彩之處，值得各個(gè)層次的人學(xué)習(xí)。
Lesson 1 A Puma at large
新概念3課文內(nèi)容：
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.
新概念3逐句精講：
1.Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.
美洲獅是一種體形似貓的大形動(dòng)物，產(chǎn)自美洲。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)1 which定語(yǔ)從句修飾animals.
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)2 cat-like是"n.+adj."結(jié)構(gòu)的復(fù)合形容詞，作定語(yǔ)，此類還有:lady-like女性化的,man-like男人般的,crystal-like水晶般的,baby-like嬰兒般的,dog-like像狗一樣的,steel-like鋼鐵般的,home-like像家一樣的,angel-like天使般的,dream-like夢(mèng)境般的。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)3 large和cat-like都是描述型定語(yǔ)從句，修飾animals。選擇合適的詞翻譯“大的”或“胖的”。修飾動(dòng)物：fat,huge;修飾男人：strong，heavy；修飾女人：large，plump；修飾小孩：robust，chubby.
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)4 在寫(xiě)作中模仿使用本句結(jié)構(gòu)。
例:Koalas are small，bear-like animals which live in Australia.
2.When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.
當(dāng)倫敦動(dòng)物園接到報(bào)告說(shuō)，在倫敦以南45英里處發(fā)現(xiàn)一只美洲獅時(shí)，這些報(bào)告并沒(méi)有受到重視。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)1 本句是一個(gè)由when引導(dǎo)的時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句加that引導(dǎo)的分隔式同位語(yǔ)從句構(gòu)成的復(fù)合句。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)2 had been spotted（過(guò)去被發(fā)現(xiàn)）中spot用詞獨(dú)具匠心，強(qiáng)調(diào)在荒野“發(fā)現(xiàn)”美洲獅不容易。例句：I finally spottedjust the book I wantedin the bookstore.
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)3 寫(xiě)作短語(yǔ)模板：take sh. seriously認(rèn)真對(duì)待某事,take sth. easy輕松地做某事,take sb./sth.lightly小看某人/某事,be unsympathetic to sth.對(duì)某事很冷漠，show low regard to/for sth.對(duì)某事不在意，be indifferent to sth.對(duì)某事不感興趣，be not interested in doing sth.對(duì)做某事不感興趣，take one's time about doing sth.認(rèn)真做某事。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)4 寫(xiě)作模板:例When news came into the departments concerned that bird flu had been spotted 30km east to the city,it was taken seriously.
3.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.
可是，隨著證據(jù)越來(lái)越多，動(dòng)物園的專家們感到有必要進(jìn)行一番調(diào)查，因?yàn)榉彩锹暦Q見(jiàn)到過(guò)美洲獅的人們所描述的情況竟是出奇地相似。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)1 本句包含了as'引導(dǎo)的時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句，以及for引導(dǎo)的原因狀語(yǔ)從句。后是who 引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句，修飾people。
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)2 寫(xiě)作短語(yǔ)模板：feel obliged to do sth.感到有必要做某事，it is necessary for sb to do sth.某人有必要做某事,be forced to do sth.被迫做某事,feel/be impelled to do sth.感到有必要做某事（內(nèi)因）,be compelled to do sth.被迫做某事（外因）
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)3 寫(xiě)作模板:As the proof began to gather,the police felt obliged to interrogate this suspect further,for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the suspect were remarkably similar.
語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)4 claim to have seen，聲稱看到過(guò)，to have seen是動(dòng)詞不定式的現(xiàn)在完成時(shí)結(jié)構(gòu)，做claim的賓語(yǔ)。