帝企鹅的一年

陕西 欧卫国

帝企鹅是地球上最大的企鹅。本文介绍了在一年中帝企鹅繁衍后代、养育小企鹅等活动的过程。

难词探意

1. brood /bruːd/ n. 一窝雏鸟

2. pouch /paʊtʃ/ n. 育儿袋

Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on Earth. Each adult is over a meter tall, and can weigh up to 40 kilograms.

For many months each year, emperors live near the sea in large groups. However, the weather gets colder in May, and ice covers large areas of ocean. Each group moves many kilometers from the water. There, each mother penguin lays just a single egg. Then all the hungry mothers walk back to the ocean to find food.The father penguins put their eggs on top of their feet. They cover the eggs with a special piece of skin called the brood pouch.

Sharing the work

For two months, the father penguins protect the eggs and keep them warm. They do this through some of the coldest weather conditions on Earth. By July, it is winter in Antarctica.Most other animals leave for warmer places, but the father penguins stay.

New life

By August, each mother penguin returns just in time to see her baby hatch. The chick is then moved to her brood pouch. This can be difficult. If the chick falls, it can freeze quickly.The penguin parents must be very careful. Once the chick has been moved, the father penguin can go back to the ocean to find food.

Growing up

Over the next few months, penguin parents take turns to go to the ocean for food. They each make the trip several times, bringing back food for the chick. The chick is always hungry and grows rapidly.

Into the water

By December, winter is ending. The chick can now live on its own. Soon it enters the water for the first time. It will swim and eat until next April, and then return. After a few more years,it, too, will start its own family.

Ⅰ.Choose the best answer for each question.

1.Another good title for this text would be“_____”.

A. Penguins: Sharing the parenting

B. Penguins: Birds with big families

C. Penguin babies: Swimming from day one

D. Penguin babies: A long way to grow up

2. Where do mother penguins lay their eggs?

A. Near the sea.

B. In the sea.

C. Far from the sea.

D. On the icebergs.

3. What is the function of the penguins' brood pouches?

A. To keep the eggs and baby penguins warm.

B. To bring food back from the sea.

C. To carry eggs when the penguins move around.

D. To keep the birds from losing energy.

4. What could happen if the chick falls onto the ice?

A. Another penguin might take the chick.

B. The chick might die because of the cold.

C. The ice could break and the chick will fall into the water.

D. The father penguin will come to rescue it instantly.

5. At what age do most penguin chicks start to live on their own?

A. Five months.B. Nine months.

C. Twelve months.D. Fifteen months.

Ⅱ. Complete the summary using the words or phrases in the box.

A.lays an egg B.take turns caring for the chick

C.enters the water D.takes care of the egg

E.move away from the sea F.hatches

May The weather gets cold, and the penguins 1.___________. The mother penguin 2.___________.June to July The father penguin 3.__________through winter.August August to November The baby 4.____________.The penguin parents 5.________.December The chick can live on its own. It 6.___________for the first time.

Read the paragraph below. Use the context to guess the meaning of the words in bold.Match each word with its definition.

Snowy owls live mainly in the Arctic. They have excellent vision, which they use to hunt for prey, such as rabbits and mice. When hunting,snowy owls fly low to the ground. They grab their prey with their large sharp claws.

1.____________(n.) the thin nails on an animal's feet

2._____________(n.) the animals that another animal eats

3.____________(n.) the ability to see

4.____________(v.) to catch or hold