鹦鹉

◎供稿：Juno

鹦鹉是鸟类中最聪明的一种，它在人类的训练下能说话，还能做许多别的鸟不能做的事，比如用脚吃东西。

Parrots are birds of all colors that usually1)originate from a warm2)habitat .The natural habitat of parrots varies by species now, however, many3)hail from4)tropical or subtropical areas in South America, Central America, Africa,and Australasia.

鹦鹉是一种鸟类，有各种各样的颜色，通常起源于温暖的栖息地。鹦鹉的自然栖息地因物种而异，许多鹦鹉来自南美洲、中美洲、非洲和澳大拉西亚（包括澳大利亚、新西兰及太平洋西南岛屿）的热带或亚热带地区。

Because the parrot order includes so many different species, parrot sizes vary widely. A major characteristic of a parrot is the5)beak. Parrots are very6)adept at using their beak, it’s almost like a hand for them. They use it to climb, hold things, manipulate things, and, of course, to eat! They can grasp onto their food with one foot and then move it up to their beak so they can7)nibble on it. Their tongues are made up of small bones that make them8)flexible enough to manipulate the food. In the wild, parrots eat flowers, fruit, nuts, plants, and insects.

1) originate [əˈrɪdʒɪneɪt] v.源自

2) habitat [ˈhæbɪtæt] n.栖息地

3) hail [heɪl] v.来自

4) tropical [ˈtrɒpɪkl] adj.热带的

5) beak [biːk] n.喙

6) adept [əˈdept] adj. 熟练的

7) nibble [ˈnɪbl] v.细咬

8) flexible [ˈfleksəbl] adj.灵活的

由于鹦鹉有很多不同的物种，所以大小差别很大。鹦鹉的一个主要特征是它的喙。鹦鹉非常善于使用它们的喙，这几乎就像用手一样灵活。它们用喙攀爬、拿东西、处理东西，当然，也用喙处理食物！它们可以用一只爪抓住食物，然后放到喙里细咬。它们的舌头由小骨头组成，所以足够灵活，可以控制食物。在野外，鹦鹉吃花朵、水果、坚果、植物和昆虫。

One of the most9)endearing traits of parrots for many people is their ability to talk or10)mimic noises.Parrots are very good mimics and can copy sounds that they hear in their environment; they can even copy human words and laughter. Parrots are smart because they have a brain neural11)circuit similar to12)primates. Scientists believe that parrots have the same logic as a 4-year-old human child.

对许多人来说，鹦鹉最可爱的特征之一是它们说话或模仿声音的能力。鹦鹉非常擅于模仿，它们可以模仿在环境中听到的声音，甚至可以模仿人类的话语和笑声。鹦鹉很聪明，因为它们的大脑神经回路类似于灵长类动物。科学家认为鹦鹉的逻辑与4岁孩子的逻辑是相同的。

9) endearing [ɪnˈdɪərɪŋ] adj.可爱的

10) mimic [ˈmɪmɪk] v. 模仿

11) circuit [ˈsɜːkɪt] n.回路

12) primate [ˈpraɪmeɪt] n.灵长目动物