新东方网络课堂：新概念英语第三册课堂笔记-第9课

Lesson 9

             Flying cats

                 飞猫

【New words and expressions】 生词和短语

     ★fascinate

v.   迷住，吸引住

be fasinated with

He is fascinated with chess.

Are you fascinated with English?

like,love,be fond of

The boy is fond of football.

be crazy <I>about:</I> 着迷

be mad about 

He is crazy/mad about music.

He is fascinated with music.

fascination,fascinating

Sweet music is fascinating.

     ★affectionate

adj. 充满深情，柔情的

Cats are affectionate animals.

affectionately adv.

The lady is looking that man affectionately

affection n.

     ★mysterious

adj. 神秘的，难以理解的

 a mysterious plan

a mysterious explanation

mystery n.谜面，神秘感

His death is a mystery.

     ★submissive

adj. 服从的，顺从的

obedinent 

Are you obedient?

Dogs and horses are submissive,but Cats are never submissive to us.

be submissive to sb.

submit v.

submit oneself to sb/sth

submission  n.

     ★feline

adj. 猫的

     ★independence

n.   独立，独立性

independent  adj.

You have already grown up,you must be independent.

depend:依靠

You must depend on yourself

depend,dependence

independence,independent

     ★high-rise

adj. 高层的

     ★windowsill

n.   窗槛

     ★paratrooper

n.   伞兵

     ★squirrel

n.   松鼠

     ★air-resistance

n.   空气阻力

     ★impact

n.   冲击力

          

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?

    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