Tales of Tail
尾巴的故事 I-16 / 016

Many animals have tails. They use their tails for many different purposes. For instance, some animals use their tails as flyswatters. Have you ever seen a cow flicking its tail back and forth? It's getting rid of bugs. Horses use their tails in this way, too.

Some animals hang by their tails. Monkeys often do this. Then they can use all four of their paws for other things, such as eating. Another animal that uses its tail as a “hanger” is the opossum. The opossum also uses its tail to help it climb trees.

Animals that live in the water use their tails to help them swim. A fish moves its tail from side to side. The rest of its body curves in the opposite direction from its tail. Alligators and crocodiles also swing their tails as they swim. Their large tails give them power and speed.

The kangaroo has a large, useful tail. It is like a chair. The kangaroo leans on its tail to rest. The tail is also good for leaping and landing. It helps the kangaroo to keep its balance. This is important because an adult kangaroo can leap as far as 15 feet at a time.

A fox has a big, bushy tail. This is a good tail to have on cold nights. The fox can put its tail over its nose and paws while it sleeps. The tail is a blanket that keeps the fox warm.

Some animals don't keep their tails with them at all times. One example is the lizard. If an enemy pulls the lizard's tail in a struggle, the tail breaks off. The lizard leaves its tail and runs to safety. Don't worry! The lizard will soon grow a new tail.

Words and Phrases

for instance 例如

flyswatter [ˈflaɪˌswɒtə] 名 苍蝇拍

flick [flɪk] 动 轻拍，轻弹

back and forth 来回地

get rid of 除掉，去除

opossum [əˈpɒsəm] 名 负鼠

from side to side 左右摇摆

curve [kɜ:v] 动（使）成弧形

alligator [ˈælɪɡeɪtə(r)] 名 短吻鳄

crocodile [ˈkrɒkədaɪl] 名 鳄鱼

kangaroo [ˌkæŋɡəˈru:] 名 袋鼠

bushy [bʊʃɪ] 形（毛发）浓密的

lizard [ˈlɪzəd] 名 蜥蜴

break off（使）分离；（使）脱离

Practice

1. Animals use their tails for different________.

A. periods

B. purposes

C. seasons

D. lengths

2. The monkey uses its tail to________.

A. swim

B. climb

C. hang

D. talk

3. Alligators and crocodiles use their tails for_______.

A. fishing

B. flying

C. power

D. curves

4. A kangaroo's tail is also helpful for________.

A. jumping

B. swimming

C. walking

D. crying

5. A lizard's tail can help the lizard escape from________.

A. friends

B. kangaroos

C. enemies

D. blankets

译文

尾巴的故事

很多动物都有尾巴，它们的用途各有不同。比如有些动物拿尾巴当苍蝇拍。你见过一头牛为了驱赶虫子，来回不停地轻弹着尾巴吗？马儿也这样使用它们的尾巴。

有些动物用尾巴来悬挂身体，猴子就常常这么做。这样它们就可以腾出四肢去做其他的事情，比如吃东西。负鼠也是一种把尾巴当“挂钩”使用的动物，除此之外，负鼠的尾巴还有助于攀爬树木。

水中的动物靠尾巴游来游去。鱼就是通过尾巴的左右摇摆，使得身体的其他部分往尾巴相反的方向弯曲来活动的。短吻鳄与鳄鱼也是通过摆动尾巴来游水的，它们的大尾巴给予它们力量和速度。

袋鼠也有条大而实用的尾巴。尾巴对它们来说就像一把椅子，它们可以靠着尾巴休息。此外，尾巴还有助于袋鼠跳跃、着陆，帮助袋鼠保持身体的平衡，这点很重要，因为一只成年袋鼠一跳可达15英尺远（约4.57米）。

狐狸也有条大而浓密的尾巴，这条尾巴在寒冷的夜晚真是有用极了。狐狸睡觉的时候，可以用尾巴遮盖鼻子和爪子，就如同有了一条可以御寒的毛毯。

有些动物的尾巴不会总是连在身体上，蜥蜴就是一个例子。当敌人在争斗中拉扯了蜥蜴的尾巴，尾巴断落了，它就会弃尾逃生。不用担心！不久之后它就会长出一条新尾巴。

练习

1．动物的尾巴有不同的________。

A．时期

B．用途

C．季节

D．长度

2．猴子用它的尾巴来________。

A．游泳

B．攀爬

C．悬挂

D．交谈

3．短吻鳄和鳄鱼用它们的尾巴来________。

A．钓鱼

B．飞翔

C．发力

D．弯曲

4．袋鼠的尾巴对________也很有帮助。

A．跳跃

B．游泳

C．行走

D．哭泣

5．蜥蜴的尾巴能够帮助它逃离________。

A．朋友

B．袋鼠

C．敌人

D．毯子