课文阅读
A puma at large 逃遁的美洲狮
puma n. a large American wild animal of the cat family, with yellow-brown or grey fur 美洲狮
at large
- (used after a n.) as a whole; in general 整个；全部；总地；一般地
the opinion of the public at large 普通大众的意见
- (of a dangerous person or animal) not captured; free （危险的人或动物）未被捕获的；自由的
Her killer is still at large. 杀害她的凶手仍然逍遥法外。
Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. 美洲狮是一种体型似猫的大动物，产于美洲。
When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. 当伦敦动物园接到报告说，在伦敦以南 45 英里处发现一头野生美洲狮时，这些报告并没有得到重视。
that 后引导 reports 的同位语从句。
However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to invetigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar. 可是，随着证据越来越多，动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查，因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似。
accumulate v.
- to gradually get more and more of sth over a period of time 积累；积聚 [T]
~ sth: I seem to have accumulated a lot of books. 我好像已经收集了很多书。
- to gradually increase in number or quantity over a period of time （数量）逐渐增加；（数额）逐渐增长 [I]
Debts began to accumulate. 债务开始增加。
oblige v. to force sb to do sth, by law, because it is a duty, etc. （以法律、义务等）强迫，迫使 [T, usually passive]
Parents are obliged by law to send their children to school. 法律规定父母必须送子女上学。
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. 搜寻美洲狮的工作是从一座小村庄开始的。那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时看见“一只大猫”离她仅 5 码远。
It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. 她刚看见它，它就立刻逃走了。专家证实，美洲狮除非被逼得走投无路，否则是绝不会伤人的。
corner v. to get a person or an animal into a place or situation from which they cannot escape 使（人或动物）走投无路；逼……入绝境
~ sb / sth: The man was finally cornered by police in garage. 那男人最终被警方逼到了车库里。
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. 事实上搜寻工作很困难，因为常常是早晨在甲地发现那只美洲狮，晚上却在 20 英里外的乙地发现它的踪迹。
Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. 无论它走到哪里，一路上总会留下一串死鹿以及死兔子之类的小动物。
trail n. a long line or series of marks that is left by sb / sth （长串的）痕迹，踪迹，足迹
a trail of blood 一连串血迹
Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. 在许多地方看见了爪印，灌木丛中也发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛。
print n. a mark left by your finger, foot, etc. on the surface of sth 指纹；手印；脚印；足迹 [C, usually pl.]
His prints were found on the gun. 在枪上发现了他的指纹。
cling v. to stick to sth 粘住；附着 [I]
a dress clings 紧身连衣裙
~ to sth: The wet shirt clung to his chest. 湿衬衫紧贴在他的胸部。
Several people complained of ‘cat-like noises’ at night and a bussinessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. 有人抱怨说夜里听见了“像猫一样的叫声”；一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。
complain of sth 抱怨
The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? 专家们如今已经完全肯定那只动物就是美洲狮，但它是从哪儿来的呢？
斜体（was）表示强调
As no pumas has been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of private collector and somehow managed to escape. 由于全国的动物园没有一家报告丢了美洲狮，因此那只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏家豢养的，不知怎么设法逃出来了。
The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. 搜寻工作进行了好几个星期，但始终未能逮住那只美洲狮。
go on * if a situation goes on, it continues without changing （情况，形势）继续下去；持续
This cannot be allowed to go on. 绝不允许这种情况继续下去。
It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside. 想到在宁静的乡村里有一头危险的野兽继续逍遥逃窜，真令人担心。
课文理解
- Experts eventually decided to investigate _____.
- (a) because they did not believe that pumas existed in Engliand
- (b) because they wanted a puma for the London Zoo
- (c) when a woman saw a puma in a small village
- (d) because people’s descriptions of the puma had a lot in commmon
(d). 根据原文第 3 句，专家们调查美洲狮的原因是人们的报告信息一致。
- What particular piece of evidence persuaded the experts that a puma bad been seen in the village?
- (a) The puma had not attacked the woman.
- (b) The woman had described the animal she had seen as a ‘large cat’.
- (c) A puma had come very close to a human being.
- (d) The puma had behaved like a cat.
(a). 根据原文第 4 句，一个妇女仅在 5 码远处看到了这头美洲狮，但是她并未受到攻击。
- What was the problem the experts were unable to solve?
- (a) How the puma had managed to cover such great distances within a day.
- (b) How the puma had escaped from a zoo.
- (c) Whom the puma had belonged to.
- (d) How the puma had climbed a tree.
(c). 根据原文第 10 句，专家们还不知道这头美洲狮来自于哪里。
语法
- The accumulating evidence made the experts _____ the animal was a puma.
- (a) to think
- (b) thinking
- (c) think
- (d) thought
(c).
- People said _____ the puma.
- (a) to have seen
- (b) to see
- (c) they saw
- (d) they had seen
(d).
- _____, it immediately ran away.
- (a) Observing her
- (b) On being observed
- (c) Having been observed
- (d) On her being observed
(b).
- Pumas never attack a human being except _____ cornered.
- (a) they are
- (b) being
- (c) that they are
- (d) when they are
(d).
- The experts were now fully convinced that the animal _____ a puma.
- (a) must be
- (b) should have been
- (c) can only be
- (d) could only have been
(d).
词汇
- The woman saw ‘a large cat’ _____ five yards away from her.
- (a) at least
- (b) four or
- (c) no more than
- (d) within
(c).
no more than 与 within 的区别：
no more than 表示“只有”
within 表示“不超过”
- A puma will not attack a human being unless it feels itself to be _____.
- (a) in a corner
- (b) in a trap
- (c) at an angle
- (d) under cover
(b).
- A bussinessman on a fishing trip is probably someone who _____.
- (a) sells fish
- (b) fishes for pleasure
- (c) nets fish
- (d) earns his living as a fisherman
(b).
net v. to catch sth, especially fish, in a net （尤指）用网捕捉（鱼等）
~ sth
- A private collector is a man who collects _____.
- (a) for his own benefit
- (b) on his own
- (c) in private
- (d) unknown to the public
(a).
in private * with nobody else present 私下地；没外人在场
Is there somewhere we can discuss this in private? 有没有什么地方能让我们单独谈谈这件事？
