【雅思口語】新思路之三：Animal閱讀與Animal口語
【美文賞析】
Global Warming and the Polar Bear
A Polar bears prefer to live in extremely cold artic climates. They live only in the Northern Hemisphere, on the arctic ice cap, and they spend Most of their time on coastal areas. Polar bears are widely spread in Canada, extending from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay area. They are also found in Greenland, on islands off the shore of Norway, on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union, and on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska in the United States.
B The polar bear is the largest members of the bear family. Males Polar Bears stand from eight to 11 feet tall and generally weigh from 500 to 1,000 pounds, but can weigh as much as 1,400 pounds. Female bears generally stand eight feet tall and weigh 400 to 600 pounds, except some, which can reach 700 pounds. The reason the polar bear weighs so much is that it stores about a four-inch layer of fat to keep it warm. The polar bear has a long, narrower head and nose, and small ears. It has coat that appears white but, each individual hair is actually clear and hollow. This helps the polar bear keep warm. The polar bear's coat helps it blend in with its snowy surroundings, this adaptation helps the Polar Bear hide while hunting. The polar bear's front legs are slightly pigeon-toed, and fur covers the bottoms of its paws. These adaptations help polar bears keep themselves from slipping on ice.
C They mainly live on the meat but rarely eat plants. That is why it is considered to be a carnivore, or meat-eater. The ringed seal is the polar bear's primary prey. A polar bear hunts a seal by waiting quietly for it to emerge from an opening a seal makes in the ice, allowing them to breathe or climb out of the water to rest. Polar bears eat only the seal's skin and blubber of the seal. The remaining meat provides a food source for other animals in the Arctic. Polar bears also prey on young walrus’s. The remains of whale, seal, and walrus are also important sources of food for polar bears. In fact, because of their acute sense of smell, polar bears can sense animal remains from far away.
E Some people at first suppose that polar bears are social animals. However, they are, actually, solitary animals. There are two exceptions to this: when a mother polar bear has cubs and during mating season. Polar bears are in active most of their life. They spend their time either sleeping or lying around. The rest of the time is spent traveling, hunting, or eating. After eating, a bear will clean itself by rinsing and licking their fur. It is estimated that there are about 28,000 polar bears worldwide. Most of the population is located in Canada and the Soviet Union. The rest of it is in Greenland and Norway.
F However, climate warming is already significantly impacting wildlife around the globe. If global warming is continuing on this path, the melting of artic ice caps will cause a big problem for the polar bears and their cubs. It will eventually drive the polar bears to go on land and compete with the brown bears. When worst comes to worst the polar bears will be forced to swim larger bodies of water to obtain their food. This will then affect their sex drive and their ability to reproduce.
看了這篇文章之後，對於動物的介紹是不是稍稍有了些頭緒呢？接下來專家就來總結一下考試Cue Card的回答結構和常用句型。當然這些句型也可以套用來回答其他與動物相關的part 1以及part 2的問題。
【內容模板】
1、引入：
1) I have a real sweetheart whose name is ______________
2) My particular interest is _______.（Cambridge 6 Test 4 Section 4）
3) ____________is the most peaceful and docile(溫順的) pet I’ve ever had.
填入某種動物的名稱，如：panda, mandarin duck (鴛鴦), parrot等。
4) You know, … are regarded as the symbol of…
5) … has the reputation of________ （Cambridge 4 Test 4 Section 4）
填入表示性格或者是特色的名詞，如：鴿子dove is the symbol of peace; 獅子則對應independence（獨立） and dignity（高貴）；狗毫無疑問是loyalty和companionship的標誌。
2、動物生理特徵
1) It is _________________________.
空格中可以填入表示大小的形容詞，如：small/ medium-sized/ huge/ extremely large/giant / gigantic
也可以填入表示特性的形容詞，如smart, intelligent, adorable, dangerous, fierce, affectionate, cuddly
2) Common characteristics of it include a large/ small body with_____________
3) It is stunning with ___________________
填入身上的部位，如鴛鴦mandarin duck的鳥喙red bill，略帶紅色reddish face;熊的短小的腿stocky legs, 長長的大鼻子long snout, 蓬鬆的毛shaggy hair, 短小的尾巴a short tail; parrot的絢爛的羽毛gorgeous feathers 和 a big colorful tail；老虎黑黃相間的條紋orange and black stripes，白色的腹部white underside，強有力的爪子和牙齒powerful claws and teeth; 大象有長長的象鼻來抓取食物a long trunk to “grab” food 和巨大的牙來找水 huge tusks to dig for water.
4) It can stand up to _______________ meters. （r.f. reading material）
5) It can weigh up to _______________kilograms. （Cambridge 4 Test 4 Section 4）
填入重量，如老虎體重大約150—370 kg ，棕熊體重可達800kg，獅子體重可達140—260kg左右。
3、動物生活習性
1) It feeds almost entirely on ___________ / It adopts a diet of __________/
2) A significant proportion of the its diet is made up of ________________.
（Cambridge 6 Test 4 Section 4）
3) ________________ is its primary prey. （r.f. reading material）4) They also prey on ____________ （r.f. reading material）
5) _______________are also important sources of food for polar bears. （r.f. reading material）
6) They mainly live on _______ but rarely eat ______. （r.f. reading material）
填入食物的名稱，如：panda的主食bamboos，鳥類類似鸚鵡parrot等喜愛食物seeds和bread and cracker crumbs（麪包餅乾屑），北極熊主要以肉爲食而很少吃植物。
7) It breeds(繁殖) in ___________________/ It nests(築巢) in ______________.
8) They are found all over________ （r.f. reading material）
9）They are widely spread in__________ （r.f. reading material）
填入動物的natural habitat（自然棲息地），如：鴛鴦在靠近池塘的密林裏繁殖（densely wooded area），考拉Koala生活在樹上等。
10) It is skilled at _______________
填入表示動物的能力的名詞或者動名詞，如parrot鸚鵡mimicking human sounds, repeating “Hello! Hello!” all day long；大象carrying heavy loads and carrying people through the jungle等。
11) They are social（羣居的）animals. / They live in groups. The mothers/female_____ while the male ______
對比下雌性和雄性各自的職責，如獅子種羣中，母獅lead the whole family group並且take good care of their cubs, hunt defend their hunting grounds together，而雄獅則tend to be really lazy and some of them are even troublemakers；鴛鴦The males take no part in the incubation, simply leaving the female to secure the eggs on her own；獵鷹falcons則職責分配較爲公平，adult females hatch eggs而males負責hunt preys（獵物）。
4. 動物與人類的關係/ 人們對此動物的印象
1) … is the best company.
2) … are widely believed as _____________
3) Most Chinese admire it as a symbol of ___________
4) The qualities I associate with them are___________
此處呼應一下引入的部分，作爲從動物生活習性的介紹到對動物印象介紹的過渡。同樣填入一些代表動物性格特徵的名詞，如獅子對應Cold-blooded killers或着brave warrior, which has a lot to do with its actual natural，老虎對應strength and fierceness等，可參考引入部分的列舉。
5) … are depicted as _____________ creatures.
6) Some people at first suppose that polar bears are ________animals. However, they are, actually, _______ animals. （r.f. reading material）
作用同上，只是這個句型中需要填寫代表個性的形容詞，如：social/ solitary/ trustworthy/ fascinating/ tame/ easy-to-train/ (fox) sly/ (mule) stubborn/ (pig) messy and lazy等。
7) I don’t think many Chinese know that this special breed of _______ is all but wiped out/ died out in the wild. I hope more efforts will be made in the future to protect the ______’s environment. Without the forests they live and hunt in, ______ can only exist in captivity.
如果話題要求描述瀕危物種，建議考生在結尾部分可以提倡下如何保護他們，空格中填入動物名稱即可。
【回答範例】
Mandarin Ducks, which are referred to by the Chinese as Yuan-yang, are frequently featured in oriental arts and are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and loyalty. The Mandarin Duck is a medium-sized perching duck, which is approximately half-a-meter long. The adult male is a striking and unmistakable bird. The common characteristics of it include a large/ small body with a red bill, reddish face and "whiskers". The female is usually paler than the male. Mandarins may form small flocks in winter, but rarely associate with other ducks. In the wild, Mandarin Ducks breed in densely wooded areas near shallow lakes, marshes or ponds. They nest in trees close to water and during the spring, the females lay their eggs in the tree's cavity after mating. The males take no part in the incubation, simply leaving the female to secure the eggs on her own. Although this characteristic seems quite cold-blooded, the Mandarin Duck symbol is still widely used in Chinese weddings, because in traditional Chinese lore they have the reputation of wedded bliss and fidelity. However, they are rarely raised as pets in China.
