3. Cats貓

New Words新單詞

hunt

讀音：[hʌnt]

釋義：打獵；追捕，捕殺

eyes

讀音：['aɪz]

釋義：眼睛（eye的名詞複數）；視力

thirty

讀音：[ˈθɜ:ti]

釋義：三十

kill

讀音：[kɪl]

釋義：殺死

about(about = approximately)

讀音：[əˈbaʊt]

釋義：大約；幾乎

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Like dogs, cats live in nearly all places in the world. Many people think that cats make the best pets. They think cats make better pets and are more interesting than dogs. Cats can be more interesting, but it is difficult to teach a cat things. They do not learn as quickly as dogs.

和狗一樣，貓生活在世界上幾乎所有地方。很多人認為貓是最好的寵物。他們認為貓是更好的寵物，比狗更有趣。貓或許更有趣，可是教育貓很困難。它們不如狗學得快。

All cats have very good eyes and can even see at night. Cats’ eyes open for the first time when they are about eight to twelve days old. The eyes of all baby cats are blue.

所有貓的視力都很敏銳，它們甚至能在夜晚看得見。貓生下來大約8到12天才第一次睜開眼睛。所有小貓的眼睛都是藍色的。

House cats like to go out at night so they can be with other cats, or so they can hunt for small animals. They can hunt and kill small animals like rats and snakes. If they kill an animal like a rat, they will sometimes take it into the house so people can see it.

家貓喜歡夜晚外出，這樣它們就能和其他貓在一起，或者它們可以獵捕小動物。它們能捕殺小動物，比如老鼠和蛇。如果它們捕殺一隻動物，比如老鼠，它們有時會把它帶回家，這樣人們就能看見它。

Cats also have very good teeth. At first, a very young cat has only twenty-six teeth. They get these when they are about two or three weeks old. Later, when they are about twenty-four weeks old, they will have thirty teeth.

貓的牙齒也很鋒利。非常幼小的貓起初只有26顆牙齒，當它們大約兩三週大時它們就長出了這些牙齒。後來，當它們大約24周大時，它們將會有30顆牙齒。

Cats live to be much older than dogs.Most cats live to be about thirty years old. If we have a cat, we do not need to wash it. Cats know how to stay clean. We do not need to wash cats, but we do need to brush their hair. We should try to brush their hair every day.

貓比狗長壽。大多數貓可以活到30歲左右。如果我們有一隻貓，我們不必給它洗澡。貓知道如何保持清潔。我們不必給貓洗澡，可是我們的確需要給它們梳理毛髮。我們應該試著每天給它們梳理毛髮。

Young cats are usually more friendly than older cats. They can be friendly with other animals like rabbits, chickens and even dogs. But they are never friendly with birds or fish.

年幼的貓比年長的貓通常更友好。它們可以對其他動物友好，比如兔子、雞、甚至狗，但是它們從不對鳥和魚友好。

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Lee and Pat are talking about cats

李和佩特正在談論貓

Lee

I don’t want to have a cat. I like our dog. A cat would not be as friendly as our dog.

Pat

I like our dog too, but it would be nice to have a cat. I would like to look after a really young cat – one that is only one or two weeks old.

Lee

People don’t look after cats that are that young.

Pat

Yes, they do. They give them milk to drink and fish to eat. Cats like to drink milk and eat fish.

Lee

Very young cats don’t eat – they only drink. Their eyes aren’t open yet and they don’t have any teeth.

Pat

Well, I would still like to have a cat. I think cats are so nice – much nicer than dogs.

Lee

What about our dog, Kim? Maybe Kim would go after your cat and kill it.

Pat

No, he wouldn’t. You’re just saying that! I could protect my cat. I could protect it until it’s old enough to go outside with the other cats.

Lee

Well, I think you just like cats because you’re a girl. Girls usually like cats. Boys always think dogs are better.

Pat

No, they don’t!

Lee

Yes, they do!

Pat

No, they don’t! Not all boys are the same as you. Some boys like the same things as girls.

李

我不想要一隻貓。我喜歡我們的狗。貓不如我們的狗友好。

佩特

我也喜歡我們的狗，不過有隻貓也不錯。我想要照顧一隻很小的貓——只有一兩週大的貓。

李

沒有人養那麼幼小的貓。

佩特

不，有人養。他們給小貓喝牛奶並給小貓吃魚。貓喜歡喝牛奶和吃魚。

李

很小的貓不吃東西——它們只能喝東西。它們的眼睛還沒有睜開，它們的牙齒沒有長出來。

佩特

好吧，我還是想要一隻貓。我覺得貓很可愛——比狗可愛得多。

李

我們的小狗金呢？也許金會追趕你的貓並捕殺它。

佩特

不，它不會的。你只是說說而已！我會保護我的貓。我會保護它，直到它長大到可以和其他貓一起出去。

李

好吧，我覺得因為你是女生你才喜歡貓。女生通常喜歡貓。男生總是覺得狗更好。

佩特

不，不是的。

李

是的，就是的！

佩特

不，不是的！不是所有男生都和你一樣。有些男生和女生喜歡一樣的事物。

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Questions

1. Where can we find cats?

2. When do cats like to go outside?

3. What do cats do then they are outside?

4. How many teeth do twenty-four-week-old cats have?

5. How long do cats usually live?

6. Why don’t we need to wash our own pet cats?

7. What do cats like to eat and drink?

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