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　　Conversation A

　　Ben sees Evelyn leaving the library.

　　Ben:So, how's the book about hippos you've been reading?

　　Evelyn:Fabulous!1 I've learned that hippos are not the clumsy2 animals they seem to be.

　　Ben:Is it true that they sweat3 blood?

　　Evelyn:No. Hippos' skin produces a red oil which protects them from sunburn and infections.

　　Ben:Cool! Hey, why do hippos yawn4 all the time?

　　Evelyn:They're not yawning; they're scaring away their enemies by showing them their teeth.

　　Ben:Hippos must be lazy, though. They sleep all day!

　　Evelyn: Yeah, but that doesn't mean they're lazy. They still go out and eat at night.

　　Ben:Like a hippo“night market”! Because they can't run fast, it's probably safer for them to eat in the dark to avoid being seen.

　　Evelyn: No! Hippos are very fast. They're much faster than we think!

　　Ben:I know! I've seen them gallop through the water like horses!

　　Evelyn: Right! In fact, the name,“hippopotamus”means“river horse”in Greek.

　　词汇小补贴：仅供参考

　　●hippo 河马

　　●gallop 奔跑

　　●Greek 希腊文

　　●hippopotamus 为hippo的全名。