来源：《用美国小孩的方法学英语最有效》

　　Tales of Tail 动物尾巴的作用

睡眠

　　(4th Grade)

　　Tales of Tail

　　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 tails 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 单词和短语

　　for instance 例如，比如

　　flyswatter ['flaiˌswɔtə] n. 苍蝇拍

　　flick [flik] vt. 轻拍，轻弹

　　back and forth 来回地

　　get rid of 除掉，去除

　　opossum [ə'pɔsəm] n. 负鼠

　　from side to side 左右(摇摆)

　　curve [kə:v] v. (使)弯成弧形

　　alligator ['æliˌgeitə] n. 短吻鳄

　　crocodile ['krɔkədail] n. 鳄鱼

　　kangaroo [ˌkæŋgə'ru:] n. 袋鼠

　　bushy ['buʃi] adj. 浓密的

　　lizard ['lizəd] n. 蜥蜴

　　break off (使)分离；(使)脱离

　　译 文

　　动物尾巴的作用

　　很多动物都有尾巴，它们的尾巴有不同的用途。比如，有些动物把它们的尾巴当苍蝇拍。你是否见过一头牛来回不停地轻弹着尾巴以驱赶蚊虫？马的尾巴也有这样的用途。

　　有些动物的尾巴用来悬挂自己。悬挂是猴子最常做的事情。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的动物，除此之外，负鼠的尾巴还有助于它攀爬树木。

　　居住在水里的动物，它们用尾巴来帮助自己在水里游来游去。鱼就是通过用尾巴左右摇摆，身体呈与尾巴相反方向的弯曲来游动的。短吻鳄与鳄鱼也是通过摆动尾巴来游动，此外尾巴还能为它们提供力量和速度。

　　袋鼠也有一条大的、有用的尾巴。尾巴对它们来说就像一把椅子，它可以倚靠在上面休息。此外，尾巴还有助于袋鼠跳跃、着陆和保持身体的平衡，这点很重要，因为袋鼠一跳就高达15英尺。

　　狐狸也有一条大的、绒毛浓密的尾巴，这条尾巴在寒冷的夜晚真是有用极了。狐狸睡觉时，尾巴能够遮盖其鼻子和四肢，这时候尾巴就如同一条毛毯，起到御寒的作用。

　　还有一些动物，它们的尾巴可以脱离身体。蜥蜴就是这种动物之一，当敌人扯起蜥蜴的尾巴时，它就会自行断尾，逃生。不过不用担心，不久它还会长出一条新的尾巴。

　　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

　　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. 力量 D. 弯曲

　　4. 袋鼠的尾巴对 ___________ 也很有用。

　　A. 跳跃 B. 游泳 C. 行走 D. 哭泣

　　答 案

　　1. B 2。 C 3。D 4。 A