Flying cats 飞猫
Q: How do cats try to protect themselves when falling from great heights?

Cats never fail to fascinate human beings. They can be friendly and affectionate towards humans, but they lead mysterious lives of their own as well. they never become submissive like dogs and horses. As a result, humans have learned to respect feline independence. Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives. One of the things that fascinaes us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives. Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. A cat’s ability to survive falls is based on fact.
    Recently the New York Animal medical Centre made a study of 132 cots over a period of five months. All these cats had one experience in common: they had fallen off high buildings, yet only eight of them died from shock or injuries. Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings. There are plenty of high-rise windowsills to fall, from! One cat ,Sabrina, fell 32 storeys, yet only suffered from a broken tooth. ‘Cats behave like well-trained paratroopers,’ a doctor said. It seems that the further cats fall, the less they are likely to injure themselves. In a long drop, they reach speeds of 60 miles an hour and more. At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hid the ground.
生词和短语
◆fascinate v. 迷住，吸引住
◆affectionate adj. 充满情深的，柔情的
◆mysterious adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
◆submissive adj. 服从的，顺从的
◆feline adj. 猫的
◆independence n. 独立，独立性
◆high-rise adj. 高层的
◆windowsill n.窗槛
◆paratrooper n. 伞兵
◆squirrel n. 松鼠
◆air-resistance n. 空气阻力
◆impact n. 冲击力

★fascinate v. 迷住，吸引住
vt. 常用于主系表结构：be fascinated with被…迷住了，被…吸引住了
He is fascinated with chess.他迷上了象棋
Are you fascinated with English?

以下几个表达方式都表示迷上了，喜欢上了
like, love, be fond of
The boy is fond of football.喜欢足球
be crazy about:着迷
be mad about
mad和crazy都常与about连用表着迷于
He is crazy / mad about music.他迷上了音乐
He is fascinated with music. 他迷上了音乐

fascination n.
fascinating adj.令人着迷的
Sweet music is fascinating.优美的音乐让人着迷

★affectionate adj. 充满情深的，柔情的
Cats are affectionate animals.猫是一种柔情的动物
affectionately adv.
The lady is looking that man affectionately.
affection n.

★mysterious adj. 神秘的，难以理解的
a mysterious plan神秘的计划
a mysterious explanation神秘的一个
mystery n. 迷团，神秘感
His death is a mystery.他的死是个迷

★submissive adj. 服从的，顺从的
相当于obedient服从的,顺从的;恭顺的[(+to)]
We sat down, obedient to the wishes of Oliver.
我们顺从奥利弗的意愿,坐了下来。
Are you obedient?
Dogs and horses are submissive, but Cats are never submissive to us.狗和马都很顺服的，猫却从不顺服。
be submissive to sb.对某人表示顺服

submit v.
Submit oneself to sb. / sth. 屈服于，顺从于某事或某人
submission n.

★feline adj. 猫的
★independence n. 独立，独立性
independent adj.独立的
You have already grown up, you must be independent.你已经长大成人了，要独立了

depend 依靠
You must depend on yourself.你必须要依靠自己

depend, dependence
independence, independent

★high-rise adj. 高层的
★windowsill n.窗槛
★paratrooper n. 伞兵
★squirrel n. 松鼠
★air-resistance n. 空气阻力
★impact n. 冲击力

【课文讲解】
nver fail to do 双重否定＝肯定，运用双否结构加深了句子的语义
If you aks for help in the polite way, you never fail to succeed.如果你很有礼貌地去求助的话，你肯定会成功的(你不会不成功)
If you receive requests like this, you'll never fail to accept.如果你收到这样的请求你不会不接受的

掌握常用的双重否定结构作用是加强语气
1． never fail to, can't fail to, don't fail to   否定词+fail to（语气较强烈）不会不能..就是肯定能
2． not和否定的形容词连用 否定的形容词之前加以否定 unreasonable不合情理-> not unreasonable合乎情理
Eg: What he said is not unreasonable.他所说的话很合乎情理
It is quite common (not uncommon ) for us to make mistakes.对于我们来讲犯错误是很正常的。
3． not + without否定介词
Eg: You can't obtain english without working hard.没有努力用功你就不会学好英语
    He doesn’t have any meal without meat.他美餐都要吃肉。（没肉就不吃饭）
4.no+not
Eg: There is no cat that doesn't like fish. 没有不喜欢鱼的猫
There is nothing that he can't do. 他什么事情都能干.(没有他不能做的事情)
There is no rule that has no exception.没有无例外的法规。
as well/too 书面建议用as well
as a result那么,其结果导致了
have learned to:学会了，习惯了
People have learned to expect that trains are punctual.人们已经习惯于总是期盼火车是准时的
Children have learned to expect that their parents are very able.孩子已经学会了适应他们父母是很能干的

be suspicious of sb. 对什么表示怀疑，存有戒心

重点
One of the things that fascinaes us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives：对于猫这种动物最吸引我们的事情之一就是这种通俗的信念
that 引导定语从句,one 做主语所以fascinates用单数形式，that they have nine lives that引导同位语从句进一步说明belief的基本内容
One of the things that fascinaes us most about planes is the popular fact that they are safe and fast.有关于飞机最吸引我们的地方就是这个普遍接受的事实它既安全有快捷

truth,不可数名词，可以用a good deal of 修饰
apparently 显然，显而易见 这不是特别肯定的一种口吻。表达时可用另一种结构形式It seems that...

A cat’s ability to survive falls is based on fact.猫跌落时大难不死的能力是基于事实基础之上的
survive v.   fall v.&n. 这里falls名词的复数形式做survive的宾语
be based on:基于事实基础之上
base sth. on: 把某事加强在什么基础之上
We base the theory on the fact。我们把这个理论主要建立在事实基础之上
The theory is based on fact.理论基于事实基础之上

make a study of sth:对什么作出研究

over a period of five months长达五个月之久的时间

in common = the same共同之处

fall off 坠落， 掉落

die from:死于
区别die of 和die from
死于疾病：die of illness / disease / hunger 饿死了/ thirst渴死了等自然的死亡用of
死于非自然原因：die from shock死于震荡 / injures 死于受伤/ wound, 用from

there is no shortage 双否，不缺乏
shortage:缺乏 = lack, 与of搭配，shortage / lack of
shortage of money led to the failure of the experiments.缺乏基金导致这个实验的失败

32 storeys 32层
suffer from: 遭受什么痛苦
A lot of people in the world are suffering from terrible disease.遭受可怕疾病的折磨

behave like = act like 行为就像
well-trained: 训练很好的，well-decorated:装饰漂亮的
the further cats fall, the less   the+比较级
典型的the more...the more...句型，用定冠词the 修饰形容词或副词的比较级 表示越•••越•••
The harder you study English, the better you an learn it.越努力越好
The more you eat, the fatter you will be.变得越胖

be likely to do:有可能如何，强调可能性
In cold winter, We are likely to catch a cold.在寒冷的冬天我们有可能感冒

and more 甚至更多
at high speeds在高速中
stretch out 充分伸展

Exercise P48
Supply
so, such, such a, such an:
1 The film was _so _funny, we laughed all the way through it.
2 We all had _such _fun at the seaside. It’s a pity you weren’t there. 没有应用冠词修饰因为fun为不可数名词
3 It’s _such an _unusual exhibition, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
4 The twins are __ so __alike, you can’t tell the difference etween them.因为alike为形容词
5 There was _such a _loud noise, everyone jumped.

endlessly fascinating 无穷的/特别吸引人的魅力

4 Cats have an unfailing fascination ___ for __ most people. 对于大多数人来讲，猫有一种永不衰败的吸引力(l.1)
a. with    b. to    c. for    d. at
for对于人们来讲
with对于人们来讲，侧重强调对比概念
with some children, their pocket money goes a long way.对于一些孩子来讲，他们的零花钱会维持很久时间（对于另外一些孩子来讲他们的钱很快就花掉了）
unfailing=endlessly

5 Cats never become submissive __ in the way that dogs and horses do ___ .(l.3)
a. as dogs and horses    b. in the way that dogs and horses do
c. as far as dogs and borses    d. as for dogs and horses
as…as…象…一样
in the way that…以…方式
I love you in the way that you love me.
We like modern art in the same way that we like beautiful…

6 _ It is ____ popularly believed that cats have nine lives.(l.7)
a. there is    b. Is    c. This is    d. It is
It is said that… 据说
It is announced that… 据宣布
It is reported that…据报道

7 New Youk is ideal for this study because __ of the number of ___ high-rise buildings. (ll.11-12)
a. there is plenty of    b. of the number of    c. it has plenty    d. the number
there is plenty of -->there are plenty of

8 Over a period of five months, there was _ a study _of 132 cats in New Youk. (l.9)
a. a study    b. studied    c. some studies    d. studing
there be 句型要用名词做主语

Vocabulary
9 Most cats are suspicious of human beings _throughout_ their lives. (l.5)
a. during    b. throughout    c. through    d. white
during 在…期间（时间较短）
during our holiday; during the week
through 侧重强调从空间穿过
through the crowd 穿过人群；through the door穿过那道门
Monday through Friday周一到周五
throughout their lives 贯穿始终

10 __ It would seem ___ there is a good deal of truth in this idea. (l.7)
a. As a matter of fact    b. In the event    c. It would seem    d. Surprisingly enough
it would seem (that )… ----apparently显然地

11 That cats can survive falls from great heights is _supported_by the facts.(ll.7-8)
a. explained    b. tested    c. supported    d. borne
explain 解释； test 检测； borne 容忍，忍耐
The theory is supported by the fact.
The theory is based on the fact.

12 One cat fell 32 stroeys. _Even so__she only suffered a broken tooth. 虽然如此只是(ll.12-13)
a. Even so    b. Although    c. Moreover    d. In spite of
even so 注意上下文的语境
although 让步；虽然，但是
in spite of 只用来连接名词、动名词或代词
moreover表示递近关系，更有甚者
He is very tired, even so he keeps studing English hard.他很累了，虽然如此他还在继续努力学习英语。