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Outlandish Octopuses 古怪章鱼知多少

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There are few creatures that spark our imagination like octopuses. With two ___1___, staring eyes, a big bulbous head, and eight slimy tentacles, they are unlike any other beast on Earth.

很少有动物像章鱼一样激发我们各种想象。有着一双瞪人的大眼睛、仿若灯泡的大头和8只黏滑的触手，地球上没其他动物长得像章鱼一样。

There are many different kinds of octopus. The largest is the giant Pacific octopus, which can grow to be 9 meters ___2___ and weigh as much as 270 kilograms. By contrast, the blue-ringed octopus is tiny – just the size of a man’s hand – but it can kill an adult in minutes ___3___ its poisonous saliva.

章鱼有许多种类，其中最大的是北太平洋大章鱼。此种章鱼最长可长到9公尺，最重可达270公斤。相较之下，蓝环章鱼就显得非常娇小，只有一个男人的手掌大。可是牠有毒的唾液可以在几分钟之内杀死一名成年人！

Perhaps the most interesting thing about octopuses is the way they ___4___ predators. Octopuses can magically change their skin color to blend in with their surroundings. This usually leaves their pursuer ___5___ where they went, but if not, octopuses have a backup plan. They can squirt a cloud of black ink to impair their attackers’ ___6___ and dull their sense of smell. Their soft bodies can squeeze into ___7___ small cracks or holes where the predators are unable to follow. And if the attacker does wound the octopus, it’s not the end of the world. Octopuses can regenerate their ___8___ without suffering any permanent damage.

关于章鱼最有趣的事情或许就是牠们躲避掠食者的妙招。章鱼可以像魔法般地改变肤色，使自己融入周遭环境，这通常就能让追捕者搞不清章鱼的去向。如果这招失败了，章鱼还有备案。牠们可以喷射出一团黑色墨汁，这种墨汁会妨碍攻击者的视力并减弱牠们的嗅觉。章鱼柔软的躯体可以挤进掠食者无法追进的细小裂缝或洞穴。就算攻击者真的伤到了章鱼，也不会是世界末日。章鱼的触腕可以再生而不会留下任何永久性伤害。

In addition to their unique ___9___ gifts, octopuses also possess a sharp intellect. They can be taught to open jars, navigate mazes, and even play with a Rubik’s Cube. It’s been reported that they can mimic the actions of other octopuses, and escape from their tanks by using their ___10__ problem-solving skills. Due to their many odd talents, you’ve got to hand it to octopuses.

除了身体上独特的天赋之外，章鱼还拥有高度智慧。牠们能学会转开罐子，在迷宫中找出方向，甚至还会玩魔术方块！曾有新闻报导章鱼能模仿其他同类的动作，并运用牠们敏锐的问题解决能力从鱼缸中逃跑。有这么多奇奇怪怪技能的章鱼让你不由得对牠们肃然起敬！

－by Jamie Blackler

Vocabulary

单词发音

spark [spɑrk] v. 激励；鼓舞

poisonous [ˋpɔɪznəs] adj. 有毒的

predator [ˋprɛdətɚ] n. 食肉动物；掠夺者

blend in 融合; 融入cause (something) to be mixed with (something else)

backup [ˋbæk͵ʌp] adj. 备用的

squeeze [skwiz] v. 榨出，挤出

crack [kræk] n. 裂缝，裂痕

wound [wund] v. 使受伤；伤害

regenerate [rɪˋdʒɛnərɪt] v. 重建；再生

permanent [ˋpɝmənənt] adj. 永久的，永恒的

possess [pəˋzɛs] v. 拥有，持有；具有

navigate [ˋnævə͵get] v. 导航;（为…）指引方向

mimic [ˋmɪmɪk] v. 模仿

More Information

单词发音

outlandish [aʊtˋlændɪʃ] adj. 古怪的

bulbous [ˋbʌlbəs] adj. 又圆又胖的

slimy [ˋslaɪmɪ] adj. 黏滑的

tentacle [ˋtɛntək!] n. 触须，触手，触角

saliva [səˋlaɪvə] n. 涎，唾液

squirt [skwɝt] v. 喷射，喷出

impair [ɪmˋpɛr] v. 削弱；减少

dull [dʌl] v. 弄钝；使迟钝

maze [mez] n. 迷宫

keen [kin] adj. 敏锐的，敏捷的

hand it to somebody 给某人以应得的赞扬; 肯定某人的优点  to recognize that someone deserves respect for what they did

Giant Pacific Octopus

Blue Ringed Octopus

Answer