英语听力：自然百科 探秘北国奇鸟- 矛隼

 Some birds are better at hunting than others and this male clearly isn't the best. He was her mate last year as well. Could his idle nature be the reason why last year's clutch failed? The chicks should be growing exponentially, yet they are getting noticeably hungry. The female was agitated¹. She looks for food that he may have stashed² away, but there is nothing. It was at this time last year that their two chicks died, and he's now spending this critical time primming³.

 

Their flight feathers are beginning to grow and prolonged hunger at this age could weaken them. For a gyrfalcon, strong flight feathers are vital. It's time for the mother to take things into her own hands and start hunting too.

 

She uses her immensely powerful wingbeat to gain height. Her incredible eyesight allows her to watch the ground below without being seen herself. Even at 1,500 feet, she can detect the slightest movement below. If the hares don't move, they are safe.

 

Once she identifies a target, she moves into the sun, so she can't be seen. That's only half the battle won. She now has to carry her kill miles back to the nest.

1 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

2 stashed   

v.贮藏( stash的过去式和过去分词 )；隐藏；藏匿；藏起

参考例句：

• She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她有一大笔钱存在几个不同的银行账户下。
• She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她在不同的银行账户上秘密储存了一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 primming   

v.循规蹈矩的( prim的现在分词 )；整洁的；（人）一本正经；循规蹈矩地，整洁地

参考例句：