英语听力：自然百科 环球风情：南非

 Hi, I’m Petty Kim. This country is close enough to Antarctica to have its very own species of penguin¹. Would you believe it’s South Africa? And that’s not all. Here are a few more surprises.

 

South Africa is a country of contrasts in the far north bands of mere² cats thrive in the Kalahari Desert. In the far south the rocky Cape³ peninsula juts⁴ into the ocean and African penguins⁵ thrive upon the beaches. And in between travelers can find abundant wildlife, natural beauty and vibrant⁶ culture.

 

One of South Africa’s crown jewels is Kruger National Park. With over 7,000 square miles, Kruger is the largest National Park in South Africa and home to 145 species of mammals and nearly 500 species of birds.

 

You can drive you own car on the park roads but if you like helps spotting the animals, try joining a park ranger⁷ for an organized game drive. Rangers⁸ also conduct special game drives at night the time when many big cats are out hunting.

 

No matter how you choose to travel, you’ll have the chance to see grazers like elephants, giraffes and zebra. And hundreds of scavengers like wild dogs, lions, leopards⁹ and crocodiles.

 

If you want get any closer to a hunter with the enormous teeth, you’ll have to get in the water. South Africa is one of the best known places in the world to go face-to-face with great white sharks all from the safty of a metal diving cage. While June, July and August are the peak time for seeing great whales, you have a fair chance of spotting them at any time from March to October.      

 

One of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa is Cape Town. This cosmopolitan¹⁰ city has been compared to San Francisco for its cool weather, seaside setting and abundance of good food.

 

Nearby wineries offer tours and tastings of leading South African wines.  For a more active day trip, head to the Cape Peninsula which extends about 25 miles from the city to Cape point, here you can hike to a nature reserve and swim at ocean beaches. The reserve shelters a range a wildlife including a troop of baboons¹¹ that sometimes roams the parking lots. They are not above snatches of mango in groceries so it’s wise to be careful with food when the baboons come to visit. Well, these aggressive monkeys may be a nuisance. They are also a reminder¹² of the wilderness¹³ that survives in South Africa. And a wild place is in creatures that made this country unforgettable.

 

1 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

4 juts   

v.（使）突出( jut的第三人称单数 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出

参考例句：

• A small section of rock juts out into the harbour. 山岩的一小角突入港湾。 来自辞典例句
• The balcony juts out over the swimming pool. 阳台伸出在游泳池上方。 来自辞典例句

5 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

7 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

8 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

9 leopards   

n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移

参考例句：

• Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如，飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分（初三）

10 cosmopolitan   

adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的

参考例句：

• New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
• She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。

11 baboons   

n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Baboons could break branches and leaders. 狒狒会折断侧枝和顶梢。 来自辞典例句
• And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

12 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

13 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。