2006年VOA标准英语-Fatal Alligator Attacks in Florida have Re

By Melinda Smith
Washington, DC
18 May 2006
 
watch Gator Killings¹ report
 
  
  
Florida wildlife officials are warning residents to avoid areas where alligators³ are on the prowl.  Three women have been killed by alligators recently, a disturbingly high number compared to the rate in previous years.  VOA's Melinda Smith looks at some of the reasons why attacks have increased.

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The alligator²'s normal habitat is the dense⁴ vegetation of Florida's marshes⁵, rivers and lakes.

But in recent decades, much of that wetland has been used to accommodate the state's boom in housing and commercial construction.  With more and more people moving to Florida, alligators have less room to roam.

Kent Vilet  
  
There are two other factors at hand:  this is mating season and the state's drought has forced many of these reptiles⁶ to travel farther in their search for food.

University of Florida zoologist⁷ Kent Vliet says the posted wildlife warnings should be taken seriously. "You've got to be especially cautious anytime you're near water in Florida, and you have your dog with you, because alligators really key in to those things very rapidly and they get to thinking about feeding and they'll move in close and it's just a dangerous situation."

Annemarie Campbell  
  
Twenty-three year old Annemarie Campbell was snorkeling in a placid⁸ creek⁹ when an alligator believed to be at least two and a half meters long killed her.  As hunters searched for the gator, one state wildlife official expressed frustration¹⁰ the animal had not yet been captured.

 
Yovy Suarez Jimenez
  
A few days earlier trappers caught and killed another alligator believed responsible for the death of 28-year-old Yovy Suarez Jimenez.  She may have been jogging on a canal bank and dragged into the water.

The body of a third woman was discovered in a canal near the city of St. Petersburg.  Her death was also blamed on an alligator. Seventy-four-year-old Connie Gittles could have been the state's fourth fatality¹¹, if she hadn't grabbed her garden hose when an alligator nipped her on the leg:

Connie Gittles   
  
Recalling the event, Ms. Gittles says, "...and I got him right on the nose.  One whack¹².  I don't know where he went, but he was just gone."

Alligators are naturally predatory and can grow to much as four meters long.  They often attack pets and livestock¹³.  This year's three fatalities¹⁴ bring the human death toll¹⁵ to 20 in the past 57 years.

1 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

2 alligator   

n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)

参考例句：

• She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。

3 alligators   

n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
• In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句

4 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

5 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 zoologist   

n.动物学家

参考例句：

• Charles darwin was a famous zoologist.查尔斯达尔文是一位著名的动物学家。
• The zoologist had spent a long time living with monkeys.这位动物学家与猴子一起生活了很长时间。

8 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

9 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

10 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

11 fatality   

n.不幸，灾祸，天命

参考例句：

• She struggle against fatality in vain.她徒然奋斗反抗宿命。
• He began to have a growing sense of fatality.他开始有一种越来越强烈的宿命感。

12 whack   

v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份

参考例句：

• After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
• He gave me a whack on the back to wake me up.他为把我弄醒，在我背上猛拍一下。

13 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

14 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。