Flying High with Sugar Gliders 叫我小飞侠
by Chris Brown
Meet a high-flyer with a taste for sweet treats.
来看看嗜吃甜食的空中飞鼠。
The next time you find yourself in a forest in Australia, look up. You might just see a small, grey, furry mammal with big eyes sailing through the air. These animals are called sugar gliders. You''d be lucky to see one, _(1)_, because they are small, timid, and nocturnal.
If you do get a _(2)_ of a sugar glider, you might notice that when it is soaring through the tree tops, its skin stretches out between its arms and legs, almost in the shape of a square. This remarkable adaptation allows these animals to glide gently from tree to tree by increasing their surface area. Some sugar gliders can fly for distances of _(3)_ one hundred meters!
If you were gliding through a forest, you would probably not want to _(4)_ any trees. Fortunately, the sugar glider has a long tail to help it steer while gliding. It can also move its arms and legs to steer, and just before arriving at its destination, it brings its hind legs forward _(5)_ it can grab the tree trunk with all four limbs.
Sugar gliders are a type of possum native _(6)_ Australia. They get their name from their _(7)_ for sweet foods like flower nectar, acacia gum, and the sap from eucalyptus trees, although they also eat insects. They rarely descend to the ground so as to avoid any predators that might be waiting there.
1. (A) therefore(B) though (C) otherwise (D) likewise
2. (A) scene (B) watch (C) vision (D) glimpse
3. (A) up to (B) next to (C) such as (D) as much as
4. (A) kick off (B) burst out (C) run into (D) go after
5. (A) in that (B) now that (C) except that (D) so that
6. (A) in (B) for (C) to (D) with
7. (A) emotion (B) preference (C) sympathy (D) frequency
You'd be lucky to see one, though, because they are small, timid, and nocturnal.
理由:
a. therefore（因此）为副词，使用时，可置于句首，其后加逗点；或置于两子句中，其前置分号，其后加逗点；亦可作插入语用，前后以逗点相隔。而本空格位于主要子句的句尾，故 (A) 不可选。
例: It started to rain. Therefore, we decided to stay home.
（开始下雨了，因此我们决定留在家里。）
b. though（不过，但是）可作副词用，使用时通常置于句尾，其前加逗点，或置于句中作插入语，两旁以逗点相隔。此处 though 置入空格后，符合语意、用法，故 (B) 为正选。
例: Richard is an American. He acts like a Chinese person, though.
（理查德是美国人，不过他的行为举止却像中国人。）
c. otherwise（否则）亦是副词，使用时通常置于句首或两子句中，而不置于句尾，故 (C) 不可选。
例: You should go to the store right now. Otherwise, you''ll forget to do it.
（你应该现在就去商店，否则到时候你会忘记。）
d. likewise（同样地）为副词，使用时通常置于句首，其后加逗点，或置于句中动词之后。因此 (D) 亦不合用法而不可选。
likewise adv. 同样地
例: The traffic here is terrible; likewise, the air is almost unbreathable.
（这里的交通很乱；同样地，空气也几乎让人无法呼吸。）
例: I operate the machine carefully, and you should do likewise.
（我小心操作这台机器，而你也该这么做。）
If you do get a glimpse of a sugar glider, you might notice that when it is soaring through the tree tops, its skin stretches out between its arms and legs, almost in the shape of a square.
理由:
a. 本空格测试下列固定用法：
get a glimpse of... 瞥见……
glimpsen. 瞥见
例: We got a glimpse of the singer just as he was leaving the restaurant.
（就在那位歌手离开餐厅时，我们看见了他。）
b. 根据上述，故选 (D)。scene 表『风景』，watch 表『注视；注意』，vision 表『视力』，置入后均不合语意及用法，故 (A)、(B)、(C) 不可选。
Some sugar gliders can fly for distances of up to one hundred meters!
理由:
a. (A) up to... 多达……（与数字并用）
例: Polar bears can weigh up to 600 kgs.
（北极熊可重达 6 百公斤。）
(B) next to... 紧邻……；在……旁边
例: My father is the one standing next to me in this picture.
（我爸爸就是照片中站在我旁边的那位。）
(C) such as... 诸如∕像……之类（置于复数名词之后）
例: I like fruits such as mangoes and apples.
（我喜欢像芒果和苹果之类的水果。）
(D) as much as... 数量多达……（用于表不可数名词的涵义中）
例: She earns as much as ten thousand dollars a month.
（她每个月赚 10 万元之多。）
b. 空格后为数字加复数名词 one hundred meters，根据上述，仅 (A) 置入后符合语意及用法，表『多达』1 百公尺，故选之。as much as 之后虽可接数字，但其后的名词必须有不可数名词的涵义，如 dollars（表『金钱』的涵义），故 (D) 不可选。
If you were gliding through a forest, you would probably not want to run into any trees.
理由:
a. (A) kick off... 踢开……
例: Tim kicked off his shoes and threw off his coat when he got home.
（提姆回到家便踢掉鞋子，脱掉了外套。）
(B) burst out V-ing 突然……起来
例: Lisa burst out crying at her son''s funeral.
（莉莎在她儿子的葬礼上放声大哭起来。）
(C) run into... 撞到……；偶然碰到……
例: I ran into an old friend of mine on my way to the station.
（我在往车站途中与老友不期而遇。）
(D) go after... 追赶……；追求……
例: The dog went after the terrified cat.
（这只狗追着那只受到惊吓的猫跑。）
b. 根据前后语意，可知应选 (C)，表在滑翔时，不会想『撞上』任何树之意。
It can also move its arms and legs to steer, and just before arriving at its destination, it brings its hind legs forward so that it can grab the tree trunk with all four limbs.
理由:
a. (A) in that... 因为……
例: Bill is a good employee in that he never complains.
（比尔是个好员工，因为他从来不发牢骚。）
(B) now that... 既然∕现在……
注意:
now that 为副词连接词，且因受 now 之影响，其所引导的副词子句中，动词时态须为现在式或现在完成式。
例: Now that everyone is here, we can begin the meeting.
（既然大家都在这儿，我们就可以开会了。）
(C) except that... 要不是∕除了……
例: I would like to buy this cell phone except that it''s a bit too expensive.
（要不是太贵了点，我倒想买这支手机。）
(D) so that... 如此∕以便……
= in order that...
注意:
so that/in order that 为表示『目的』的副词连接词，且在所引导的副词子句中，通常要有助动词 may/might、can/could 或 will/would。
例: John got up at three in the morning so that he would make his flight.
（约翰凌晨 3 点就起床，以便搭上他的班机。）
b. 根据语意，可知应选 (D) so that，表『以便』可以用四肢抓住树干之意。
Sugar gliders are a type of possum native to Australia.
理由:
a. 本空格测试下列固定用法：
be native to + 地方 是某地所特有的
= be indigenous to + 地方
= be unique to + 地方
indigenousa. 土产的：本地的
例: This kind of insect is native to this island.
（这种昆虫原产于这座岛。）
b. 根据上述，可知应选 (C)。本句实为：
Sugar gliders are a type of possum which is native to Australia.
They get their name from their preference for sweet foods like flower nectar, acacia gum, and the sap from eucalyptus trees, although they also eat insects.
理由:
a. (A) emotion n. 感情；情绪
(B) preference n. 偏爱
have a preference for... 对……有偏好
例: Many of my friends enjoy dancing, but I have a preference for singing.
（我许多朋友都喜欢跳舞，但我偏好唱歌。）
(C) sympathy n. 同情
have sympathy for... 同情……
例: Stan has sympathy for people who have few educational opportunities.
（史丹对没什么机会接受教育的人感到同情。）
(D) frequency n. 频率
b. 根据语意，可知应选 (B) preference，表蜜袋鼯因为『喜好』花蜜、阿拉伯胶和尤佳利树汁等甜食而得名。
1. sugar glider n. 蜜袋鼯
2. mammal n. 哺乳动物
3. timid a. 胆小的
4. nocturnal a. 夜行性的
5. remarkable a. 卓越的；非凡的
6. adaptation n. 适应
7. glide vi. 滑行；滑翔
8. destination n. 目的地，终点
9. hind a. 后面的
10. limb n. 肢；臂；脚
11. possum n. 袋貂
12. nectar n. 花蜜
13. acacia gum n. 阿拉伯胶
14. sap n. 树汁
15. eucalyptus n. 尤佳利树
16. predator n. 掠食者
prey n. 猎物
下一次你发现自己身处澳洲森林时，抬头看。你或许会看到一只娇小、毛茸茸的灰色哺乳类动物，张着牠的大眼睛在空中穿梭。这种动物称为蜜袋鼯。不过，能看到这种动物算你幸运，因为他们既娇小又胆小，而且还是夜行性动物。
若你真瞧见蜜袋鼯，可能会注意到牠在树梢间滑翔时，四肢间的皮薄膜会张开，几乎呈四方形。这种特殊的演化使牠们得以增加身体的表面积，从容地在树木间滑翔。有些蜜袋鼯一次甚至可以飞行 1 百公尺远呢！
假如你在森林中滑翔，大概不会想撞到树吧。还好，蜜袋鼯有条长长的尾巴，有助于在滑翔时掌握方向。牠也会移动四肢使行进的方向不至偏离，而且在降落前会将后脚移到前方，以便用四肢抓住树干。
蜜袋鼯是澳洲特有的袋貂类，因为喜好花蜜、阿拉伯胶和尤佳利树汁等甜食而得名，但牠们也吃昆虫。蜜袋鼯很少到地面活动是为了避免被躲在下方的掠食者攻击。
标准答案: 1. (B) 2. (D) 3. (A) 4. (C) 5. (D) 6. (C) 7. (B)
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