原文：?A Puma at large
Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five?miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.However, as the evidence began to accumulate,?experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by?people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman?picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It?immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will?not attack a human being unless it is cornered.The search proveddifficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and atanother place twenty miles away in the evening.Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead?deer and small animals like rabbits.Paw prints were seen in a number ofplaces and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of"cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw thepuma up a tree.The experts were now fully convinced that the animal wasa puma, but where had it come from??As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the?country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and?somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the?puma was not caught.It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is?still at large in the quiet countryside.
Part 1: Lead-in question:
Q: Where must the puma have come from?
A: The puma must have been in the possession of a private collector.
Part 2: Words and Expressions
1. be at large: v.潛逃垃沦。The escaped prisoner was still at large.
2. spot: ?v.看出，發(fā)現(xiàn)：My father spotted several spelling mistakes in my composition.我父親在我的作文里發(fā)現(xiàn)了好幾個拼字錯誤。
3. accumulate:逐漸增加涝缝，積累（無形的東西）：accumulate experience / power.
collect:收集（有形的東西）collect?stamps.集郵筑舅。
4. feel obliged to do sth: v.必須，有必要?I feltobliged to invite him.
He feels obliged to learn English well.
5.hunt: 1. v. 捕獵 go on a deer ?/fox hunt ? 獵鹿/狐
2. ?v. 搜尋 hunt for second-hand books 找二手書。Job-hunting 找工作
6. pick: 1.v. 采摘 : pick cotton 摘棉花
2. v.挑選we need to pick?someone reliable.我們必須挑選可靠之人空闲。
pick?and choose.挑挑揀揀丙挽。
7. prove: turn out to be. ? v. 證明是肺孵，原來是 ? ?The rumor proved false.
8. cling to: 1. v. 緊貼 ?his shirt clung to his body.
?2. v. 堅信 ?She clings to the belief that her husband will come back.
9. disturb: 1.v. 打擾 ? ?sorry to disturb you.Do not disturb ?(請勿打擾)
2. v.令人不安的，令人擔(dān)憂的（worrying）Hisbehavior disturbed me.
Part3: Sentence Structure:
原文：Pumas are large, cat-like animals which arefound in America.
句型：Sth + be +adj+n-like+n+which/who ….
例1：大熊貓是一種體形似熊的大動物颜阐，產(chǎn)于四川平窘。
Pandas are large, bear-like animals which arefound in Sichuan Province.
例2：你是一位貌若天仙的美女，現(xiàn)于我心凳怨。
You are a beautiful, angel-like girl who isfound in my heart.
Part 4: Culture
寵物文化
在美國瑰艘，有寵物的家庭比有小孩的家庭還多。據(jù)調(diào)查肤舞，至少43%美國家庭有寵物紫新。有些美國家庭會養(yǎng)一些外國品種，如猴子李剖，蛇芒率，蜥蜴甚至狼等，課文中的美洲獅也會有美國人偷偷地養(yǎng)起來篙顺。不過偶芍，最受歡迎的還是貓和狗充择。
美國人經(jīng)常把寵物當(dāng)做家人一樣看待，如腋寨，他們會為寵物穿上時髦的衣服聪铺，給寵物噴上香水，每天洗澡萄窜，給寵物買保險铃剔，甚至還會為死亡的寵物購買墓地。
如果你問美國人查刻，how?many people are there in your family? They would probably answer: “I have a daughter,a son and two dogs.”由此可見寵物在美國家庭的重要性键兜。
