Lesson 1 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 proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another 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 of places 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 the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a 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.

1.Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.

美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大形动物，产自美洲。

语言点1 which定语从句修饰animals.

语言点2 cat-like是"n.+adj."结构的复合形容词，作定语，此类还有:lady-like女性化的,man-like男人般的,crystal-like水晶般的,baby-like婴儿般的,dog-like像狗一样的,steel-like钢铁般的,home-like像家一样的,angel-like天使般的,dream-like梦境般的。

语言点3 large和cat-like都是描述型定语从句，修饰animals。选择合适的词翻译“大的”或“胖的”。修饰动物：fat,huge;修饰男人：strong，heavy；修饰女人：large，plump；修饰小孩：robust，chubby.

语言点4 在写作中模仿使用本句结构。

例:Koalas are small，bear-like animals which live in Australia.

2.When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.

当伦敦动物园接到报告说，在伦敦以南45英里处发现一只美洲狮时，这些报告并没有受到重视。

语言点1 本句是一个由when引导的时间状语从句加that引导的分隔式同位语从句构成的复合句。

语言点2 had been spotted（过去被发现）中spot用词独具匠心，强调在荒野“发现”美洲狮不容易。例句：I finally spottedjust the book I wantedin the bookstore.

语言点3 写作短语模板：take sh. seriously认真对待某事,take sth. easy轻松地做某事,take sb./sth.lightly小看某人/某事,be unsympathetic to sth.对某事很冷漠，show low regard to/for sth.对某事不在意，be indifferent to sth.对某事不感兴趣，be not interested in doing sth.对做某事不感兴趣，take one's time about doing sth.认真做某事。

语言点4 写作模板:例When news came into the departments concerned that bird flu had been spotted 30km east to the city,it was taken seriously.

3.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.

可是，随着证据越来越多，动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查，因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似。

语言点1 本句包含了as'引导的时间状语从句，以及for引导的原因状语从句。最后是who 引导的定语从句，修饰people。

语言点2 写作短语模板：feel obliged to do sth.感到有必要做某事，it is necessary for sb to do sth.某人有必要做某事,be forced to do sth.被迫做某事,feel/be impelled to do sth.感到有必要做某事（内因）,be compelled to do sth.被迫做某事（外因）

语言点3 写作模板:As the proof began to gather,the police felt obliged to interrogate this suspect further,for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the suspect were remarkably similar.

语言点4 claim to have seen，声称看到过，to have seen是动词不定式的现在完成时结构，做claim的宾语。

4.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.

语言点1 where引导定语从句，修饰village。

语言点2 搜索：hunt，search。

语言点3 the hunt for sb./sth.抓捕某人/某物。hunt for a job找工作，Missing Wanted寻人/寻物启事，People Search/Wanted/Missing寻人，Wanted通缉。

5.It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.

她刚看见它，它就立刻逃走了。专家证实，美洲狮非被逼得走投无路，是决不会伤人的。

语言点1 when引导时间状语从句，and连接两个并列分句，第二个分句中的that引导宾语从句，说明confirm的内容，unless引导条件状语从句。

语言点2 1）corner作动词常用于被动语态：sth./sb. be corned某人/某物被逼入绝境

2)与corner搭配的介词at the corner of the street在街道的拐角in the corner of the room在房间的角落里on the corner of the desk在桌子的一角

语言点3 1）unless和if...not均表示否定的条件，一般可互换：Unless you have more pratice,you will fail in the dtiving test.=If you do not have more pratice,you will fail in the dtiving test.

语言点4 写作模板:The teacher told him that he would never pass the examination unless he studied hard.

6.The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening.

语言点1 句子中含有一个for引导的原因状语从句。特别注意的是：地点状语at one place 和at another place，时间状语in the morning 和in the evening形成对照。

语言点2 because和for的区别：because知道上的或自然的原因，语气较强，for多指逻辑上的判断。比较：Itmust have rained,for the river is so high.He must be at home,for the light in his room is on.

语言点3 twenty miles away做后置定语，修饰place。地点副词和时间副词做后置定语：the house ahead前面的房子，the conclusion below下面的讨论，the plan last year去年的计划。

7.Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.

语言点1 wherever引导地点状语从句。

语言点2 where/wherever区别：where引导从句表示特定地点，而wherever引导从句表示非特定地点。比较下面两句：He must go where we send him.=He must go to the place where we send him.

He must go wherever we send him.=He must go to any place where we send him.

语言点3 it left behind it a trail of dead deer...这部分中，a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits与behind it形成倒装。一般而言，倒装的用法有两个作用：强调或平衡句子。本句是为了平衡句子。倒装是很重要的写作手法，在新概念英语系列中还有很多，例When they got home，Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven and without relising it,cooked her fiance's wallet as well.