A is for Alligator
Primarily
[praɪ'mer(ə)lɪ]
– в основном, главным образом.
B is for
Bear
Bears are fast runners,
excellent swimmers and good climbers. They
Bears are solitary animals.
Only mother and cubs live together. Cubs love to play! Playing teaches them
hunting skills. Bears sleep all winter. This deep sleep is called hibernation.
They don't eat and drink during this time.
Everyone knows bears like
honey! In fact, they eat plants, leaves, nuts and roots as well as insects, fish, birds and mammals.
Koala bears aren't real
bears. Like kangaroos, they have pouches in which they carry their babies. Pandas can spend up to 16 hours a day
feeding. They can eat more than 10 kilograms of bamboo a day!
Solitary –живущий
обособленно (одиночка)
Cub – детеныш зверя (тут: медвежонок)
Hibernation [ˌhaɪbə'neɪʃ(ə)n] –
зимняя спячка
Pouch [pauʧ] – сумка
C is for Camel
Camels are called ships of the desert. They have several
adaptations
A camel's hump stores fat
not water. Fat is a source of energy when food is scarce. Babies
are born without a hump.
Camels may not drink water
for up to six months. A thirsty camel can drink 100 liters of water in 10 minutes!
Camels have three stomachs. They chew their cud like cows. Most camels are fed
by people. They eat grass and grain.
The camel is one of the
oldest domesticated animals. People have been using them for more than 10,000
years.
The Bactrian camel has two
humps and a very thick coat. It lives in Asia in areas that are mostly
grasslands.
Hides – кожсырье
Hump – горб
Cud – жвачка
Grassland – пастбище
D is for Dolphin
Altough they live in the
water, dolphins are mammals, not fish. They are intelligent, playful
creatures,
friendly to humans.
A newborn dolphin is about
a third as long as its mommy. A mother dolphin will stay with a calf for 2 to 3
years. Dolphins are social animals. They live and hunt in groups. They help
other sick dolphins as often as they can.
Dolphins use echolocation
to navigate and hunt. They communicate with each other with clicks and whistles.
Dolphins eat fish, squid
and small marine life. They don't chew their food. They use their teeth to
catch their prey.
Dolphins can jump as high
as 6 meters out of the water. Some of them can dive as deep as 300 meters.
Dolphins have large and
complex brains. They are as intelligent as dogs. Being fast learners, they are
able to generalize and learn human sign language.
Calf – детеныш
Squid [skwɪd] - кальмар
E is for Elephant
Elephants live in family
groups. All the babies and females follow the oldest female elephant. The adult
males live alone.
Elephants eat leaves, grass
and tree barks. They can cry, laugh,
have incredible memories, and are very intelligent. For example, they can
recognize themselves in the mirror. Just few animals are able to do that.
The most amazing feature of
the elephant is its long nose. The elephants use the trunk to eat, drink, touch
and greet each other, and grab small items.
Asian elephants have
smaller ears and tusks than African elephants. The tusks are made of ivory, which
is very valuable.
The elephants flap their
big ears to cool themselves.
Tusk – бивень
Ivory – слоновая кость
Flap – хлопать
F is for Fish
Fish live and breathe in
water, have slimy bodies and are cold-blooded. There are many kinds of fish,
some have bones, but others only cartilage.
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Angelfish are brightly-colored,
flattened fish. They live in coral reefs in tropical seas, and are plant-eaters.
Eels have a long,
snake-like body. Some of them can make electricity. Many eels migrate over long
distances to breed or eat.
Goldfish have orange scales
and long, flowing fins. They were domesticated over a thousand years ago by the
Chinese.
Rays are very flat fish
closely related to sharks. The biggest ray is the Manta Ray which is over 7 m
long and weighs many tons.
Seahorses can change their
color to hide themselves. The male seahorse carries the eggs in his pouch until
they hatch.
Cartilage ['kɑːtɪlɪʤ] – хрящ
Angelfish – рыба-ангел
Flattened – сплющенный
Eel – угорь
Scale – чешуйка
Ray – скат
Manta ray – морской дьявол
G is for Giraffe
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Giraffes usually live in
family troops of 2 to 6. While mothers feed, calves are kept in small nursery
groups.
No two giraffes have the
same pattern. They use their markings to hide themselves among trees. They sleep
only about a half an hour per day. They rarely lay down. They sleep and give
birth standing up.
Giraffes are quite agile
and can run very fast. They can moo, hiss, roar and whistle. Their long necks help them eat leaves from
acacia trees.
Giraffes have the largest
eyes of any land mammal. A giraffe's tongue can extend almost 45 cm.
Troop – стадо
Agile ['æʤaɪl] –
проворный, быстрый
Acacia [ə'keɪʃə] - акация
H is for Hippo
Hippos live in the rivers,
lakes and swamps. They are the third largest African animal. Adult hippos have no natural enemy.
Baby hippos are usually
born underwater. They learn to swim before they can walk.
Hippos spend most of their
day in water. Being too heavy to swim, they navigate under water by walking on
the bottom. At night hippos leave the water. They walk to their favorite
meadows and nibble on the grass.
A male hippo can weigh half
a ton. Even though hippos are so big, they only eat plants, and can eat 45 kg
grass every night.
The name hippopotamus comes
from the Greek and means river
horse. But the hippo is more closely related to the pig than the
horse.
Hippos may look cute, but
actually they are very dangerous. They can be extremely aggressive and
unpredictable, especially if they feel threatened.
Nibble on the grass – щипать траву
I is for Insect
There are over 1 million
different known species of insects in the world, and some experts
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estimate that
there might be as many as 10 million!
Ant colonies consist of
males, females and workers. The queen ant has wings and can live up to ten
years.
Butterflies can see red,
green and yellow. They have four wings and six legs. They test
with their feet.
Dragonflies have huge eyes
and powerful jaws. The dragonflies are ancient insects, they were around before
the dinosaurs.
Flies are the only insects
that have two wings. They don't grow, they are born full size.
Our most common ladybug has
seven spots. In many countries ladybugs are considered to be good luck.
Only female mosquitoes feed
on or bite humans. They prefer children to adults, and blondes to brunettes.
Ant colony – муравейник
J is for Jellyfish
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Jellyfish are made up
mostly of water. They have no heart, no blood, no eyes, no bones, and even no
brain. They are shaped like a bell or like an umbrella. Some of them can glow
in the dark.
Jellyfish may be tiny or
quite large. The smallest are the size of peas. The largest are 2m in a
diameter.
Jellyfish feed on small
plankton animals. If there is not a lot of food around, they can shrink in size,
so they need less food. They are ancient creatures. They first appeared about
650 million years ago.
Feed on – питаться
K is for Kangaroo
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Kangaroos are the symbol of
Australia. They appear on Australian postage stamps, coins, and even on Australian
planes.
Usually, kangaroos have one
young annually. Females have a pouch in which babies live and drink milk for 8
months. They vary enormously in size. The biggest grow to 2 m, the smallest are
20 cm high.
Kangaroos eat leaves,
grass, herbs and roots. They need little water and can go for months without
drinking.
Kangaroos travel in groups.
The leader dominates younger rivals by kicking, biting and boxing.
The kangaroo moves by
hopping. It uses its tail for balance.
When European explorers
first saw that animal, they asked an Aborigine what it was called. He replied: Kangaroo. They thought it was the
animal's name, but this word meant: I don't understand.
Poutch – сумка
Rival ['raɪv(ə)l] – соперник
Rival ['raɪv(ə)l] – соперник
L is for Lion
Lions are the most social
of all the cats and live in groups called prides. There can be up to forty
members in a pride. In a pride, lions hunt prey, raise cubs, and defend their
territory together.
Hunting generally is done
in the dark by lionesses. Males eat first, then females, and cubs last.
The main job of males is
defending the pride's territory. A male's load roar, usually heard after
sunset, can carry for as far as eight kilometers.
The term King of the Beast is misleading. A lion will run from
many creatures, including elephants.
Pride – прайд (группа львов)
Misleading – обманчивый
M is for Monkey
There are two types of
monkeys: the Old World Monkey and the New World Monkey.
Chimpanzees use tools to
open nuts, to catch termites, and for drinking water. Also, they use large
sticks and branches as clubs or throw them at enemies.
Gibbons spend most of their
life in the trees. They cannot swim and avoid water. When on
the ground, they walk on two legs.
Gorillas laugh when they
are tickled, and cry when they are sad or hurt. They are very intelligent, for
example they can learn to communicate in human sign language.
Macaques are found in Asia
from Afghanistan to Japan. They are highly intelligent and display a great
variety of calls and facial expressions.
Orangutans are highly
intelligent with an ability to reason and think. The word orangutan means man of the forest in the Malay language.
Old World Monkeys – мартышки
New World Monkeys – капуцины, цепкохвостые обезьяны
Club – дубинка
Macaque - [mə'kɑːk]
N is for Newts
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Newts spend their lives
near water. The newt's underbelly is usually yellow. Many newts have red spots
along their sides. They have four fingers on each of the front legs and five
toes on each of the hind legs.
A newt's tail is flat on
both sides. They have the ability to regenerate limbs, eyes and spinal cords.
A newt's skin is always
soft and moist. They produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defense
mechanism against predators. Newts eat insects, worms, snails, and small fish.
A newt's prey must be moving in order to attract the newt.
Newt – тритон
Limbs - конечности
O is for Owl
Owls are mysterious birds.
They like lonely places. In many countries the owl is a symbol of wisdom.
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The mother owl lays her
eggs 2-3 days apart. The father owl and mother owl sometimes take turns sitting
on the eggs. Owls sleep during the day and hunt during the night. They hunt and
eat rodents, insects, frogs and birds.
Owls are silent in flight.
They have the most highly developed sense of hearing of all birds.
Owls see mostly in black
and white. Their large eyes face forwards. Other birds have eyes on the sides
of their heads. Owls cannot move their eyes. Instead, they can turn their heads
as much as 270 degrees to follow a moving object.
Rodent – грызун
P is for Penguin
Penguins are birds, but
unlike most birds they are not able to fly. They live in the southern half of
the world. Many penguins are not afraid of people.
Penguins are very social
and live in colonies. They are very cute, very sturdy, and are excellent
parents.
A male penguin offers a
pebble to a female penguin. If she takes it, they become partners. Some
penguins don't build nests, instead they carry their eggs on their feet.
To move quickly penguins
flop on their bellies and slide. The legs and feet are set far back on the
body, which gives them their upright posture on land.
Penguins can't fly, but
they are great swimmers. They use their wings like paddles to swim through the
water.
Feet are small so that
penguins don't lose too much heat as they stand on the cold ice. They help each
other to stay warm: they gather together and keep shuffling around.
Penguins eat seafood. Their
main diet is fish and krill. Some penguins don't drink water. Instead
they eat snow.
Sturdy – крепкий, сильный
Pebble – небольшой камень
Flop – шлепаться, плюхаться.
Krill – криль (мелкие морские рачки)
R is for Raccoon
Raccoons are curious,
intelligent and often troublesome mammals. They may be found in
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hollow trees,
ground burrows and brush piles.
The raccoon is about the
size of a small dog. They have a black mask over their eyes and a heavily
furred, ringed tail.
Raccoons give birth to 2-6
kits at one time. A baby raccoon's eyes do not open until about three weeks. They
are great climbers. You can see them high in the branches of a tree on a
moonlit night.
Raccoons prefer wooded
areas. They are nocturnal, but sometimes they are active during the day. They
live between one and three years. They eat almost anything available. Their
diet includes animals, fruits, nuts and grass.
Raccoons dip their food in
water. They grasp and rub it in a way that makes them look like they are
washing their food.
Burrow['bɜːrəu] – нора
Kit – детеныш пушного зверя
Nocturnal[nɔk'tɜːn(ə)l] – ведущий ночной образ жизни
Kit – детеныш пушного зверя
Nocturnal[nɔk'tɜːn(ə)l] – ведущий ночной образ жизни
S is for Seal
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Most seals live in cold
water. They spend their time in the sea, but also enjoy sunbathing on rocks or
on the beach.
Seals have flippers at the
ends of their arms and legs to help them swim. Some seals can swim as fast as
40 km per hour; others can dive down deeply.
Seals don't walk well on
land. Some seals use their flippers to slide across ice. They can slide along
as fast as 25 km per hour!
Seals have very good vision
in water. The eye must focus in both air and water, so it is very large and
round.
Seals hear very well in
both water and air. Females and pups often call to each other. Seals may
snort, hiss, growl, or sneeze.
Seals have a keen sense of
smell in air, which allows them to detect predators. Most
seals eat fish, squid and krill.
Flippers – ласты
Pup – тюлененок, нерпенок.
Snort – фыркать, храпеть
T is for Tiger
Tigers are the biggest cats
in the world. They live in steamy hot jungles as well as icy cold
forests.
Tiger cubs are born blind
and weigh only about 1 kg. They live with their mother until they are two to
three years old, then they find own territories.
Adult tigers like to live
alone. In the forest a single tiger can sneak up its prey better than a group
of tigers can. A tiger can eat as much as 40 kg of meat in one feeding. Tigers
may drag their prey to water to eat.
Tigers can see in color.
They can also see in the dark six times better than humans can.
A tiger's tail is about
half as long as its body. Tigers use their tails for balance when they run, and
to communicate with other tigers.
Scientists think that
stripes act as camouflage. The stripes are like human fingerprints. No two
tigers have the same pattern of stripes.
Sneak up – подкрадываться незаметно
V is for Viper
Vipers
are heavy-bodied, poisonous snakes. They
don't see and hear well. They have no eyelids and no external ear openings.
Can
vipers hypnotize people and animals? The myth probably arose because of the way
snakes stare without moving.
Tree
Vipers are long, thin and very light. They eat frogs, lizards and small
mammals. The Eyelash Viper is a nocturnal snake. It is one of the smallest
poisonous snakes in America, but one of the most dangerous.
Viper – змея, гадюка.
W is for Whale
Whales are large, intelligent animals. They are not
fish, they are mammals that spend their
entire lives in the water.
Whales
swim by moving their tails up and down. Fish swim by moving their tails left
and right.
Some
whales are lungers. They take in huge gulps of water and fish at the same time.
Some
whales are skimmers. They swim along with their mouths open, and strain the
water out before they swallow their fish dinner.
The
Blue Whale is the largest animal on Earth. Its heart is as big as a car, and
its tongue is as long as an elephant.
Beluga
Whales can sing. They are called sea canaries, because that's what their
songs sound like.
Grey
Whales make the longest seasonal migration. They travel about 12,500 miles each
year.
Gulp – глоток
Skimmer – водорез
Strain – фильтровать, процеживать
X is for Fox
The
Red Fox is the most common species of the foxes. It lives in Europe, North
America, Australia, Asia, and the Arctic.
Newborn
cubs weigh 100 grams each, are blind and deaf, and can't walk. Their mother
must stay with them, their father brings food back for her to eat.
Foxes
are mainly nocturnal animals. They are most active in the early morning hours and during the early hours of
darkness.
The
fox has a very keen sense of sight, hearing and smelling. Being predators, they
use their senses to stalk their prey with stealth and patience.
The
fox is a solitary animal. It usually hunts alone, rather than in packs like
wolves or dogs.
Foxes
eat almost anything, their diet depends on where they live. Foxes from the
countryside eat hares, earthworms, beetles, birds' eggs, and fallen fruit.
Stalk – подкрадываться к добыче
Stealth [stelθ] – уловка, хитрость
Pack – стая
Y
is
for
Yak
Yaks originate in the Himalayan Mountains, and have
been domesticated for about 5000 years.
Yaks
have great balance and never fall down. People use them for packing, riding,
milking, clothing, ropes, tents, fuel for the fire, and meat.
Only
a few hundred yaks are left in the wild. Wild and tame yaks don't like each
other. If they meet, the wild ones may attack.
Domestic
yaks come in a variety colors from white to brown. Their fur is thick. They can
easily live in temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero.
Yaks
are intelligent animals each with its own personality. They learn to come when
called and have highly developed sense of sight and hearing.
Yaks
weigh about 100 kg. They eat grass, shrubs, herbs, lichens, leaves, twigs,
grain, and hay.
Yaks
generally live 20 - 25 years. They make a grunting sound when agitated, hungry,
or calling their calves.
Shrub – кустарник
Lichen ['laɪkən] - лишайник
Z Is for Zebra
Each
zebra has its unique stripe pattern, like human fingerprints.
Zebras
usually live in small family groups called herds.
The leader of the herd stays at the back of the group to defend against
predators.
Zebra
foals are dark brown and white at birth. They can walk just 20 minutes after
they are born, and can run after an hour!
Zebras
can run at speeds of up to 50 km an hour. A zebra's eyesight at night is as
good as that of a cat or an owl.
They
are very dependent on water and usually need to drink every day, so they do not
wander far from water holes.
Zebras
can communicate with each other. Ears flat back, for example, means the zebra is annoyed, uncomfortable or angry.
Foal – жеребенок
