【趣谈英语】圣诞老人的驯鹿一定是雌性的-Santa’s Reindeer Must Be Female
英语课
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
depict 1: to show visually
antlers: branch-like horns made of bone
mating season: the time of year when animals reproduce
Santa’s Reindeer 2 Must Be Female
If you’ve ever seen images of Santa Claus’s reindeer, you know that they are always depicted 3 with antlers. After all, the word reindeer means horned animal in Old Norse (a North Germanic language). Unlike most deer, both male and female reindeer grow antlers. Like other deer, reindeer shed their antlers and grow new ones each year. Males use their antlers to attract females and fight off other males. They usually drop their antlers after mating season in November or early December, and grow them back in the warmer months when the sun is out. Female reindeer, on the other hand, keep their antlers until spring. A female uses her antlers during her winter pregnancy 4 to protect her food. Since male reindeer lose their antlers before Christmas, Santa’s reindeer must be female!
1 depict
vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述
- I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
- Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。
2 reindeer
n.驯鹿
- The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
- The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。