【趣谈英语】皮毛比金子更值钱-Feathers Were More Valuable Than Gold
英语课
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
the turn of the century: the end of one century and the beginning of a new one
social status: a person’s importance in society (often linked to wealth)
plume 1: a long feather
the Everglades: a swampy 2 grassland 3 area in southern Florida
socialite: a person who is popular in society and often hosts or attends social events
destructive 4: damaging
exclusive 5: only available to certain people
Feathers Were More Valuable Than Gold
At the turn of the 20th century, hats with feathers were very fashionable for women. These hats reflected a woman’s social status. The more feathers you had on your hat the better. These hats were even popular for the middle class. In fact, feathered hats were so fashionable that plume hunters killed about 5 million birds per year in Florida’s Everglades. Feathers were more valuable per weight than gold. A socialite from Boston realized how destructive the fashion was to bird populations and decided 6 to do something about it. She took note of all the women who had the most feathers in their hats and invited them to tea parties. As she won their trust, she encouraged them to remove their hats and join an exclusive organization for people interested in the protection of birds.
the turn of the century: the end of one century and the beginning of a new one
social status: a person’s importance in society (often linked to wealth)
plume 1: a long feather
the Everglades: a swampy 2 grassland 3 area in southern Florida
socialite: a person who is popular in society and often hosts or attends social events
destructive 4: damaging
exclusive 5: only available to certain people
Feathers Were More Valuable Than Gold
At the turn of the 20th century, hats with feathers were very fashionable for women. These hats reflected a woman’s social status. The more feathers you had on your hat the better. These hats were even popular for the middle class. In fact, feathered hats were so fashionable that plume hunters killed about 5 million birds per year in Florida’s Everglades. Feathers were more valuable per weight than gold. A socialite from Boston realized how destructive the fashion was to bird populations and decided 6 to do something about it. She took note of all the women who had the most feathers in their hats and invited them to tea parties. As she won their trust, she encouraged them to remove their hats and join an exclusive organization for people interested in the protection of birds.
1 plume
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰
- Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
- He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。
2 swampy
adj.沼泽的,湿地的
- Malaria is still rampant in some swampy regions.疟疾在一些沼泽地区仍很猖獗。
- An ox as grazing in a swampy meadow.一头牛在一块泥泞的草地上吃草。
3 grassland
n.牧场,草地,草原
- There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
- The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。
4 destructive
adj.破坏(性)的,毁灭(性)的
- In the end,it will be destructive of our whole society.它最终会毁灭我们整个社会。
- It is the most destructive storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的一次风暴。