《全新版大学英语视听阅读》第一册课件 Unit 2 Giant Cave Crocs.pptVIP

Unit 2 Giant Cave Crocs! Interesting facts about crocodiles Crocodiles sleep with one eye open. Crocodiles seem to sleep a lot - but do not be fooled because very often they only appear to be sleeping. Where do crocodile sleep? They love wet land or sleep on sand. Crocodiles are excellent swimmers and divers. They never stay far from water. The average lifespan of crocodiles is 50 years. The sex of a crocodile is determined on the basis of its temperature. If you see a croc on the riverbank with its mouth wide open, don’t worry. Because this is not an aggressive gesture. It’s just the crocodile’s way of cooling off since they sweat through the mouth. A crocodile can hibernate between 5 to 6 months without the need of any food. Madagascar: the world’s natural laboratory Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa. It is also the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. It is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. It is noteworthy that the island was once joined to Africa, which was separated. This led to the isolation and cause many unique species in the world. Thus, home to 58% of animal and plant species in the world (of which 80% are endemic (特有的) to Madagascar). Some ecologists call Madagascar the “eighth continent”. Biologists have often referred to Madagascar as one of the Earth’s greatest natural laboratories for the study of evolution. Crocodile Crocodile is the common name used for 14 species of large reptiles with a long body and strong jaws. The crocodiles mainly inhabit the tropical regions of the world. They live in both saltwater and freshwater environments. Crocodiles are not solitary (孤独的，独居的) predators (捕食者) as often imagined, but social creatures. They eat all kinds of food, including fish, other reptiles and birds and mammals—practically any animals they can overpower. Nile Crocodile The Nile crocodile, an African crocodile,