飲風(fēng)之子：阿拉伯馬

江海連

The Arabian Horse

難詞探意

1. nomadic /nmdk/ adj. 游牧的

2. robustness /rbstns/ n. 健壯

3. domestication /dmestken/ n. 馴養(yǎng);馴化

4. excavation /ekskven/ n. 挖掘;開鑿

5. evolve /ivlv/ v. 進(jìn)化

The Arabian Horse is a horse native to the Middle East and known to be the most beautiful horse in the world. It is also one of the oldest horse breeds known to date.

The Arabian Horse， originally living in the desert regions of the Middle East， is famous for its legendary strength and endurance， which result from its life in extreme environments. Nicknamed prince of the desert， he lived during the first millennium（一千年）with nomadic Bedouins and gained his speed and robustness.

The cohabitation between men and horses began thousands of years ago. It is estimated that their domestication began between 4000 and 8000 BC. It is assumed that the first purpose of their domestication was for men to have a “food reserve” because the breeding of horses provided particularly rich meat and milk. But many qualities of the horse， fast， sporty， enduring， and generous， finally made him an essential element in human populations. Horses were first used for hunting and controlling herds， then for transporting men and materials， and finally for cultivation and for war.

The origins of this breed are in Asia and the Middle East. Indeed， the paintings and bones found during archaeological excavations prove the existence thousands of years ago on the Arabian Peninsula of horses very similar to the Arab breed that we know today. Used to evolve in a desert environment and to endure a harsh climate， these horses were domesticated by the Bedouin tribes. For centuries， the Bedouins then carried out very selective breeding and also selected them on criteria of beauty. Arabian horses were then exported across the world for trade and war. For example， they were particularly appreciated by Napoleon Bonaparte who allowed the development of the breed in France.

An annual visit to the dentist is one of the most essential recommendations in the care of the Arabian Horse， seeking to ensure the best oral health of the animal. Another point to take into account is its visual capacity. For this， performing visual examinations frequently will be of great help to rule out any disease.

1. What may cause the legendary strength and endurance of the Arabian Horse？

A. Its living environments. B. Its eating habits.

C. Its born appearance. D. Its training in wars.

2. What were horses originally used for？

A. Transporting men and materials. B. Hunting and controlling herds.

C. Cultivation. D. War.

3. Which of the following can best describe the Bedouins？?selection of the Arabian Horse？

A. Casual. B. Funny.

C. Reasonable. D. Strict.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about？

A. The importance of dentists. B. The oral health of animals.

C. The care of the Arabian Horse. D. The visual abilities of horses.

Sentence for writing

It is assumed that the first purpose of their domestication was for men to have a “food reserve” because the breeding of horses provided particularly rich meat and milk. 人們認(rèn)為，馴化阿拉伯馬的第一個(gè)目的是讓人們擁有“食物儲(chǔ)備”，因?yàn)轱曫B(yǎng)馬能給人們供應(yīng)特別豐富的肉和奶。

【信息提取】It is assumed that...意為“人們認(rèn)為/據(jù)推測(cè)……”。

【句式仿寫】人們認(rèn)為海盜把他們的金銀財(cái)寶埋藏在這個(gè)島上了。

阿拉伯馬世代在干旱少雨、食物匱乏的沙漠環(huán)境中演化、成長。他們常年與人為伴，這使得它們性情溫和、親近人類。