Lesson 1 A puma at large

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar. The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw ‘a large cat’ only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of “cat-like noises’ at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

解析：

1 When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.

这句话中spot做了动词，标明看到，如在许多物品题中gift, book, clothes等，甚至看到一个地址如park，swimming pool 等，甚至人物题neighbour，famous person等

When she spotted the gift, she picked it up.当她看到这本书时，她把它拿起来了。

When I spotted this book, I couldn’t help walking towards it and had a good read.我看到这本书时，忍不住走曩昔研读了一番。

When I spotted this piece of clothes, I was deeply impressed by it. 当我看见这件衣裳时，我被它深深地招引了。

2 However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.

这儿的feel obliged to do sth. 标明感到不得不做某事，我们可以用在weather论题，标明日气糟糕，不得不做某事，V-T If you are obligedto do something, a situation, rule, or law makes it necessary for you to do that thing. 迫使例The storm got worse and worse. Finally, I was obliged to abandon the car and continue on foot.暴风雨越来越强烈。究竟，我被逼弃车步行前行。

也可以在交通论题，public transport 假定说堵车，那就是不得不等上好久

We were struck in thick traffic, so we felt obliged to wait for ages.咱们堵在拥堵的交通里了，不得不等好久。

或许在等候这种论题A time you waited for something special 我们可以说自个在等成果，不得不在门口等之类的。

3 It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.

这儿的corner很棒，是个动词，标明v.使穷途末路，使堕入窘境

V-T If you corner a person or animal, you force them into

a place they cannot escape from. 使穷途末路

例A police motorcycle chased his car twelve miles, and cornered him near Gainsborough.一辆警车寻找他的轿车12英里，在盖恩斯堡邻近把他逼得穷途末路。

（我们可以在影片，书等论题中描绘情节可以用哦，或许在动物类论题）

4 Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.

这儿的a trail of 很棒，后边接可数和不可以数都行，如：a trail of blood 一串血迹 （action movie 论题，动物论题）, a trail of mud 一串泥迹（countryside论题，rainy day 论题），a trail of destruction 一系列损坏 （动物论题）, a trail of broken promises 一系列完成不了的承诺（government有关论题）

5 As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.

这儿的somehow值得学习哦

ADV You use somehow to say that you do not know or cannot say how something was done or will be done. 不知怎地; 不知以啥方法

例We’ll manage somehow, you and me. I know we will.

咱们总会唐塞曩昔的，你和我。我晓得咱们会的。（聪明的人这个论题）

Somehow Karin managed to cope with the demands of her career.

不知怎么地，卡林设法唐塞了那些来自作业的需求。（work论题）