托福阅读材料之关于考拉的十个知识

Although most people know that koalas live in Australia and eat eucalyptus leaves, there is so much more to know. Here's the lowdown on the marsupials from Down Under.

大部分人肯定都知道考拉生活在澳洲，吃桉树叶，但其他的呢？下面是关于这个萌物的其他信息。

1. Although they are commonly called koala "bears," koalas are marsupials and have nothing at all to do with bears, except that they are cute like a teddy bear.

尽管我们时常称考拉为"树袋熊"，其实考拉是有袋类哺乳动物，跟熊完全没关系，只是看起来萌萌的像泰迪熊罢了。

2. The word "koala" is thought to have come from the Aboriginal word meaning "no drink." Although koalas do drink water on occasion, most of their hydration requirements are fulfilled by the moisture they get from eating eucalyptus leaves.

"考拉"这一词据说源于原著居民语言，意思是"不喝水"。考拉有时也会喝水，但他们大部分的饮水需求都靠吃桉树叶吸收其中的水分来满足。

3. They eat about two and a half pounds of eucalyptus leaves a day; so many, in fact, that they take on the fragrance of the oil ... and end up smelling like cough drops.

他们要吃2.5磅桉树叶；会吸收油脂的香味，消化成类似止咳糖浆的味道。

4. A newborn koala is the size of a jellybean. Called a joey, it is a while before it reaches full-blown ridiculously cute status; joeys are born blind, earless and without fur.

新生考拉就跟橡皮糖那么大，人们叫它们幼兽。过不了多久就会长成你现在看到的大萌物般模样；考拉幼兽生下来是看不到的，没有耳朵和皮毛。