Tiny Killers of South American Rivers|水落『食』出

by Daniel Howard

Piranhas are superb hunters that might not deserve their fearsome fame.

　　Piranhas are horrifying fish that live in the rivers of South America, from Columbia in the north to Argentina in the south. Overall, they are found in the greatest numbers in the Amazon Basin. Piranhas tend to be between 20 and 45 centimeters _(1)_ length, depending on the species. Although they are known as carnivores, they also often eat fruits and seeds.

　　Piranhas are often found swimming alone scavenging or attacking smaller fish. However, these tiny predators are best known for their ability to attack prey much bigger than they are in large schools. Any living animal can be a _(2)_ of the piranha, from fish, water birds, and cattle to even humans.

　　Piranhas' _(3)_ as vicious predators probably began with the original inhabitants of the Amazon region. However, the modern myth, which specifically includes the idea that a school of piranhas can _(4)_ a whole cow in minutes, began with American President Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote about them after a trip to Brazil in 1913. The legend of the piranha became more _(5)_ after their appearances as movie monsters. In 1978, a low-budget horror movie called Piranha showed vicious fish attacking swimmers at a resort. Piranhas were also used as a hazard to James Bond. This is all just a product of fiction, however, as piranhas are _(6)_ dangerous. There are a few hundred bites _(7)_ so each year, but seldom any deaths. There is no evidence at all that piranhas can eat an entire cow, though it does make for a good story.

1. (A) on (B) in (C) at (D) for

2. (A) bully (B) tenant (C) cashier (D) victim

3. (A) reputation (B) declaration (C) enrollment (D) interference

4. (A) devour (B) qualify (C) supervise (D) comprehend

5. (A) forgetful (B) vertical (C) widespread (D) disposable

6. (A) joyfully (B) rarely (C) pessimistically (D) regionally

7. (A) and (B) but (C) or (D) nor

水落『食』出

食人鱼是一流的猎食者，但牠们的可怕名声可能并非实至名归。

　　食人鱼是一种令人闻之丧胆的鱼类，牠们生活于南美洲流域，北至哥伦比亚，南至阿根廷。总体而言，牠们在亚马孙河流域的分布最为广泛。食人鱼的身长通常介于二十公分至四十五公分左右，视种类而定。人们都知道食人鱼是肉食性动物，但牠们也经常吃水果和种子。

　　食人鱼经常被发现是独自行动觅食或攻击较小型的鱼类。然而，这些小型掠食者最为人所知的就是牠们善于集体攻击比牠们体型还大得多的猎物。鱼类、水鸟、牛只，甚至是人类等任何活的动物都可能成为食人鱼口中的牺牲者。

　　食人鱼被称为凶猛的掠食者这个名声可能始于亚马逊地区的原住民。然而，现代人对食人鱼的迷思，特别是包括了一群食人鱼可以在几分钟内吃掉一整头牛的说法，是从美国总统西奥多‧罗斯福在 1913 年的一趟巴西之旅后所写关于食人鱼的文章开始。食人鱼的传奇在牠们在电影中以怪物形象出现之后变得更加普遍。1978 年，一部片名为《食人鱼》的低成本恐怖片，描述这种凶猛的鱼类在度假胜地攻击了泳客。食人鱼也被用来作为一种对詹姆士‧庞德而言有危险性的生物。然而，这都只是小说的产物而已，因为食人鱼其实很少是有危险性的。牠们每年只有咬伤几百人左右，但几乎不曾咬死过人。没有任何证据证明食人鱼能够吃掉一整头牛，但牠们确实创造了一个很棒的故事。

答案： 1. B 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. C 6. B 7. C