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 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.
Spot: v. N.
- A big red spot
- A spot on one’s reputation
- A leopard won’t change its spots
Spot of sth
- A spot of bother
- You seem to be having a spot of bother with your car, car I help?
A scenic spot
- A great many of scenic spots are being spoiled by the ill-behaved tourists.
- The Middle East is a hot spot.
On the spot
- Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a look-out.
- Ten minutes after calling 911, A police car arrived on the spot.
He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he pounced on it with delight.
Pronunciation
- stop, lot, hot
- Boss, dog
Evidence
A piece of evidence
Evident
Self-evident
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. – Arthur Schopenhauer
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. – Thomas Jefferson
Court
- Go to court
- Settle sth out of court
Accumulate
- Accumulate knowledge / possessions
- I accumulated a large vocabulary.
Amass
- Amass a fortune
- People tend to amass possessions.
Pile up
Meanwhile, the traffic piled up behind.
Collect collect stamps
Gather gather crops
Hoard
Shenzhen real estate developers hoard large amounts of land.
Oblige
Be / feel obliged to do
Many parents feel obliged to pay for at least part of the wedding.
Be / feel compelled to do 迫于外在压力
President Nixon felt compelled to resign.
Be / feel impelled to do 内心动力
He felt impelled to point out that they were making a dangerous mistake.
- human being
- man
- mankind humankind
- human race
- humanity
a crime against humanity.
alien being
intelligent being
To be, or not to be: that is the question. — Hamlet
I think therefore I am. — Rene Descartes
Somehow
(The Bucket List) And I couldn’t remember what if felt like when I could not walk down the street without holding her hand. I mean she was the same woman I fell in love with, she hadn’t changed. But somehow everything’s different. We’ve lost something along the way.
Somewhat
He was somewhat hungry.
He was somewhat embarrassed.
somewhere
I’ve lost my wallet somewhere around here.
Disturb
- Do not disturb.
- I hope I’m not disturbing you.
- Sorry to disturb you, but I really need your help.
At large
- a prisoner / suspect at large
- The disease is still at large.
1A. Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.
cat-like
- bear-like animals
- lady-like behavior
- child-like simplicity
- an angel-like girl
- crystal-like eyes
- flu-like symptoms
- Foxes and farmers have never got on well. These small dog-like animals have long been accused of killing farm animals.
- As is shown in the picture, there is a cobweb-like structure with separate compartments packed in it.
be found in
- Many plant and animal species are found only in the rainforests.
- Vitamin C is found in citrus fruit.
- Giant pandas are large, bear-like animals which are found in Sichuan province, China.
1B. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.
come into — inanimate subject
- He came into the classroom.
- The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it.
- I thought a good idea.
- A good idea came into my mind.
- A good idea flashed into my mind.
- He went to the town on business.
- Business took him to the town.
- A warm and sunny Sunday found my whole family going for an outing at the beach.
- 满堂花醉三千客，一剑光寒十四州。 — 唐 贯休和尚 献钱尚父
- 颠狂柳絮随风舞， 轻薄桃花逐水流。 — 唐 杜甫 绝句漫兴（其五）
- 一条雪浪吼巫峡，千里火云烧益州。– 唐 李商隐 送崔珏往西川
同位语从句与定语从句
- The proposal that John should be dismissed is unacceptable.
- The proposal that John put forward is unacceptable.
had been spotted / seen / found / observed
in / on / to the south of …
- Shanghai is in the south of China.
- Vietnam is on the south of China.
- Indonesia is to the south of China.
- 100 kilometers south of Xi’an
take…seriously
take … lightly
- When news came into the national museum that an ancient tomb had been found 100 kilometers south of Xi’an, it was taken seriously.
1C. However, as 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.
give descriptions
make descriptions
- 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.
- John had a very good day and put his wallet containing $3000 into the microwave oven for safekeeping.
- For hundreds of years, St. Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travelers crossing the dangerous Pass.
- novels written by Lu Xun
- movies directed by Zhang Yimou
- The man leaning against the wall named George is my brother.
claim to have done …
claim to do …
- So far, no organization has claimed to be responsible for the accident.
- Everyone went to the funeral, for the ‘ghost’ was none other than Eric Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man.
were extraordinarily similar
- were particularly alike
- had a lot in common
- had considerable commonalities
- well, I saw the ad on the back of the bus stop today. And, uh… though it was not exactly like looking in the mirror, you can’t deny that there is a certain commonality in our visages.
- I guess we do look a little bit alike.
As the cases began to accumulate, specialists felt obliged to investigate, for the symptoms of people who had caught the disease were extraordinarily similar.
2A. 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.
hunt for …
- I’m hunting for a job now.
- The hunt for a job will begin tomorrow.
- the winter in America
- the entrance to the parking lot
- a witness to the accident
- a longing for love
- the reason for/behind the disaster
2B. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.
2C. 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.
prove (to be) + adj. / n.
- His injury proved (to be) fatal.
- The operation proved (to be) a success.
turn out to be + adj. / n. (surprise)
- When the archaeologists reconstructed the fragments, they were amazed to find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman.
2D. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.
whenever, wherever, whoever, whichever, whatever,…
- No matter …
- on earth, in the world
- No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin’s early films.
- ‘Whatever are you doing up here bill?’ asked the vicar in surprise.
- Wherever did you go yesterday?
- When ever am I going to see you again?
- When will you ever learn? = Why do you keep on making the same mistakes?
a trail of
- Wherever he went, he left a trail of unpaid bills behind him.
- Wherever he went, he left a trail of broken hearts behind him.
Comparisons
- People have paid more and more attention to the condition of the laid-off workers.
- Increasing attention has been paid to the condition of the laid-off workers.
deer, fish
2E. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.
fur: a fur coat
- feather
- fur and feather
- fin, fur and feather
- The crown should not yield to the cross.
- 臣本布衣，躬耕于南阳。
- 巾帼不让须眉
- 过尽千帆皆不是，斜晖脉脉水悠悠
As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country…
- The fire was reported controlled.
- It is reported that the fire was controlled.
2F. 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?
complain of / about sth
complain that
- She complained that no one had been at the airport to meet her.
on a business / honeymoon trip
on a journey / voyage / expedition / tour
be convinced that …
convince sb of sth
in that …
except / but that …
2G. As no puma had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of private collector and somehow managed to escape.
must have done
- You must have been ill yesterday. You looked so pale.
- She looks very happy. She must have passed the exam.
- The policeman declared that the blow on the victim’s head must have been made from behind.
must do
- She knew that it must be the baker.
may / might have done
- I can’t find my purse anywhere.
- You may have lost it while shopping.
can not / could not have done
- You can’t have been ill yesterday. I saw you going shopping with your wife.
should / ought to have done
should not / ought not to have done
- You should have finished your work yesterday.
- I am sorry . I shouldn’t have shouted at you yesterday (the other day).
- Forget it. I was a bit out of control myself.
in the possession of sb / in one’s possession
in possession of sth
- The book is in my possession.
- I’m in possession of the book.
in the charge of sb / in one’s charge
in charge of …
- The bookstore is in my charge.
- I’m in charge of the bookstore.
manage to do; fail to do; try to do
- Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
- When the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly published the article as it had originally been written.
2H. 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.
It is … to think that …
worrying, exciting, comforting, amusing, irritating,