Earthworms That Help Improve the Soil
The earthworm is a useful animal．Out of the ground，it is food for other animals．In the ground，it makes rich soil for fields and gardens．
Earthworms dig tunnels that loosen the soil and make it easy for air and water to reach the roots of plants．These tunnels help keep the soil well drained．
Earthworms drag dead leaves，grass，and flowers into their burrows．When this plant material decays，it makes the soil more fertile．
No other animal is so useful in building up good topsoil．It is estimated that in one year fifty thousand earthworms carry about eighteen tons of fine soil to the surface of an acre of land．One worm may add three quarters of a pound of earth to the topsoil．
帮助改良土壤的蚯蚓
蚯蚓是一种有益的动物。来到地面上，它成了其他动物的食品，而在地里，它却为田地和花园制造着肥沃的土壤。
蚯蚓挖掘风洞，使土壤变松，并使空气和水容易抵达植物的根部。这些风洞有助于土壤迅速排水。
蚯蚓把枯树叶、草和花朵拖进自己的洞中，这种植物性物质腐烂后，便使土壤变得更肥沃了。
在制造优良的表面土壤方面，没有别的动物能像蚯蚓这样有用。据估计，一年中，5万条蚯蚓能把大约18吨的细壤送到1英亩土地的表面，一条蚯蚓也许能把3／4磅的土壤加到地表层。
A Giraffe That Did NotBelieve in Himself
In Africa I heard a story about a giraffe that did not believe in himself．
The giraffe’s mother bad left him when he was a few days old because she couldn’t feed him．For three years he lived in the warden’s house and played with the children．Then he grew too large for the house．
The family decided that he should return to his fellows．They took him to join a herd of wild giraffes．
One look was enough for the giraffe’s small brain．He could not believe that such extraordinary animals existed．Or that he was one of them！He turned and bolted．
The family took him back several times．In the end they gave up．Now their giraffe lives by himself near the warden’s house．
一头不相信自己的长颈鹿
在非洲，我曾听到过关于一头不相信自己形体的长颈鹿的故事。
这头长颈鹿出生后没几天，母鹿因无法喂养它而离去。三年中，它一直住在管理人的家中并与管理人的孩子们一起玩耍。后来，它长得太大了，房子里再也容不下它了。
管理人一家决定让它回到它的伙伴中去。他们把它送到了一群野鹿之中。
这头长颈鹿只看了一眼，它那小小的头脑就受不了啦。它无法相信世上竟有这种异常动物，更难以相信自己还是其中的一员。于是它转身狂逃。
这家人把它送回去好几次，最后只好作罢。现在，他们饲养的这只长颈鹿独自生活在离他们家房子不远的地方。
The Small Black Ants，Nature’s Cleanup Crew
The small black ants that we see running back and forth in the grass are the same ants that annoy us by coming to our picnics uninvited．They are not trying to make pests of themselves，but are only doing the housekeeping job they were made for．They are nature’s cleanup crew．
One of these ants，scouting in the grass，finds the trail of an injured beetle．In some mysterious way the news spreads．Soon there are two ants，then a few more．Then a dozen or more are running around the beetle．Enough ants will come to put an end to it．
When the beetle is dead，the ants carry it away to their underground burrows．The efficient ants leave nothing in the grass but the empty shell．
小黑蚁——大自然的清道夫
我们在草地上见到的那些爬来爬去的小黑蚁，与不邀自来，扰乱我们进行野餐的蚂蚁是同类。但是，它们并不是要搞破坏或捣乱，只不过是在履行管理家务的天职罢了。它们是一批大自然的清道夫呢！
这些蚂蚁中的一员，在草地里侦察，发现了一只负伤的甲虫的踪迹。消息便以某种不可思议的方式传播开来。不久就出现了两只蚂蚁，接着又出现了几只。然后便有一打或更多的蚂蚁在甲虫的周围奔忙，最后，大量的蚂蚁会赶来置这只甲虫于死地。
甲虫死后，蚂蚁就把它抬到它们地下的洞穴中。草地上除了那只甲虫的空壳以外，办事利索的蚂蚁们什么也没给留下。
Sea Otters off the Coast Of California
Sea otters off the coast of California have an unusual method of getting food．They dive to the floor of the sea to find the shellfish they like．
When an otter brings a shellfish to the surface of the water，he floats on his back and puts the shellfish on his chest．Then the otter digs the meat out of the shell with his teeth．
Sea otters are especially fond of shellfish with a very hard shell．When the otter brings up one of these，he also brings a stone．He puts the stone on his chest，holding the shellfish in his front paws．He takes a wide swing and smashes the hard shell on the stone．Then he has no trouble getting at the meat in the shell．
加利福尼亚近海的海獭
生活在加利福尼亚近海的海獭，其取食方法很不寻常，它们潜入海底去寻找它们喜欢的甲壳动物。
当海獭把一只甲壳动物挟持到水面时，就背朝下浮在水面上，把甲壳动物抱在胸前，然后用牙把肉从壳中剔出。
海獭尤喜食长有坚壳的甲壳动物。当海獭把这样一只甲壳动物带到水面时，同时也带上来一块石头。它把石头放在胸前，用前爪抓住这只甲壳动物。它大幅度地摆动一下身体，对着石头猛击坚硬的甲壳，然后，取壳中肉就没有麻烦了。
The Hognose Snake，One of Nature’s Clowns
The hognose snake，sometimes called the puff adder，is one of nature’s clowns．Some people think that he is deadly poisonous．Actually，he’s just a haress fellow who spends most of his time hunting toads．
The puff adder gets his name from being a terrific bluffer．He will swell up，hiss，and strike viciously to frighten you away．If that doesn’t work，he will flatten out，making his head look like a cobra’s．
He has one more trick—playing dead．He goes limp，opens his mouth wide，and rolls over on his back so that he couldn’t possibly look more dead．
Unfortunately，this trick is spoiled by his onetrack mind．If you pick him up he lies still．But turn him over and he will thrash about wildly，trying to turn himself belly up again．
猪鼻蛇——自然界的一名丑角
猪鼻蛇，有时也被称作膨身蛇，是自然界丑角中的一员。有人认为它是剧毒蛇，其实，它恰恰是无害的，其大部分时间用于捕捉蟾蜍。
膨身蛇，因虚张声势吓唬人而得名。为了把人吓跑，它会鼓起身体，发出嘶嘶声并凶恶地咬人。假如这一手不能奏效，它便放平身体，使它的头看起来像眼镜蛇的头一样。
它还有这样一招——装死。它让身体变得疲软无力，把嘴巴张得老大，然后翻转身体使背朝下。这样，看起来它可真像死的一样。
不幸，这一招被它那想法单一的头脑给搅了。如果你把它捡起来，它就躺着一动不动；可是如果把它翻过身来，它便会发疯似的到处滚动，竭力让自己再来个肚皮朝天。
From Land Animalto King of the Sea
Whales—or their ancestors—were once land animals．Scientists believe that they roamed the earth about 150million years ago．
The landwelling ancestors of this modern king of the sea were hunters with legs and the jaws and teeth of killers．Their favorite hunting grounds were probably shallow waters near the mouths of rivers or off a level stretch of coast，for fish，both finny and shell，were then more plentiful and easier to catch than animals．Because of this，these land mammals came to spend more and more time in the water．
Ages passed，and these creatures swam more easily than they walked；millions of years later they were able to do without legs altogether．They were now recognizable as whales．Their forelegs had turned into the flippers that today’s whales use for steering；their hind legs had shrunk so that mere traces of them can be found under the skin when a whale is dissected．
从陆上动物到海中之王
鲸——或者说鲸的祖先——曾经是陆地上的动物。科学家们认为，大约在1.5亿年以前，它们曾在陆地上转悠。
这个现代海中之王的陆上祖先，是有腿、有颚、有利齿的猎手。它们最喜欢的狩猎场，是靠近河口或是平坦海岸的近海浅水区，因为当时有鳍的鱼类和贝壳类动物比现在要多，而且比其他动物更容易捕捉。由于这一缘故，这些陆地上的哺乳动物便逐渐在水中待得越来越长了。