英國學生母語課本4 (關於美德、語言、智慧、夢想的心靈讀本)（簡體書）

THE SNOWY OWL
雪鸮
課文
1. The snowy owl lives in cold northern countries like Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the north of America. It is sometimes seen in the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
2. The young bird is thickly spotted with brown, but as time goes on the brown colour disappears, and it becomes pure white, like most animals that live in the snowy North. Hares, foxes, and bears in those lands have white fur, while those that live farther south are brown or some other dark colour.
3. All these animals are well fitted for living among snow and ice. White is the warmest colour, and this helps them to stand the great cold of the "frozen North." White, too, is the colour of the snow; so a white covering helps the smaller animals to escape the notice of their enemies, while it helps the larger ones to get near their prey without being seen.
4. The snowy owl of the North is a bold fellow, and hunts by day as well as by night—looking for hares and rabbits, catching fish, and killing great numbers of small birds as well as of rats and mice.
5. It is very amusing to see him fishing—standing on a rock or a piece of ice, with the freezing water flowing over his feet and legs. Every now and then he makes a stroke at a fish as it passes him, and he seldom misses his aim. He does not seize his prey with his beak, as sea-birds do when fishing, but with a swift grasp of his claw.
6. Yet his feet do not freeze, as you might think, for they are well protected. They are not bare like those of other birds, but are covered down to the very toes with warm downy feathers, so thick that they make his legs look as large as those of a good-sized dog.
7. The eyes of the snowy owl are also well fitted for life in the far North. Most owls have big round eyes, and can see in the dark as well as a cat; but in strong sunlight they are blinded by the glare, and can hardly se at all. They sleep during the day, and hunt after the sun has gone down.
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