Level 1 · Reading series
Lesson 14 · Do Fish Sleep?
Audio track 14
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Listen once before opening the English passage.
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Do fish sleep? Many fish have a time of rest, but it does not look like human sleep.
Most fish do not have an eyelid, so they cannot close their eyes. Some float in one place. Others stay still near a rock. Their bodies slow down, so they are less active. They can still move when danger comes.
Some fish rest at night, while others rest in the daytime. Each kind has its own pattern of activity.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
鱼会睡觉吗？许多鱼都有休息的时候，但看起来与人类睡觉的样子不同。
大多数鱼没有眼皮，所以无法闭眼。有些鱼停在一个地方漂浮，有些则待在岩石附近一动不动。它们的身体活动放慢，变得不那么活跃。不过，遇到危险时它们仍能游动。
有些鱼夜里休息，有些鱼白天休息。不同种类的鱼有各自的活动规律。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- fish
- 鱼。复数形式也常写 fish。
- sleep
- 睡觉；睡眠。
- rest
- 休息；休息时间。
- eyelid
- 眼睑；眼皮。
- float
- 漂浮。
- stay still
- 保持不动。
- slow down
- 放慢；变慢。
- active
- 活跃的；名词是 activity。
- night
- 夜晚。‘在夜里’常说 at night。
- daytime
- 白天。
Background notes (Chinese)
不同种类的鱼有不同的休息方式：有的游得更慢，有的躲在遮蔽物旁保持不动，还有的身体颜色会变化。因为鱼不像人那样闭眼，只看外表不容易判断它是否在休息。
资料来源：Smithsonian Ocean 关于夜间海洋生物的资料。