Level 2 · Reading series
Lesson 34 · The Bird That Used a Tool
Audio track 34
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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In a video, a bird picked up a small stick. At first, I thought it was building a nest. Then it pushed the stick into a hole in a tree.
A small insect came out, and the bird ate it.
The bird used the stick like a tool. It did not have long fingers, so it made the stick do the job.
My image of birds changed. They are not only animals that fly. Some of them are problem solvers with wings.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
一段视频里，一只鸟叼起一根小树枝。起初，我以为它要筑巢。后来它却把树枝伸进树上的一个洞里。
一只小虫爬了出来，鸟把它吃掉了。
这只鸟把树枝当作工具。它没有长长的手指，便让树枝替自己完成取虫子的工作。
我对鸟的印象变了。它们不只是会飞的动物；有些鸟还是长着翅膀的问题解决者。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- pick up
- 捡起、叼起；鸟拿起小树枝。
- stick
- 小树枝；被鸟当作工具。
- build a nest
- 筑巢；叙述者最初的猜想。
- push A into B
- 把 A 推进 B；鸟把树枝伸进树洞。
- hole
- 洞；小虫藏在树洞里。
- insect
- 昆虫；从洞中出来后被鸟吃掉。
- tool
- 工具；树枝帮助鸟取得食物。
- finger
- 手指；鸟没有像人一样的长手指。
- image
- 印象；叙述者对鸟的看法改变。
- problem solver
- 解决问题者；形容会利用工具的鸟。
Background notes (Chinese)
看到鸟叼树枝，很容易联想到筑巢；继续观察才知道它是在取食。课文通过‘先猜测、再发现’提醒读者，观察动物行为时，不要太早下结论。