bird

牛津:

• the bird has flown = the wanted person has escaped
• a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush = it is better to be content with what one has than to risk losing everything by being too greedy
• a ,birds eye view (of sth) = (a) general view from a high position looking down, 鸟瞰
• early bird/early riser = someone who always gets up very early in the morning
• the early bird catches the worm = used to say that if you do something early or before other people, you will be successful
• (strictly) for the birds = not important; worthless
• give sb/get the bird = shout at sb/be shouted at rudely and disapprovingly
• a home bird = someone who likes to spend as much time as possible at home because he is happiest there
• A couch potato is someone who spends most of their time watching television and does not exercise or have any interesting hobbies.
• kill two ,birds with one stone = achieve two aims with a single action or simultaneously 一石二鸟, 一箭双雕, 一举两得
• like a bird = without difficulty; smoothly
• the birds and the bees = the facts about sex - used humorously or to children
• a little bird told me (sth) = used to say that you know something, but you will not say how you found out

Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. 鸟类是构成鸟类纲的温血脊椎动物，其特征是羽毛、无牙喙的下颚、硬壳蛋的产卵、高代谢率、四腔心脏和强壮而轻盈的骨骼。Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) ostrich. Wings, which evolved from forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly.

The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming.

About 120 to 130 species have become extinct due to human activity since the 17th century, and hundreds more before then. Human activity threatens about 1,200 bird species with extinction, though efforts are underway to protect them. Recreational birdwatching is an important part of the ecotourism industry.

六级/考研单词: bush, greed, worm, strict, rude, sofa, pastime, simultaneous, constitute, jaw, metabolism, skull, evolve, farther, extinct