2024剑桥雅思讲义Reading_Test_7.docx

PaSSaRe1TRAPPINGBIRDSTheinfinitevarietyofnetsusedinthecaptureofvariousbirdsrequiresalmostachapterbyitself;butitwillsufficeforthepresentoneifwementionthosemostgenerallyused,orthemoststrikingvarieties.First,then,comestheordinary"clap-net"oftheLondonandprovincialbirdcatchers.The"EdinburghEncyclopaedia"says,withregardtoclap-nets:"Birdsarealsotakenwithnetsduringthedayandespeciallyinthoseseasonsoftheyearwhentheychangetheirsituation;inthemonthofOctober;forinstance,whenthewildbirdsbegintofly,andinMarch,whenthesmallerkindsassembleforpairing.Theyarechieflyonthewingfromdaybreaktonoon,andalwaysflyagainstthewind.Thebirdcatchers,therefore,laytheirnetstowardsthatpointtowhichthewindblows.Thenetsemployedinthiswayaregenerally12.5yardslongand2.5yardswide,andarespreadonthegroundparalleltoeachother;insuchamannerastomeetwhenturnedover.Theyareprovidedwithlines,fastenedinsuchawaythat,byasuddenpullzthebirdcatcherisabletodrawthemoverthebirdsthatmayhavealightedinthespacebetweenthoseparallelsides.Inordertoenticethewildbirdstoalightamongstthenets,callbirdsareemployed,ofwhichtheremustbeoneortwoofeachofthedifferentkindswhichareexpectedtobecaught,suchasIinnetszgoldfinches,greenfinches,etc.Besidesthecallbirdsthereareothersdenominatedcagebirds.Thecallbirdsandcagebirdsaredepositedincagesatalittledistancefromthenetszandassoonastheyseeorheartheapproachofthewildbirds,whichtheyperceivelongbeforeitcanbeobservedbythebirdcatcher;theyannouncetheintelligencefromcagetocagewiththegreatestappearanceofjo½andtheyproceedtoinvitethemtoalightbyasuccessionofnotesorshortjerks,astheyaretermedbythebirdcatcher;whichmayoftenbeheardataconsiderabledistance.Themomentthatthecallisheardbythewildbirdstheystoptheirflightanddescendtowardsthenet,andsogreatistheascendancyandfascinationofthecallbirdsthattheycaninducetheotherstoreturnrepeatedlytothenetstilleverybirdintheflockbecaught."Beingsomewhatafraidthatthisdescriptionwouldnotmeetallthepracticalrequirementsofthecase,Iinterviewedamanofknowledge.Iaskedhimtoimparthisstockofbirdcatchingknowledge,andalsotocorrectmyroughsketcheswhennecessary.Thesumandsubstanceofmyinterviewisasfollows:Thenets,whichareoftwopieces,areeachabouttwelveyardslongbytwo-and-a-halfyardswide,andaremadewithathree-quartermeshofwhatistechnicallycalledtwo-thread.Thestavesateachend,towhichthenetsarepermanentlyattached,aremadeofreddeal,ferruledandjointedatthemiddle,inthemannerofafishingrod,fortheconvenienceofcarriage.Thelengthofeachwhenputtogetherisaboutfivefeetsixinches,beingthusshorterthanthewidthofthenet.Thiszitwillbereadilyobserved,allowsforthebaggingofthenetanimportantparticular;as,ifthenetswerestrainedtightwithnoallowancemadeforbagging,thebirdswouldflutteralongthegrounduntiltheygotoutatoneendortheother.Asitis,theyrollthemselvesupinthemeshes,andeffectivelyentanglethemselveswhileattemptingtoescape.Astrongline,calledthetopline,passesthewholelengthofeachnet,andisprotractedsomefeetpastthestavesateitherend.Asimilarlinerunsalongthebottommadeofthree-threadorwhipthread.Thisiscalledthebottomline.Therearethentwocordsofsomestrengthattachedtothecentreoftheso-calledforkline,calledthepullline,which,whenrequiredforuse,canbepulledbythebirdcatcher.Eightpegsareused,madeofhardwoodzgenerallyashzfourofwhicharecalledthe"chiefpegs."Allofthepegsarenotched,fortheconvenienceofattachingaline.Thefirstthingtobedoneistolaydowntheright-handnet,andtodriveinthetwochiefpegsatthebottomofthestaves,towhichtheyareattachedbyaloopofstrongcordzactingasahinge.Thetwoendpegsarethendriveninthegroundatsomelittledistancefromandinanexactlinetothechiefpegs.Thebottomlineisthenmadefastateachend,asalsothecontinuationofthetopline.Thetwopegs,lines,andstaffthusformatriangleateachend.Theothernetisthenlaidinsuchamannerthatwhenbotharepulledoveonenetshalloverlaptheothertotheextentofsixinches.Itisthenturnedbackandpeggeddowninthesamewayastheright-handnet.Exactlyinthecentreoftheforkedlinethepulllineisknotted,attheotherendofwhichthebirdcatcherstandsatvaryingdistances,accordingtothebirdhewishestocatch;forinstance,forlinnetsorgoldfinches,thirtytofortyyards;forstarlingsagreaterdistanceisrequired;ortocapturethesewarybirdsabetterplanistoplacethenetsinonefieldwhileyouretireintoanother;bringingthepulllinethroughaninterveninghedge.Cagescontainingbirdsaredispersedaboutontheouteredgesofthenets;infact,myinformantthinksthatifallthecageswereplacedagreaterdistanceawayfromthenetsitwouldbebetter;ashehasfoundthattheusualredorgreencageshavebeenthemeansof"bashing,'-.e.zfrighteningthewildbirdsawayfromthenets.Source:TheProjectGutenbergEBookofPracticalTbxidermy7byMontaguBrowneQuestions1-5Choosethecorrectletter,A,B,CorD.1. TheclapnetisA. theonlytypeofnetusedinbirdcatching.B. exclusivelyusedincities.C. themostcommonlyusedtypeofbirdcatchingnet.D. usedtocatchonlyonetypeofbird.2. Whencatchingbirdsthataremigrating,itisimportanttonotethatthebirdsA. areintheairfromdawnuntildusk.B. consistentlyflyintheoppositedirectiontothewindcurrent.C. usuallyflytothewest.D. typicallygointhesamedirectionasthewind