發佈於 2021-04-06

Mini Giraffes

Animals slowly change… it's called "evolution." 中文就是演化。

When the earth changes, animals change, too!

It takes a long time. Very, very slowly, animals change... if the place
where they live changes. 地球環境的改變，讓動物也慢慢的、很長時間的跟著改變。

If the animals don't change slowly… they will go extinct!
動物如果不跟著改變，有可能會絕種。

A long time ago, there used to be tiny elephants! On an island called Cyprus,
there were elephants that were only about 140 centimeters tall! 地中海
賽普勒斯島上的大象，很久以前是140公分高。

Maybe they changed because there wasn't enough food or enough space to be
big. 可能因為島很小，食物不多，所以大象長不大。

We call these kinds of smaller animals "dwarfs"… that word means "small".
There are no more dwarf elephants... they went extinct a long time ago.
這種"侏儒象"，現在已經絕種了。

But guess what? Scientists have now found dwarf giraffes in Africa!
在非洲，現在發現了侏儒長頸鹿！

Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. But these dwarf giraffes are
only about half as tall as a normal giraffe. 侏儒長頸鹿只有一般長頸鹿一半高。

Maybe they are slowly changing. Evolution is pretty amazing… super, super
slow changes that help animals survive. Maybe someday all giraffes will be
dwarf giraffes. 為了生存，也許有一天，所有長頸鹿就會變成侏儒長頸鹿。
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Vocabulary

也許人類也在越長越高，只是我們沒注意到。

1. Grow 生長。My tomatoes are growing tall. 我的番茄長高了! They are
certainly growing fast. 它們確實長很快。

2. Half 一半。Still, they are only half as tall as my
cucumbers.不過它們仍然只有小黃瓜一半高。 Half is not bad. 有一半不錯了。

3. Africa 非洲。I've never been to Africa. Have you?
我從沒有去過非洲。你去過嗎? Yes, I've been to South Africa.有，我去過南非。

4. Small 小的，smaller 更小。Are they smaller than their cousins in the zoo?
牠們比動物園裡面的表哥表姊小嗎? No, they are bigger. 不會。牠們比較大。

Please read the words with me.

grow 生長 half 一半 Africa 非洲 small 小的 smaller 更小
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Quiz

1. What is the tallest land animal in the world today?
A: The mouse
B: The giraffe
C: The African elephant

2. Why do animals change?
A: When the world changes, they have to change, too
B: They change because it's fun!
C: They change to fit in smaller clothes

3. What kind of dwarf animal did they find in Africa?
A: Dwarf cats
B: Dwarf elephants
C: Dwarf giraffes



Answers
1: B 2: A 3: C