Lesson 8 THE FROG

The frog is a very common amphibian living in swamps, near ponds, lakes, and streams of fresh water. It has a short and rather wide trunk, two forelegs, two hind legs, and an angular flattened head with bulging eyes. In a sitting posture the body rests on the folded hind legs and the extended forelegs. From this position a sudden extension of the hind legs sends up the animal through the air in a leap. The frog moves on land by leaps, it swims in water by means of strokes of its hind legs. The hind foot has five elongated toes connected by membrane, and each forefoot has four toes and a very rudimentary thumb.

There are several varieties of frogs differing from one another in color. The upper side of the head and body and the upper sides of the legs are mostly of brown or green color, while the throat, the belly and the inner sides of the legs are whitish. The skin of the frog is smooth and clammy.

The eyes are prominent structures at the sides of the head. A live frog at rest exhibits pulsating movements in the region of the throat which are concerned with respiration. On the dorsal side of the snout are located two external openings (nostrils) leading to respiratory and olfactory passages through which air gets into the oral cavity and than to the lungs.

The most remarkable structure in the frog is its tongue. Live insects and worms form the principal food of the frog. The tongue is coated with a glutinous substance. The frog catches insects rapidly extending its long forked tongue and then retracting it with the prey. Then the food moistened by the saliva is swallowed passing down the wide esophagus to the stomach and intestines where the process of digestion takes place.

Задание 38. Прочтите и переведите вышеприведенный текст, обращая внимание на необходимые слова и выражения.

common - обычный

swamp - болото, pond - пруд

angular - угловатый, trunk - туловище

forelegs, hind legs - передние ноги, задние ноги

toes - пальцы (на ногах), thumb – большой палец

sitting posture - сидячее положение leap - прыжок

elongated - удлиненный, folded - складчатый

throat - горло, belly - живот

smooth - гладкий, clammy - липкий

snout - рыло (у животного передняя часть головы)

nostrils - ноздри olfactory organs - органы обоняния

forked tongue - раздвоенный язык prey - добыча

Задание 39. Обратите внимание на образование форм герундия, запомните эти слова:

to swallow - swallowing to vomit - vomiting

to bleed - bleeding to breath - breathing

to open – opening to extend - extending

Переведите: Bleeding from the lungs may be fatal. Vomiting is a common symptom of the disease. The doctor listened to the breathing of the patient. The throat was sore and the swallowing was painful.

Задание 40. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What animal is the most common among amphibians? 2. How does the frog move on land and in the water? 3. How can you compare forelegs and hind legs of the frog? 4. Which respiratory organs has the frog? 5. What is a normal food of a frog? 6. By what means can the frog get its food? 7. What is the structure of its tongue? 8. How does the digestion of food in the frog occur?

Задание 41. Перескажите текст “The Frog” по-английски.