Level 1 Reading 1B

Ch.2 Reading 1B

第2章 阅读1B

MASTER OF DISGUISE Octopuses are famous for their round bodies, big eyes, and eight arms. There are many different types of octopuses, but all are alike in one way: They are masters of disguise. Octopuses can change their appearance in less than a second to look like rocks, plants, or even other animals. How do they do this? An octopus can disguise itself in three ways. One is by using color. An octopus's skin has special cells called chromatophores. These cells are filled with yellow, brown, and red pigment. When an octopus moves its muscles a certain way, the cells become large and produce colorful spots and other patterns on its skin. Chromatophores can also reflect light. In blue light, for example, an octopus's skin will look blue. In white light, its skin will look white. With these cells, an octopus can produce many different skin colors and patterns. An octopus can also change its skin texture. When the octopus moves its muscles, its skin can go from smooth to spiky. It might then look like a plant, or coral. Another way an octopus disguises itself is by changing its shape. Some, for example, roll their bodies into balls so they look like rocks. One type of octopus can change its form to look like other sea creatures— especially dangerous ones, such as sea snakes. Why are octopuses so good at disguising themselves? They have to be. The ocean is not a safe place for them. Because they have no bones in their bodies, octopuses are like large pieces of meat. Many predators want to eat them—and they can eat them whole. To survive, octopuses have developed the amazing ability to change their appearance very quickly in order to hide from predators.

伪装大师 章鱼以其圆圆的身体、大眼睛和八只手臂而闻名。 章鱼有很多种，但都有一个共同点：它们是伪装大师。 章鱼可以在不到一秒钟的时间内改变外观，看起来像岩石、植物，甚至其他动物。 他们是怎么做到的？ 章鱼可以通过三种方式伪装自己。 一个是使用颜色。 章鱼的皮肤有一种叫做色素细胞的特殊细胞。 这些细胞充满了黄色、棕色和红色色素。 当章鱼以某种方式移动肌肉时，细胞会变大，并在皮肤上产生彩色斑点和其他图案。 色团也能反射光线。 例如，在蓝光下，章鱼的皮肤看起来是蓝色的。 在白光下，它的皮肤看起来是白色的。 有了这些细胞，章鱼可以产生许多不同的肤色和图案。 章鱼也可以改变它的皮肤质地。 当章鱼移动肌肉时，它的皮肤会从光滑变为尖刺。 它可能看起来像植物或珊瑚。 章鱼伪装自己的另一种方式是改变形状。 例如，有些人把身体滚成球，这样它们看起来就像岩石。 一种章鱼可以改变形状，看起来像其他海洋生物-- 特别危险的，比如海蛇。 为什么章鱼如此善于伪装自己？ 他们必须如此。 海洋对他们来说不是一个安全的地方。 因为章鱼体内没有骨头，所以它们就像大块的肉。 许多捕食者都想吃掉它们，而且它们可以整只吃掉它们。 为了生存，章鱼已经发展出惊人的能力，能够迅速改变外观以躲避捕食者。

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