The owls (猫头鹰) were not what they seem, or so many people seem to think ...
For centuries, owls have been feared and seen as signs of evil or death.But they are also seen as
symbols of intelligence. The bird's ability to see well in the night means that it is closely associated with
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, She is frequently described as an owl perched (栖息) on her
head.
So humanized owls are often used to indicate that someone is intelligent and educated - a pair of
eyeglasses or a mortarboard, the square, flat cap worn by college graduates. According to an article in
The Guardian, owls are among the most popular birds in British culture. You see them in Harry Potter
series, delivering letters and parcels. They are also the stars of Legend of the Guardians, a 3D animated
film that cam out on September 24, 2010.
Mark Cocker, a columnist (专栏作家) with the paper, notes that many TV dramas use owls. Why?
The answer, according to Cocker, is that owls belong to nighttime. It's a time of mystery. Owls fly in
silence, kill small animals for food and scream with a terrible voice. These facts made people associate
the birds with the dark and dangerous.
Cocker believes that it is this "slight tremble of danger" that means the bird is often found on T-shirts
and bags. "Of all widespread British birds, they are still the species we hear most, but see the least,"
writes Cocker. "The owl reminds us as we lie in our beds that in the darkness…is a life and a beating
heart that we can never quite know."
1. Owls are regarded as symbols of intelligence mainly because ______.
A. they can see very well
B. they are connected with Athena
C. they are able to deliver letters and parcels
D. they remind us what college graduates wear
2. According to Mark Cock, many TV dramas use owls because ______.
A. they scream with a frightful voice at night
B. British people are familiar with them
C. they create a feeling of mystery and danger
D. they awake the desire to take risks
3. The underlined word "the paper" in Paragraph 6 most probably refers to ______.
A. The Guardian
B. Harry Potter
C. Legend of the Guardians
D. Athena
4. What is the writing purpose of this passage?
A. To explain why owls are so associated with evil or death.
B. To analyze why owls are so common in British culture.
C. To tell readers not to be afraid of owls.
D. To recommend some movies related to owls.
