A bird gliding through a soft blue sky while a small child looks up from below.

Big question

为什么鸟会飞？

Wèishénme niǎo huì fēi?

Why do birds fly?

鸟会飞，是因为它们的翅膀和轻轻的身体能帮它们在空气里飞起来。

Niǎo huì fēi, shì yīnwèi tāmen de chìbǎng hé qīngqīng de shēntǐ néng bāng tāmen zài kōngqì lǐ fēi qǐlái.

鸟的身体很适合飞。它们的翅膀会拍空气，空气也会帮忙把它们往上托。有些鸟会用力拍翅膀，有些鸟会先飞高一点，再滑一会儿。因为很多鸟比较轻，身体也很适合在天空里移动，所以它们能从树上、屋顶上，或者草地上飞起来。

Niǎo de shēntǐ hěn shìhé fēi. Tāmen de chìbǎng huì pāi kōngqì, kōngqì yě huì bāngmáng bǎ tāmen wǎng shàng tuō. Yǒuxiē niǎo huì yònglì pāi chìbǎng, yǒuxiē niǎo huì xiān fēi gāo yìdiǎn, zài huá yí huìr. Yīnwèi hěn duō niǎo bǐjiào qīng, shēntǐ yě hěn shìhé zài tiānkōng lǐ yídòng, suǒyǐ tāmen néng cóng shù shàng, wūdǐng shàng, huòzhě cǎodì shàng fēi qǐlái.

如果你看到一只鸟飞起来，你觉得自己的眼睛会先跟着哪一部分呢？

Rúguǒ nǐ kàndào yì zhī niǎo fēi qǐlái, nǐ juéde zìjǐ de yǎnjing huì xiān gēnzhe nǎ yí bùfen ne?

Birds fly because their wings and light bodies help them lift and move through the air.

Birds have bodies made for flying. Their wings push on the air, and the air pushes back and helps lift them. Some birds flap hard, and some glide for a while. Because many birds are light and shaped for the sky, they can rise up from trees, rooftops, and fields.

If you watched a bird take off, what part do you think your eyes would follow first?