英语听力：探索发现 2012-05-27 恐龙是怎样的炼成的—4

 I think when most of us go into an exhibition like this, we don't think about all of the work that’s gone into it, and an exhibition of this scale requires hundreds of people who’re working together, from scientists to engineers to artists and designers. But absolutely none of it will be possible without the starting point of the hard evidence, the fossils¹ themselves, because if we never found their bones, we wouldn't ever have known that these ancient animals ever existed.

 

Luis has come to the southeastern corner of Utah. Today this is wild west country, a stop-off on the way to the Grand Canyon², and its past is equally epic³. 

 

All the rocks you can see around here are mostly of Jurassic Age, so this is prime dinosaur⁴ country.

 

At the time of the Jurassic, the dinosaurs⁵ were in their prime. And this was their home. But it was a very different world. Back then this area was a wash with streams and flood plains. It was the perfect habitat for the largest land animals that had ever lived, the sauropods, long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs.

 

It’s just a phenomenal place. It's beautiful and it's filled with clues about the ancient life. 

 

In a vast desert, most of us wouldn't have a hope of finding those clues. But if you know what you are looking for, the hint of a different colour on the ground is all it takes.

 

Let me take a closer look. You can see the bones, right here, and here and here. It’s difficult to see what exactly they may be. They are very thin. It will be probably worth coming back and cleaning this a little bit and taking a close of look at what they may be.

1 fossils   

n.化石( fossil的名词复数 )；老顽固；食古不化的人；老古董（老人）

参考例句：

• fossils over two million years old 两百多万年的化石
• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley. 在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

3 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

4 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

5 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》