英语听力：自然百科 阿根廷的化石天堂

 In the shadow of the Cerro Condor¹, a 600-meter-high limestone² bluff³ in Patagonia, signs of life are few. But this wind-swept valley in Chubut province of Argentina is becoming one of the world's leading sites for paleontologists. Recent find showed that about 150 million years ago these vast Compañías, areas of red sands surrounding an almost forgotten village, were teeming⁴ with dinosaur⁵ life. Fossilized discoveries here over the past decade include one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs⁶ ever found, and other bones that suggest an even bigger species.

 

Fernando Novas is a lead researcher at Argentina's National Council for Scientific and Technical Investigation⁷, and a National Geographic⁸ grantee.

 

 

"What is Patagonia showing us, a different history. The findings being done here change substantially what was previously⁹ known. The history tells and repeats once and again, referring to what we know from Europe, Asia, and North America. This is a different history, it's the history of Austral hemispheres, a history of what is called Gondwana, the super continent of the south."

 

With the continuous erosion by wind and water, exposing several geological layers, the Chubut region today is the perfect environment for unearthing¹⁰ fossils. Despite the potential, Argentine paleontology has only blossomed in the past decade. The team from the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio Intro You have discovered globally important fossils. Paleontologist Diego Pol says the discoveries presented at the museum are reshaping thinking on the anatomy¹¹ of these creatures. For example, the Carnotaurus has short limbs and horns.

 

 

"This dinosaur Carnotaurus has a very rare particularity compared to whatever other types of dinosaurs we have come across, including dinosaurs that had been discovered in Madagascar, that is the presence of exterior¹² limbs, very very reduced arms and the presence of two horns above its eyes. It's a unique characteristic of a carnivorous dinosaur and cannot be found in any other of this species， in any other place in the world."

 

The young team of paleontologists is convinced that many prizes remain among the region's uncharted mountains, and they are also retracing¹³ the footsteps of historic excavations¹⁴. One of the paleontologists from the museum Intro You, Pablo Puerta, says they are revisiting a quarry¹⁵ where renowned¹⁶ American paleontologist made major discoveries more than 70 years ago.

 

 

"In 1935, George Geller Simpson, an American Paleontologist was working and found a series of very interesting vertebrate animals that are called Scarrittia. And our idea is to come back to this area， to try to find more of these species because the originals are in the American Museum of New York."

 

 

As the team continues their work, they hope more mysteries of the past will emerge from the barren mountain ridge¹⁷ shadows.

1 condor   

n.秃鹰；秃鹰金币

参考例句：

• The condor soars above the mountain heights.禿鹰翱翔于高山之上。
• A condor prepares to fly in Colombia.一只兀鹰在哥伦比亚准备振翅高飞。

2 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

3 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

4 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

5 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。

6 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》

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 unearthing   

发掘或挖出某物( unearth的现在分词 )； 搜寻到某事物，发现并披露

参考例句：

• And unearthing the past often means literally and studying the evidence. 通常，探寻往事在字面上即意味着——刨根究底。
• The unearthing of "Peking Man" was a remarkable discovery. “北京人”的出土是个非凡的发现。

11 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

12 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

13 retracing   

v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We're retracing the route of a deep explorer mission. 我们将折回一个深入的探险路线中去。 来自电影对白
• Retracing my steps was certainly not an option. 回顾我的脚步并不是个办法。 来自互联网

14 excavations   

n.挖掘( excavation的名词复数 )；开凿；开凿的洞穴（或山路等）；（发掘出来的）古迹

参考例句：

• The excavations are open to the public. 发掘现场对公众开放。
• This year's excavations may reveal ancient artifacts. 今年的挖掘可能会发现史前古器物。 来自辞典例句

15 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

16 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

17 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。