英语听力：自然百科 世上最大的蛇化石

 Scientists have uncovered the world's largest snake.

 

A study published in Thursday’s edition of the science journal Nature reveals the discovery in Colombia. Measuring about 45-feet long and weighing more than a ton, the so-called Titanoboa would have been longer than a bus. The remains¹ have led experts to believe the Titanoboa was a boa（蟒蛇）-like snake that lived about 60 million years ago during the Paleocene epoch(古新纪), a 60-million-year period following the extinction² of the dinosaurs³.

 

The partial remains were found in an open-air coal mine in the northern Colombian state of La Guajira. Following the discovery, the fossils, specifically the vertebrae(椎骨), were sent to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and later to the Florida Natural Science Museum in Gainesville for study. Scientists also believe the discovery sheds light on climate conditions in the area at the time when the snake lived.

 

"The size in which they can grow is limited by the mean annual temperature, by the temperature in which they live. So if you increase the temperature that they live in throughout the year, then you can increase the size of the snake. "

 

Based on the snake’s size, the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature at equatorial south America 60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit⁴, about 10 degrees warmer than today. Aside from its size, the Titanoboa discovery may also offer significant clues as to how the earth could look as it continues to warm.

 

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

3 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》

4 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。