英语听力：探索发现 科学新发现：我们的大气层-24

 This is a genuine iron meteorite¹, this is believed to have once been part of the core of a long dead planet or asteroid², and this was found right here in this strewn field, this remarkable³ little shapes, indentations on the surface are called thumbprints or scientifically *, and that's a feature that's unique to meteorites⁴, and these little markings are caused by the surface actually melting as it flew through the atmosphere, we don't find * on Earth rocks.

The air is constantly at work, making meteorites rare and valuable.

The chances of meteorites surviving their journey through the atmosphere and being found are minuscule⁵, if it wasn't for our atmosphere, we would have little particles raining down on us all the time, and some of them not so little.

The mesosphere's barrier of thin air is the final gift from our atmosphere, adding to the oxygen we breathe, water we drink and pressure we feel, but as we cross into the layers above, we leave life far behind. John Paul's air ships have only reached the upper stratosphere, K's jump point is below that, in the middle of the stratosphere, the only people who travel through the superheated thermosphere and distant exosphere are astronauts heading for space.

1 meteorite   

n.陨石；流星

参考例句：

• The meteorite in Jilin Exhibition Hall is believed to be the largest in the world.吉林展览馆的陨石被认为是世界上最大的。
• The famous Murchison meteorite smashed into the Australian ground in 1969.1969年著名的默奇森陨石轰然坠落在澳大利亚。

2 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 meteorites   

n.陨星( meteorite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One theory about the existence of extraterrestrial life rests on the presence of carbon compounds in meteorites. 地球外存在生命的理论是基于陨星上存在碳化合物质这一事实的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。