(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
New research suggests that climate change helped dogs develop from creatures resembling cats to the way they are today. Researchers from Brown University in the USA believe that 40 million years ago, dogs were smaller and hunted like cats. They hid, stalked and ambushed their prey. As climate change transformed Earth's landscape, the physique and food-gathering habits of dogs changed. Thick forests that once covered the North American continent started to become less dense as the planet became cooler. The emergence of grassland meant dogs had fewer places to hide to ambush their victims. To adapt, they evolved their hunting styles and slowly grew longer legs.
The scientists analysed how dogs have evolved by looking at the elbows and teeth of 32 different species that lived between two million to 40 million years ago. The researchers said that the dogs' elbows, in particular, were good indicators of evolutionary change. Dogs from 40 million years ago had elbows that were more similar to those of cats. Their function was to allow the front paws to swivel do they could grab and hold on to prey. Those elbows changed in dogs to allow them to become endurance runners and thus be able to pursue their prey over long distances. Teeth in dogs also altered to be more efficient. They became more hard-wearing to be able to hold on to prey.
中文翻译
一项新的研究表明气候变化让狗更像今天的猫。来自美国布朗大学的研究人员认为4000万年前，狗的身材弱小，与猫的捕食方式类似。它们会栖息，跟踪，伺机窥视猎物。由于气候变化改变了地球的地貌景观，狗的体型以及以捕食为主的生活习性发生了变化。曾经覆盖北美大陆的茂密森林开始变得稀疏，与此同时气候也变得更加寒冷。草原的出现就意味着它们窥伺猎物的地方逐渐变少。为了适应环境，它们的捕食方式开始发生变化，腿变得更加修长。
科学家对生活在200万到4000万年之间的32种狗的牙齿和肘部进行了分析。研究人员称狗的肘部变化更加能够说明这一进化过程。4000万年前，狗的肘部与如今猫的肘部非常相似。肘部能够帮助前爪旋转，捕食猎物。肘部的这一变化让它们成为了跑步健将，追捕猎物的距离也会增加。狗的牙齿也变得更加锋利。耐磨的牙齿有助于它们更好的逮捕猎物。
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重点讲解
1.look at 看
例句：The children looked at their new teacher in curiosity.
孩子们好奇地望着新老师。
2.be able to 能够
例句：I know someone who should be able to fix you up.
我知道有个人能提供你所需要的东西。
3.climate change 气候变化
例句：We are all victims of climate change.
我们都是气候变化的受害者。
4.be similar to 与…相似
例句：You should end up with something similar to what I have below.
操作结束后，你应该会得到与下图相似的结果。
听力题目
1.What does research say caused the development in dogs?
a) dogs becoming pets
b) climate change
c) better dog food
d) cats
2.How long ago did dogs resemble cats?
a) 14 million years ago
b) 400,000,000 years ago
c) 40 million years ago
d) 140,000,000 years ago
3.What habits of dogs changed?
a) nocturnal habits
b) bad habits
c) sleeping habits
d) food-gathering habits
4.What became less dense in North America?
a) brains
b) forests
c) fog
d) smoke
5.What did dogs grow to be able to hunt better?
a) longer legs
b) sharper teeth
c) silkier hair
d) wider paws
6.How many different species of dog did scientists look at?
a) 32
b) 38
c) 33
d) 34
7.What did the scientists say dogs were good indicators of?
a) revolutionary charge
b) pets
c) dogs
d) evolutionary change
8.What do the elbows in cats allow them to do?
a) swipe
b) swirl
c) swivel
d) swift
9.What could dogs do for a longer time after their elbows changed?
a) bark
b) eat
c) sleep
d) run
10.What part of a dog became harder wearing?
a) fur
b) teeth
c) paws
d) collars
听力答案
1.b
2.c
3.d
4.b
5.a
6.a
7.d
8.c
9.d
10.b
