劍橋商務(wù)英語(yǔ)考試高級(jí)閱讀輔導(dǎo)材料

第頁(yè)共頁(yè)劍橋商務(wù)英語(yǔ)考試高級(jí)閱讀輔導(dǎo)材料劍橋商務(wù)英語(yǔ)考試高級(jí)閱讀輔導(dǎo)材料BOBDOUGHTY:TounderstandwhyLaBreaisanimportantscientificresearchcenterwemusttravelbackthroughtimealmostfortythousandyears.Pictureanareathatisalmostdesertland.Thesunishot.Apig-likecreaturesearchesforfood.Itusesitsshort,flatnosetodignearasmalltree.Itfindsnothing.Thepigstartstowalkaway,butitcannotmoveitsfeet.Theyarecoveredwithathick,blacksubstance.Themoreitstrugglesagainsttheblacksubstance,thedeeperitsinks.Itnowscreamsinfearandfightswildlytogetloose.Lessthanakilometeraway,ahugecat-likecreaturewithtwolongfrontteethhearsthescreams.It,too,ishungry.Travelingacrossthegroundatgreatspeed,thecatnearstheareawherethepigisfightingforitslife.Thecatjumpsonthepigandkillsit.Thepigdiesquickly,andthecatbeginstoeat.Whenitattemptstoleave,thecatfindsitcannotmove.Themorethebigcatstruggles,thedeeperitsinksintotheblacksubstance.Beforemorning,thecatisdead.Itsbody,andthebonesofthepig,slowlysinkintothestickyblackhole.FAITHLAPIDUS:Scientistssaythestorywehavetoldyouhappenedagainandagainoveraperiodofmanythousandsofyears.TheblacksubstancethattrappedtheanimalscameoutoftheEarthasoil.Theoildried,leavingbehindapartlysolidsubstancecalledasphalt.Intheheatofthesun,theasphaltsoftened.Whatevertoucheditwouldoftenbeetrappedforever.Inseventeensixty-nine,agroupofSpanishexplorersvisitedthearea.TheywereledbyGaspardePortola,governorofLowerCalifornia.ThegroupstoppedtoexaminethestickyblacksubstancethatcoveredtheEarth.Theycalledthearea“LaBrea,”theSpanishwordsfor“thetar.”Manyyearslater,settlersusedthetar,orasphalt,onthetopsoftheirhousestokeepwaterout.Theyfoundanimalbonesintheasphalt,butthrewthemaway.Innieen-oh-six,scientistsbegantostudythebonesfoundinLaBrea.Tenyearslater,theowneroftheland,GeorgeAllanHancock,gaveittothegover____entofLosAngeles.Hisgiftcarriedonecondition.HesaidLaBreacouldonlybeusedforscientificwork.BOBDOUGHTY:Today,theLaBreaTarPitsareknowntoscientistsaroundtheworld.Theareaisconsideredoneoftherichestareasoffossilbonesintheworld.Itisanextremelyvaluableplacetostudyancientanimals.ScientistshaverecoveredmorethanonemillionfossilbonesfromtheLaBreaTarPits.Theyhaveidentifiedmorethansixhundreddifferentkindsofanimalsandplants.Thefossilsarefromcreaturesassmallasinsectstothosethatwerebiggerthanamodernelephant.Thesecreaturesbecametrappedaslongagoasfortythousandyears.Itisstillhappeningtoday.SmallbirdsandanimalsstillbeetrappedintheLaBreaTarPits.APTheskeletonofasaber-toothcatatthePageMuseumThemuseumalsohasmanyfossilremainsofthehugecatsthatoncelivedinthearea.Theyarecalledsaber-toothedcatsbecauseoftheirlong,fierceteeth.Scientistshavefoundmorethantwothousandexlesofthehugecats.Themuseumalsohasthousandsoffossilremainsofanancientkindofwolf.Scientistsbelievelargegroupsofwolvesbecamestuckwhentheycametofeedonanimalsalreadytrappedintheasphalt.BOBDOUGHTY:Innieensixty-nine,scientistsbegandiggingatoneareaofLaBreacalledPitNiy-One.TheyhavefoundmorethanfortythousandfossilsinPitNiy-One.Morethanniy-fivepercentofthemammalbonesarefromjustsevendifferentanimals.Threewereplant-eaters.Theywerethewesternhorse,theancientbisonandatwo-metertallanimalcalledtheHarlan’sgroundsloth.Fouroftheanimalsweremeat-eatinghunters.Thesewerethesaber-toothcat,theNorthAmericanlion,thedirewolfandthecoyote.Alltheseanimals,exceptthedog-likecoyote,havedisappearedfromtheEarth.FAITHLAPIDUS:Researcherssayniypercentofthefossilsfoundarethoseofmeat-eatinganimals.Theysaythisisasurprisebecausetherehavealwaysbeenmoreplant-eatersintheworld.Theresearcherssayeachplant-eaterthatbecametrappedcausedmanymeat-eaterstoetotheplacetofeed.They,too,becametrapped.RanchoLaBreahasalsobeenatrapformanydifferentkindsofinsects.Scientistsfreethesedeadinsectsbywashingtheasphaltawaywithspecialchemicals.TheLaBreainsectsgivescientistsacloselookatthehistoryofinsectsinsouthernCalifornia.TheLaBreaTarPitshavealsoprovidedsciencewithinterestinginformationabouttheplantsthatgrewinthearea.Formanythousandsofyears,plantseedslandedinthestickyasphalt.Theseedshavebeensavedforresearch.Scientistsalsohavefoundpollenfrommanydifferentkindsofplants.Theseedsandpollen,orthelackofthem,canshowsevereweatherchangesoverthousandsofyears.Scientistssaytheseprovideinformationthathashelpedthemunderstandthehistoryoftheenviro____ent.Theseedsandpollenhaveleftaforty-thousand-yearrecordoftheenviro____entandweatherforthisareaofCalifornia.LaBreascientistshadachancetoinvestigateanareathatotherwisewouldhavebeenimpossibletostudy.Thisareaturnedouttobeveryrichinfossils.So,twenty-threehugecontainersoftar,clayandmudwereremovedfromtheareaforresearch.ThisiswhytheprojectisnowknownasProjectTwenty-Three.Scientistshavefullyexaminedonlyseveralboxesofearthandtar.Itwilltakeyearstopleteallofthecontainers.Butscientistshavesofarcountedoversevenhundredpartsfromdifferentorganisms.Onehugediscoverywasthenearlypleteskeletonofamalemammoth.ResearchershavenamedthemammothZed.Thisisthelargestmammotheverfoundinthearea.RanchoLaBreascientistspublishanInterblogthatdocumentsthisexcitingproject.Itdescribesindetailthehugeamountofworkinvolvedincarefullyexaminingthemanylayersoftarandearth.Forexle,youcanlearnaboutthedegreasingmachine.Researchersplaceabigblockoftarintothemachine.Itremovestheoilymaterial,leavingbehindhundredsoffossils.FAITHLAPIDUS:Eachyear,thousandsofvisitorsetoseethefossilsatRanchoLaBrea.TheyvisittheGeorgeC.PageMuseum.MisterPagewasawealthymanwhobecameveryinterestedinthescientificworkbeingdoneatthetarpits.Hegavethemoneytobuildthemuseumandres