一、听力练习
1.
A. It is the first dinosaur fossil ever found.
B. It may help explain the rise of the dinosaurs.
C. It is the largest reptile fossil discovered.
D. It provides insight into the diet of early mammals.
2.
A. A complete dinosaur skeleton.
B. The remains of Gondwanax paraisensis.
C. A new species of silesaurid.
D. Fossils of early mammals.
3.
A. A type of dinosaur.
B. The lord of the Gondwana landmass.
C. A region in Brazil.
D. A researcher involved in the study.
二、听力文本
Scientists in Brazil recently announced the discovery of one of the world's oldest reptile remains. They say the bones – dating back to around 237 million years ago – may help explain the rise of the dinosaurs. The four-legged reptile species is called Gondwanax paraisensis, researchers recently announced in a statement. The animal is believed to have been near the size of a small dog, with a long tail. The small reptile would have lived in the Triassic Period on land which is today southern Brazil. During this period – from 252 million to 201 million years ago – the world was much hotter. The fossil was identified as a new silesaurid, a group of reptiles believed to have died off in a mass extinction event. Experts have debated whether silesaurids were true dinosaurs or if they came before dinosaurs. "Understanding the characteristics of these precursors could shed light on what was crucial for the dinosaurs' evolutionary success," a statement from the researchers said. In 2014, Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurelio, a medical doctor, found the remains in a piece of rock in the town of Paraiso do Sul. The town sits in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Gondwanax paraisensis fossil comes from a time when dinosaurs as well as mammals, crocodiles, turtles and frogs first appeared. Aurelio gave the remains to a local university in 2021, beginning three years of research. "Being the first human to touch something from 237 million years ago is extraordinary," Aurelio told Reuters. "It's an indescribable feeling." The research was led by Brazilian scientist Rodrigo Temp Müller, a paleontologist. His findings recently appeared in an article in the publication Gondwana Research. Müller said, "The most important part of this finding is its age. Because it's so old, it gives us clues as to how dinosaurs came to be." Müller added that when Aurelio gave researchers the remains, they were covered by a thick layer of rock. At first, only parts of the backbone could be seen. Gondwanax means "lord of Gondwana." The name suggests the Gondwana landmass in the southern area of the supercontinent Pangaea. Pangaea later broke apart into continents. The name paraisensis honors the town of Paraiso do Sul.
Question 1: What is the significance of the discovery of Gondwanax paraisensis?
Question 2: What did Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurelio find in 2014?
Question 3: What does the name "Gondwanax" refer to in the context of this discovery?
三、重点词汇
1. reptile: an animal that produces eggs and uses the heat of the sun to keep its blood warm 爬行动物
四、背景知识
施普林格·自然旗下开放获取学术期刊《科学报告》最新发表一篇古生物学论文称，研究人员在巴西新发现一种的古老掠食性爬行动物化石，它属于一类称为假鳄类(pseudosuchians)的形似鳄的爬行动物。 这一化石标本可追溯到2.37亿年前的中-晚三叠世，也是巴西首次发现这一类小型掠食性爬行动物，研究人员将其命名为Parvosuchus aurelioi。 本次研究发现的三叠纪地貌中两只Parvosuchus aurelioi的艺术再现图(图片来自Matheus Fernandes)。施普林格·自然/供图 该论文介绍，在恐龙占据统治地位之前，假鳄类曾是三叠世时期(2.52亿-2.01亿年前)常见的古代四足爬行动物，其中一些物种可以跻身当时最大的食肉动物之列。而被称为股薄鳄(gracilisuchids)的体型较小的假鳄类，曾和这些顶级掠食者共存，之前在中国和阿根廷等地曾有该类物种的化石发现。 在本项研究中，论文作者、巴西圣玛丽亚联邦大学Rodrigo T. Müller根据在巴西圣玛利亚组地层发现的一个化石标本，研究发现一个新股薄鳄物种。这具不完整骨架可追溯至2.37亿年前，由一个完整头骨(含下颌)、11块脊椎、一个骨盆以及部分保存完好的四肢组成。 该化石标本头骨长14.4厘米，有细长的下颌，尖牙向后弯曲，头骨上还有几个开口；其骨架很轻巧，估计总长不足1米。论文作者根据这些特征将Parvosuchus aurelioi归类为股薄鳄，认为这是在巴西第一个被确认的该类物种，也显示出三叠世假鳄类的多样性。（背景知识来自于https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1802436297380882755&wfr=spider&for=pc）
五、参考答案
Question 1: B
Question 2: B
Question 3: B
六、网络翻译
巴西的科学家们最近宣布发现了世界上最古老的爬行动物化石之一。他们表示，这些骨骼的年龄约为2.37亿年前，可能有助于解释恐龙的兴起。这种四足爬行动物被称为冈瓦纳克斯·帕拉伊森西斯（Gondwanax paraisensis），研究人员在一份声明中最近宣布。这种动物的体型被认为接近小狗，拥有一个长尾巴。小爬行动物生活在三叠纪时期，当时的陆地位于今天的巴西南部。在这个时期——从2.52亿年前到2.01亿年前——世界的气候要热得多。该化石被鉴定为一种新的蜥蜴龙类，这是一组被认为在大规模灭绝事件中消亡的爬行动物。专家们一直在争论蜥蜴龙类是否是真正的恐龙，还是在恐龙之前就存在。“了解这些前身的特征可能会揭示恐龙进化成功的关键因素，”研究人员在声明中表示。2014年，医生佩德罗·卢卡斯·波尔塞拉·奥雷利奥在巴拉伊佐·杜·苏尔镇的一块岩石中发现了这些遗骸。该镇位于巴西最南端的里约格朗德州。冈瓦纳克斯·帕拉伊森西斯化石来自一个恐龙、哺乳动物、鳄鱼、乌龟和青蛙首次出现的时期。奥雷利奥在2021年将这些遗骸交给当地大学，开始了为期三年的研究。“成为第一个接触到237百万年前东西的人是非凡的，”奥雷利奥告诉路透社。“这是一种无法形容的感觉。”这项研究由巴西科学家罗德里戈·坦普·穆勒（Rodrigo Temp Müller）领衔，他是一位古生物学家。他的发现最近发表在《冈瓦纳研究》期刊上。穆勒表示：“这一发现最重要的部分是它的年龄。因为它如此古老，所以为我们提供了关于恐龙如何形成的线索。”穆勒补充说，当奥雷利奥将遗骸交给研究人员时，它们被厚厚的岩层覆盖。起初，只有脊柱的一部分可以看到。冈瓦纳克斯的意思是“冈瓦纳之王”。这个名称暗示了位于超大陆盘古（Pangaea）南部的冈瓦纳大陆块。盘古后来分裂成各个大陆。帕拉伊森西斯这个名字则是为了纪念帕拉伊佐·杜·苏尔镇。
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