Whale Graveyard Unearthed 鲸鱼墓出土

The fossilised bones of whales unearthed in the Atacama desert in Chile.

Palaeontologists have dug up a massive grave containing the seven-million-year-old creatures.

Fossils from fifteen animals have so far been excavated, some of them complete skeletons. The hoard also includes the remains of sharks, dolphins and seals.

The discovery is believed to have global importance and is crucial for research.

智利阿塔卡马沙漠里发现了鲸鱼骨化石。

古生物学家挖掘出的这一巨大墓穴里储藏了七百万年之久的古化石。

发现的动物化石总共有十五具，其中包括鲸鱼，鲨鱼，海豚和海豹，有些骨架保存完好无损。

这是考古研究领域的关键性发现，具有全球重要意义。

fossilised: 成为化石

palaeontologists: 古生物学家

excavated: 挖掘

hoard: 储藏

crucial: 关键性的，至关重要的

以下练习中的语句全部选自于BBC其他网页。

请从下面的词汇表里选择答案来完成句子。

注意：你可能需要改变单词的时态来完成句子。

fossilised/ palaeontologists/ excavated/ hoard/ crucial

1.
A team of archaeologists has started one of the largest investigations ever mounted on the WWI battlefields. They have been given permission to _________ a large section of trenches and tunnels close to the huge Lochnagar Crater.

2.
Being so slight and spindly, it is not really surprising that ancient harvestmen have a relatively poor record. Only around 33 _____________ species have been discovered so far, and for some of those the quality of preservation is not brilliant.

3.
A metal detector enthusiast has found a major ___________ of Viking silver in a field on the Cumbria-Lancashire border.

4.
For 150 years, a species called Archaeopteryx has been regarded as the first true bird, representing a major evolutionary step away from dinosaurs. But the new fossil suggests this creature was just another feathery dinosaur and not the significant link that __________________ had believed.

5.
The Prime Minister believes stability and an end to the debt crisis is ___________ for any chance of a recovery in the UK economy.

1.
A team of archaeologists has started one of the largest investigations ever mounted on the WWI battlefields. They have been given permission to excavate a large section of trenches and tunnels close to the huge Lochnagar Crater.

2.
Being so slight and spindly, it is not really surprising that ancient harvestmen have a relatively poor record. Only around 33 fossilised species have been discovered so far, and for some of those the quality of preservation is not brilliant.

3.
A metal detector enthusiast has found a major hoard of Viking silver in a field on the Cumbria-Lancashire border.

4.
For 150 years, a species called Archaeopteryx has been regarded as the first true bird, representing a major evolutionary step away from dinosaurs. But the new fossil suggests this creature was just another feathery dinosaur and not the significant link that palaeontologists had believed.

5.
The Prime Minister believes stability and an end to the debt crisis is crucial for any chance of a recovery in the UK economy.