Earth Story: A Journey to the Primal World 地球生命之旅
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2006年12月13日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年11月24日
- 作者:Mike Lee
- 点击数:317
课文朗读
课文讲解
When we look at the Earth, we see an abundance of life. In fact, there are more species of plants and animals living on Earth today than at any other time in our planet’s history. However, when life first began billions of years ago, the Earth was very different from what it is now.
若检视地球,便会发现它生机盎然。事实上,现今存活于地球上的动植物种模拟地球史上的任何其他时期都来得多。然而,数十亿年前生命诞生时,地球样貌却和如今大不相同。
Geologist Maarten de Wit studies rocks in the Barberton Mountainland of South Africa. This area is thought to be part of the cradle of life and it is here that Maarten has recently made a startling discovery. He has found fossils of bacteria that date back to 3.5 billion years ago. This is incredible not only because they’re the oldest fossils ever found, but also because they help us reconstruct the environment for primal life.
地质学家马丁.迪.威特研究南非巴伯顿山区的岩石,该区被认为是一处生命发源地。马丁近来在此有了惊人发现,他寻获三十五亿年前的细菌化石。此发现令人感到惊奇,不单由于它们是迄今发现最古老的化石,也因它们有助于重建原始生命的诞生环境。
During the evolution of the early world, the Earth was similar to the Iceland of today, where hot springs are prolific. It is likely that hot springs are where the Earth first bore life. The Earth’s own energy would have bubbled to the surface and fed primitive life forms. At that time, the Earth was probably covered in shallow water, and the continents were just starting to form.
早期世界的演化期间,地球环境类似现在的冰岛,到处充满温泉。地球最早的生命,很可能就是在温泉里诞生。地球自身的能量变为气泡后浮到地表,孕育原始的生命型态。当时地表可能覆满浅水,而陆地正开始形成。
We see from this reconstruction how closely bound the Earth and early life were. Conditions on Earth developed in such a way that allowed life to spring forth. But when we look at early evolution, we also see the effect life has had on the Earth, causing more changes to take place.
由重建过程可看出,地球与早期生命间关系紧密,地表条件已发展至可让生命诞生。但若探究早期演化史,也可看出生命对地球造成的影响,为地球带来更多改变。
Vocabulary
单词发音
cradle [ˋkred!] n. 摇篮; 发源地
startling [ˋstɑrt!ɪŋ] adj. 令人吃惊的
incredible [ɪnˋkrɛdəb!] adj.【口】难以置信的;惊人的;极妙的
reconstruct [͵rɪkənˋstrʌkt] v. 重建
prolific [prəˋlɪfɪk] adj. 多产的; 繁多的
shallow [ˋʃælo] adj. 浅的
spring forth 生长,涌出 to leap out; to rush out
take place 举行; 发生
More Information
单词发音
abundance [əˋbʌndəns] n. 丰富;充足
geologist [dʒɪˋɑlədʒɪst] n. 地质学家
primal [ˋpraɪm!] adj. 最初的;原始的
bear [bɛr] v. 生(小孩; 生物)(bore, pt)
primitive [ˋprɪmətɪv] adj. 原始的
课文讲解
Shark Bay, in Australia, is the only place in the world that enables us to actually see what life was like on ancient Earth two to three billion years ago. There in the shallow waters are a host of living microscopic single-celled organisms. This environment is a well-preserved example of what the Earth once looked like.
澳洲的鲨鱼湾,是世上唯一可让人实际见识二、三十年亿年前,远古地球生命样貌的地方,当地浅水中含有大量微小的单细胞有机体。由于保存良好,此地环境已成为地球过去形貌的典范。
These organisms, called Stromatolites, were the first to use photosynthesis. From then on,oxygen began to be produced on Earth. This event changed the course of evolution forever. Oxygen molecules in the upper atmosphere were transformed by the sun’s ray into ozone. A shield was created which protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful radiation, and more complex life forms were able to survive.
这些名为「迭层石」的有机体,是最早行光合作用的生物。从那时起,地球开始有氧气生成,永久改变了演化的过程。大气上部的氧分子,经阳光辐射转变为臭氧,进而形成一层防护罩,保护地球免受太阳辐射的伤害,更复杂的生命型态也因此得以存活。
Then about 600 million years ago, an outbreak ofsoft-bodies, multi-cellular organisms occurred. We can see evidence of this in Newfoundland, Canada, where scientist Ed Landing studies the organisms. “Some of them look like feathers, almost like little ferns, and some of these guys will beup to a half meter in size,” Landing says. But the multi-celled life forms were not plants. They were the first animals.
接着,软体多细胞有机体约在六亿年前大量出现,证据可见于加拿大的纽芬兰,此处为科学家艾德.兰丁研究生物的地方。兰丁表示:「牠们有些看来像羽毛,几乎像小型羊齿植物;但有些又可长到半公尺高。」但这些多细胞的生命型态并非植物,而是最早的动物。
The earliest period in our evolution helps us realize that the Earth is far more than just the place where we happen to live. The Earth has changed over time and in turn has also been changed by life to allow evolution to occur. In this we can see how complex and amazing the relationship between life and our planet really is.
最早期的演化阶段可帮助我们了解,地球绝非我们偶然生存的场所。地球自身随着时间改变,同样也受生命影响而改变,进而促使演化进行。由此可知,生命与我们的星球间关系是多么复杂又奇妙!
−by Murray Walker
Vocabulary
单词发音
well-preserved [ˋwɛlprɪˋzɝvd] adj. 保存得很好的
oxygen [ˋɑksədʒən] n. 氧
molecule [ˋmɑlə͵kjul] n. 分子
transform ... into .. 把…改变成…
shield [ˋʃild] n. 防护物;护罩
harmful [ˋhɑrmfəl] adj. 有害的
outbreak [ˋaʊt͵brek] v. 爆发
up to 多达..
More Information
单词发音
microscopic [ˋmaɪkrəˋskɑpɪk] adj. 只能从显微镜里看到的;微小的
organism [ˋɔrgən͵ɪzəm] n. 生物,有机体
Stromatolite [stro'mætlˌaɪt]n. 叠层(石);垫藻岩
photosynthesis [͵fotəˋsɪnθəsɪs] n. 光合作用
ozone [ˋozon] n. 臭氧
fern [fɝn] n. 蕨,蕨类植物
Reading Questions
1. The word “prolific” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. in great numbers
B. everywhere
C. in small numbers
D. anywhere
2. Why are the fossils found in the Barberton Mountainland so incredible?
A. Because they’re the oldest fossils ever found.
B. Because they don’t help us reconstruct the environment for primal life.
C. Because they’re beautiful and old.
D. Because they can be made into cradles.
3. Which is NOT true about the ozone layer?
A. It protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful radiation.
B. It is made up of transformed oxygen molecules.
C. Because of its formation, more complex creatures were able to survive.
D. It was created directly by the sun’s rays.
4. According to this article, which of the following would be the most suitable title?
A. The Evolution of Humans
B. The Evolution of Animals
C. The Effect of Oxygen on the Earth
D. The Evolutionary Relationship between Earth and Life
Answer
1. ( A ) |
2. ( A ) |
3. ( D ) |
4. ( D ) |