科学家在蒙古戈壁沙漠发现了一种罕见的新两指恐龙。虽然这种恐龙长有锋利的长爪，但科学家认为它们并不是凶猛的掠食者。

Therizinosaurs lumbered around the Earth on their hind legs tens of millions of years ago. Some researchers have likened them to giant feathered sloths. Every species discovered so far had three fingers with strikingly long claws on each hand. But this new discovery in Mongolia only had two.

镰刀龙是一类在数千万年前的地球上用后肢缓慢行走的恐龙。一些研究人员把它们比作巨大的长有羽毛的树懒。在此之前发现的每种镰刀龙每只手上都有三个指，每个指上都长有醒目的长爪。但本次在蒙古发现的新品种只有两个指。

At about three metres in length and weighing more than a quarter of a ton, it was a medium sized dinosaur. And despite their sharp claws' nightmarish appearance, this reptile was not a predator. Instead, it's thought to have used its hands to grasp vegetation.

这种镰刀龙体长三米，体重超过四分之一吨，属于中型大小的恐龙。虽然它们的利爪看起来颇为可怕，但这种爬行动物并非掠食者。科学家认为它们其实是用手来抓取植物而非猎物。

词汇表

lumbered 缓慢地行走
hind 后部的，后面的
feathered 有羽毛的
sloths 树懒
strikingly 醒目地，显著地
claws 爪子
nightmarish 可怕的，噩梦般的
predator 掠食者
grasp 抓握，抓取
vegetation 植物，植被

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. Is the Therizinosaur described as a large or small animal?

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. Therizinosaurs walked on four legs.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. Therizinosaurs have been compared to birds.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

3. What is different about this species of Therizinosaur?
a. It was larger than other species.
b. It didn't have two claws.
c. It had longer claws.

4. What is Therizinosaur thought to use its claws for?
a. to dig
b. to kill its prey
c. to hold plants

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Therizinosaurs lumbered around ________________ their hind legs tens of millions of years ago.

2. Every species discovered so far had three fingers with ________________ claws on each hand.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. Is the Therizinosaur described as a large or small animal?

The Therizinosaur is described as 'lumbering', compared to a 'giant feathered sloth'. The text also says that it was three metres longs and weighed more than 250kg. It was a large animal.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. b. False. Therizinosaurs lumbered around the Earth on their hind legs.

2. b. False. Some researchers have likened them to giant feathered sloths.

3. c. Every species discovered so far had three fingers with strikingly long claws on each hand. But this new discovery in Mongolia only had two.

4. c. Instead, it's thought to have used its hands to grasp vegetation.

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Therizinosaurs lumbered around the Earth on their hind legs tens of millions of years ago.

2. Every species discovered so far had three fingers with strikingly long claws on each hand.