科学家们发现了一种长有铠甲的新恐龙，它的颈部长有一米长的尖刺。这种被称为非洲刺圈龙的恐龙生活在 1.65 亿年前，它是甲龙属恐龙中最古老的一种，这类恐龙通常都长有铠甲。
The animal is covered in spikes all over its back including some that are one metre long emerging from its neck. It also has a bony collar that wraps around its neck and what looks like a pointy mace-like weapon at the end of its tail. Professor Richard Butler of Birmingham University said it was the most exciting specimen he'd ever seen.
这种动物的背部布满尖刺，其中一些从颈部伸出的尖刺长达一米。它的脖子上还有一个骨干环，尾巴末端有看起来像是一种和狼牙棒类似的尖锐武器。伯明翰大学的理查德·巴特勒教授表示，这是他所见过的最令人兴奋的恐龙标本。
The discovery, which has been published in the journal Nature, turns current ideas – that armour evolved gradually in these animals over tens of millions of years – on their head. Instead, it suggests that the armour was elaborate to start with, possibly for mating and display, and then became simpler and possibly more effective as protection from predators, according to Professor Susannah Maidment of the Natural History Museum.
这项发现，发表在《自然》杂志上，颠覆了目前已有的观点，即这些动物的铠甲是在数千万年的时间里逐渐进化形成的。正相反，这项发现表明这些铠甲一开始精巧复杂，可能是为了交配和求偶，而之后变得更加简单，可能成为了抵御捕食者的更有效的保护，这是自然历史博物馆苏珊娜·梅德门教授的观点。
The ankylosaur is the oldest discovered to date and is the first to be found in Africa. The research team hope the specimen will be displayed to the public in Fez in Morocco.
这种甲龙是迄今为止发现的最古老的、也是第一个在非洲被发现的甲龙。研究团队希望这个标本能在摩洛哥非斯向公众展出。
词汇表
spikes 尖刺
emerging 露出
bony 骨头的，骨质的
collar 颈环，颈圈
pointy 有尖头的
mace 狼牙棒
specimen 标本
armour 铠甲
turn…on their head 推翻
elaborate 精美复杂的
predators 捕食者
听力练习
一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。
1. What does the article find most interesting?
a. The age of the fossil.
b. The fossil's armour.
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. The animal had metre-long _______.
a. mace-like weapons
b. spikes
c. collars
2. This discovery supports what most scientists already thought.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
3. The dinosaur's armour evolved to become less complicated.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
4. As the dinosaur's armour evolved, it may have become more _______.
a. elaborate
b. effective
c. exciting
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. The animal is covered ________________ its back including some that are one metre long emerging from its neck.
2. The ankylosaur ________________ discovered to date and is the first to be found in Africa.
答案
一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。
1. What does the article find most interesting?
b. The fossil's armour.
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. The animal is covered in spikes all over its back including some that are one metre long emerging from its neck.
2. b. False. The discovery, which has been published in the journal Nature, turns current ideas that armour evolved gradually in these animals over tens of millions of years on their head.
3. a. True. Instead, it suggests that the armour was elaborate to start with, possibly for mating and display, and then became simpler and possibly more effective as protection from predators, according to Professor Susannah Maidment of the Natural History Museum.
4. b. Instead, it suggests that the armour was elaborate to start with, possibly for mating and display, and then became simpler and possibly more effective as protection from predators, according to Professor Susannah Maidment of the Natural History Museum.
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. The animal is covered in spikes all over its back including some that are one metre long emerging from its neck.
2. The ankylosaur is the oldest discovered to date and is the first to be found in Africa.