Level 2 Reading 5A

Ch.9

第9章

Reading 5A THE SECRETS IN THE SAND In 1823, a young woman noticed a strange fossil on a beach near Lyme Regis, England. She dug out the bones and had them carried to her home. She carefully arranged the skeleton on a table. Then she saw something extraordinary. The creature's neck was a meter long—more than half the length of its body. It was unlike any animal living on Earth. Even at a young age, Mary Anning had a talent for spotting "curies"—unusual or curious, fossils. Her father died in 1810, leaving her family in debt, so Mary began selling her fossils to collectors. A year later, aged just 12, she made her first major discovery—a crocodile-like skull with a long skeleton. It turned out to be a sea creature that lived long ago. Named ichthyosaur, or "fish-lizard," it was the first extinct animal known to science. Fossil hunting brought in money, but it was a dangerous occupation. One day, a rock fall killed her dog and almost buried Mary. Despite the dangers, she continued to look for new finds. The long-necked fossil she uncovered in 1823 was another long-dead sea reptile. Known as a plesiosaur, it would inspire legends—including that of the Loch Ness Monster. Five years later, she found a fossil with wing bones and a long tail. It was one of the first examples of a pterosaur—a flying creature that disappeared millions of years ago. Mary was not only a skilled fossil hunter; she also carefully examined and recorded her finds. However, she received little credit from other scientists. Only one of her scientific writings was published in her lifetime, in 1839. She was also not allowed to join London's Geological Society, as only men could become members. Mary Anning died in 1847, but her contributions have not been forgotten. Her finds are now displayed in museums in London and Paris. The beach near her home is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the Jurassic Coast. Her life continues to inspire visitors hoping to find their own fossil wonders. According to Britain's Natural History Museum, Mary Anning was "the greatest fossil hunter the world has ever known." She was also a scientist who changed the way we think about life on Earth.

阅读5A 沙子里的秘密 1823年，一位年轻女子在英格兰莱姆里吉斯附近的海滩上发现了一块奇怪的化石。 她挖出骨头，把它们带回家。 她小心翼翼地把骷髅放在桌子上。 然后她看到了一些非同寻常的东西。 这个生物的脖子有一米长，超过了它身体长度的一半。 它不同于地球上的任何动物。 即使在很小的时候，玛丽·安宁就有发现“古董”的天赋——不寻常或奇怪的化石。 她的父亲于1810年去世，留下她的家人负债累累，所以玛丽开始把她的化石卖给收藏家。 一年后，年仅12岁的她做出了她的第一个重大发现——一个鳄鱼般的头骨和一个长长的骨架。 原来它是一种生活在很久以前的海洋生物。 它被命名为鱼龙，或“鱼蜥蜴”，是科学上已知的第一种灭绝动物。 化石狩猎带来了收入，但这是一项危险的职业。 有一天，一块石头掉下来砸死了她的狗，差点把玛丽埋了。 尽管有危险，她还是继续寻找新的发现。 她在1823年发现的长颈化石是另一种早已死亡的海洋爬行动物。 它被称为蛇颈龙，将激发传说，包括尼斯湖水怪的传说。 五年后，她发现了一块有翼骨和长尾的化石。 这是翼龙的首批例子之一，翼龙是一种数百万年前消失的飞行生物。 玛丽不仅是个熟练的化石猎人；她还仔细检查并记录了她的发现。 然而，她几乎没有得到其他科学家的认可。 1839年，她一生中只发表了一篇科学著作。 她也不被允许加入伦敦地质学会，因为只有男性才能成为会员。 玛丽·安宁于1847年去世，但她的贡献并没有被遗忘。 她的发现现在在伦敦和巴黎的博物馆展出。 她家附近的海滩是联合国教科文组织世界遗产，被称为侏罗纪海岸。 她的生活继续激励着希望找到自己的化石奇迹的游客。 据英国自然历史博物馆称，玛丽·安宁是“世界上已知的最伟大的化石猎人” 她也是一位科学家，改变了我们对地球上生命的看法。

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