1托福TPO56听力原文：L2

Professor: Ok. We’ve been talking about birds, modern birds, and their environments.But it might be interesting to say something about ancient birds, especially the one called archaeopteryx. Difficult word I know, but all it means is ancient wing.

Uh… the first archaeopteryx was discovered in 1861, fossilized in a piece of stone from a _______in Germany. From a paleontology’s point of view, this was a real stroke of luck, um, not only were the _______ bones of this ancient bird extremely well preserved, and that’s pretty rare for a bird,which is why we don’t find very many of them in the fossil record, but the fine details of this fossil were really quite extraordinary. You could even detect impressions of the feathers on it. Amazing,huh?Yes, mike

Male student: Why was it that details like that showed up in this particular fossil?

Professor: Well, I mentioned before that the archaeopteryx fossil was found in a quarry, you know,where people cut stone, and in this case, _______ fine-grained limestone. And the point is the particles that this limestone was made of were so fine that the limestone preserved much of the fossil in _______ detail. And as I said revealed impressions of details even as small as the lines in a feather.But that’s pretty rare.There are not many fossils of ancient birds in general being so fragile, much less archaeopteryx fossils. So we don’t know for sure, as much as we’d like to, but there are lots of opinions. It’s…. It’s like, say the Mona Lisa. You guys have seen copies of that painting, right? The Mona Lisa. Well, one of the great things about it is that each person who sees that painting understands it a little differently according to their own biases. You might say that the archaeopteryx is a scientific Mona Lisa.

Male student: How so?

Professor: Oh, well, ornithologist who study modern birds tend to see the archaeopteryx as an early ancestor of the birds we see today. But paleontology, the one who study fossils and forms of ancient life, point out its similarity to some dinosaur species. I mean it is very different from modern birds in some important ways. I mean there’s no _______. The tail is long and bony, the way of reptiles is,rather than short and stubby like modern birds. And it has claws at the end of what are called its wing fingers. They’re generally _______ in modern birds.

Female student: So, ornithologist think it’s a bird and paleontology say it isn’t.

Professor: Oh, did I say that? Oh, no, no, I’m sorry. That’s not what the debates about. The archaeopteryx had feathers and creatures with feathers are classified as birds.

Female student: So, then what is the debate about?

Professor: Ok, well, like I said, um, even with the lack of a beak and with its tail and claws, it’s still classified as a bird. The debate is, well, evolutionary speaking, where does archaeopteryx fit. For the paleontology to studies other dinosaurs of that period, it’s…. well in a lot of ways, nothing all that unusual.

Male student: Except for the feathers?

Professor: Except for the feathers…. Exactly! Paleontology see the archaeopteryx in terms of its wider evolutionary relationships. Um… they see it as a kind of link almost between dinosaurs and modern birds, or at least closely related to one.And for the ornithologist, the archaeopteryx is a bird with exceptional features and the earliest bird on record. A basic belief of ornithologist is the birds evolved, um, or that their evolution is closely related to their developing the ability to fly.But some of those features I mentioned earlier, of the lack of a bird like tail the claws, these don’t do much to support the notion that the archaeopteryx could fly. But then again, it did have other modern-birds-like features. So it probably could rise up off the ground, but only very awkwardly. And it probably wasn’t too graceful once it got into the air. Actually, though, as to whether the archaeopteryx could fly, we don’t really have _______ evidence one way or the other.

Male student: So, do you agree with the paleontology’s professor? or the ornithologist?

Professor: Well, the most recent research is based on some fossils being found in China. It’s hardly complete, but I find its conclusions really _______. Um, apparently, the feathers of the archaeopteryx may have evolved not for flight, but either for display, um…. males using colorful feathers to attract a mate, or for insulation. And feathers are very useful for conserving body heat in cold temperatures.

2托福TPO56听力L2填空答案

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3托福TPO56听力L2选择题

1. What does the professor mainly discuss?

A. Conditions that led to the extinction of the archaeopteryx

B. The adaptation of the archaeopteryx to its environment

C. Research on the archaeopteryx as an example of the typical dinosaur

D. The importance of the archaeopteryx in the study of the evolution of birds

2. According to the professor, why was the first archaeopteryx fossil of unusually high quality?

A. The fossil was not exposed to harsh weather conditions that could have damaged it

B. Archaeopteryx bones preserve more successfully than the bones of other birds

C. The stone in which the fossil was found was composed of very fine particles

D. The archaeopteryx was fossilized more recently than other ancient birds found in fossils

3. Why does the professor mention the Mona Lisa?

A. To argue that examining fossils is a process that requires great attention to detail

B. To point out that the archaeopteryx fossils can be interpreted in different ways

C. To demonstrate that no one fully understands the process of bird fossilization

D. To persuade the class that the archaeopteryx was a particularly beautiful bird

4. What point does the professor make about the tail of the archaeopteryx?

A. It was the only part of the archaeopteryx not preserved in fossils

B. It is the reason that the archaeopteryx is classified as a bird

C. It was very different from the tails of modern birds

D. It is the reason ornithologists believe the archaeopteryx could fly

5. What is the professor’s attitude toward the recent research on fossils discovered in China?

A. She is inclined to believe the results of the research

B. She has not yet formed any opinion about the study because it is incomplete

C. She is upset that the study’s conclusions contradicted her own opinions

D. She doubts that the study will help answer questions about the archaeopteryx

6. Why does the professor say this:

A. To indicate that she disagrees with other researchers

B. To acknowledge that her explanation may have been unclear

C. To warn the student about a common misunderstanding

D. To suggest that the student should listen more carefully

4托福TPO56听力L2选择题答案

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