老托福听力93篇(37-38)-We've just seen two

老托福听力93篇(37-38)-We've just seen two 37

We've just seen two contemporary large birds that cannot fly: the emu and the ostrich. Over here is an interesting specimen from the past. This stuffed animal is not the giant penguin it appears to be, but an auk. This particular kind of auk is very rare, only 78 skins are known to exist and most are not preserved as well as this one. The great auk, as you can see, was a rather large bird, and it couldn't fly either. However, evidence suggests that the auk was an excellent swimmer and diver. Unfortunately, those abilities did not protect it from being easy prey for hungry sailors who years ago sailed the very cold and often icy waters of Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland. In fact, records indicate that the auk was rather tasty and that its eggs. Excuse me . . . that its eggs and feathers were useful as well. Still, it isn't clear what other factors led to the big bird's demise around 1844, the last time anyone reported seeing one. Of course, we believe it's important to take extra precautions to preserve the remaining great auk skins. After all, these specimens should prove invaluable for future scientific research. Does anyone have any questions before we move on to our next bird exhibit?

【生词摘录】

1. contemporary: adj. 当代的，同时代的

2. emu: n. [C]鸸鹋(产于澳洲的一种体型大而不会飞的鸟)

3. ostrich: n. [C]鸵鸟

4. specimen: n. [C]样本;样品;实例

5. stuffed: adj. 已经喂饱了的

6. penguin: n. [C]企鹅

7. auk: n. [C]海雀(北极地区海鸟，体大，短翅，蹼足)

8. demise: n. [U]死亡

9. precaution: n. [C]预防，警惕，防范

10. invaluable: adj. 无价的，非常宝贵的，价值无法衡量的

38

I'd like to begin by thanking Dr. Kane for inviting me to be here today. Although I'm not a geologist, I have been collecting minerals for years. My collection is really diverse because I've traveled all over the world to find them. Today I've brought a few specimens for you to see. After I discuss each one, I'll pass it around so that you can look at it more closely. As you know, feldspars are the most abundant minerals and are divided into a number of types. These first samples are orthoclases. Notice that they vary in color from white to pink to red. This glassy one is found in volcanic rock. In fact, I found it in New Mexico on a collecting trip. This next sample that I'll pass around is a microcline mineral, also called amazonstone. You can identify it by its bright green color. It's often used in jewelry and really is quite attractive. These final samples are all plagioclase feldspars. Many plagioclases are very rare, so I'm particularly proud of the variety in my collection. I've also brought a few slides of some larger mineral samples, and if you'll turn out the light now, I'd like to show them to you.

【生词摘录】