媒体英语

Terrifying prehistoric lizard discovered 科学家发现史前巨型海蜥蜴化石

科学家们称，他们发现了一个 “如噩梦似的” 海蜥蜴化石，这种名为  “ Khinjaria acuta ” 的海蜥蜴  6600  万年前在海洋中捕食。它们长约 26 英尺（ 8 米），与虎鲸的大小不相上下，还长着 “匕首般的” 牙齿。                                                                                        

Huge teeth like daggers and positively demonic, that's how one researcher describes the giant sea lizard that lived alongside dinosaurs about 66 million years ago, just before they went extinct.

长有匕首大小的巨大牙齿，犹如恶魔。这是一位研究人员对这种巨型海蜥蜴的描述，大约 6600 万年前，就在恐龙灭绝之前，这种海蜥蜴曾与恐龙生活在一起。

The creature was some eight metres long with powerful jaws able to swallow and rip apart even enormous prey. The lizard was the top predator of the ocean in warm seas full of food, and was an ancient relative of today's komodo dragons and anacondas. The findings are based on a skull and skeletal remains uncovered at a phosphate mine southeast of Casablanca in Morocco.

这种巨型海蜥蜴长约八米，长有强大的颚部，能够吞下并撕裂巨大的猎物。在食物丰盈的温暖海域，它们是海洋中的顶级掠食者，也是生活在今日的科莫多巨蜥和水蚺的远古亲戚。上述发现是基于从摩洛哥卡萨布兰卡东南部磷酸盐矿区出土的一个头骨和骨骼残骸。

词汇表

daggers 匕首
demonic 恶魔般的
extinct 灭绝
jaws 颚，鄂部
rip apart 撕裂
prey 猎物
predator 捕食者，掠食者
uncovered 被发现， 出土的

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. What feature of Khinjaria acuta is described as being like knives?

2. When did Khinjaria acuta live?

3. Which modern animals are related to Khinjaria acuta?

4. Where was the creature's skull found? 

答案

1. What feature of Khinjaria acuta is described as being like knives?

Its teeth. The creature is described as having 'dagger-like' teeth.

2. When did Khinjaria acuta live?

Khinjaria actua was alive 66 million years ago.

3. Which modern animals are related to Khinjaria acuta?

Komodo dragons and anacondas are relatives of Khinjaria acuta.

4. Which country was the creature's skull found in?

The skull was found in Morocco.