懂你英语笔记L4U2.docVIP

英语流利说 PAGE 89 L4——U2——1/4listening Earth forms and extinction A The earth was formed about four point six billion (46亿) years ago. The first life appeared about a billion(10亿) years later. The first plant-like didn’t appear until around two billion(20亿) years ago. Until about five hundred eighty million(五亿八千万) years ago life forms were small and microscopic(极小的，微小的). Since that time, life has evolved(进化) into many different types or species. However scientists estimate(估计) that more than ninety nine percent（99%） of them are now extinct(灭绝的). B There have been several extinction(绝种) events in the history of the earth. In an extinction events many life forms or species of life die out. The causes of mass extinction events are unsolved mysteries(未解之谜). These events are not predictable(预告) and can happen at any time. Scientists think that some of them were started by asteroid impacts(影响，碰击或者装机) or volcanic eruptions(火山爆发). Events like this, can change the global conditions that life depends on. C One major extinction event happened about sixty-six million(6600万) years ago. That event may have been started by a large asteroid that hit the earth. As a result, the dinosaurs and about half of all species(物种，种类，类型) on the planet die out. When the asteroids hit the earth, it started a chain of events. A chain of events is a series of events linked together like a chain. D This particular chain of events happened over a period of months and years. When the asteroid hit the earth, it caused a huge cloud of dust to enter the atmosphere. This cloud of dust blocked the Sun and darkened the Earth for many months. Without enough sunlight, plants and plant-eating animals quickly died. With the deaths of so many plants and animals, the food chain collapsed. This led to the deaths of many more species. E Mass extinction events have played an important part in the evolution (演变，发生，进化论) of life. In fact, some extinction events have helped to accelerate(加快，加速) evolution. For example, so