Hypothesis 假设

　　原文：According to this hypothesis, Earth collided with an asteroid with an estimated diameter of 10 kilometers, or with several asteroids, the combined mass of which was comparable. 根据这一假说，地球与一个直径约为10公里的小行星或者总体积与之相当的几个小行星发生碰撞。

　　强化记忆：We have proved the hypothesis. 我们已经证明了这种假设。

　　The new discoveries have falsified that hypothesis. 新的发现已证明那个假定是无根据的。

　　Predator食肉动物，捕食者

　　原文：Biological hypotheses include ecological changes brought about by the evolution of cooperation between insects and flowering plants or of bottom-feeding predators in the oceans. 生物假说包括因昆虫与开花植物之间的合作式进化或海洋底层肉食动物进化引起的生态变化。

　　强化记忆： the relationship between predator and prey. 捕食性动物与猎物之间的关系

　　The terror bird was the top predator in its ancestral home. 恐鸟是其远古家园中的顶级捕食者。

　　Paleontologists 古生物学者

　　原文：American paleontologists David Raup and John Sepkoski, who have studied extinction rates in a number of fossil groups, suggest that episodes of increased extinction have recurred periodically, approximately every 26 million years since the mid-Cretaceous period. 美国古生物学家David Raup 和 John Sepkoski 曾经从大量化石群中研究物种灭绝的比率。他们指出，自从白垩纪时期中期以来，灭绝的物种不断增多，大约每隔两千六百万年就会定期发生一次。

　　强化记忆：Paleontologists also debated whether Archaeopteryx could fly. 古生物学家还讨论了始祖鸟是否会飞的问题。

　　Paleontologists digging in Oklahoma have uncovered bones from the tallest dinosaur ever. 古生物学家在俄克拉何马州发掘出了迄今为止个头最高的恐龙化石。

　　Episode 插曲，一段情节

　　原文：American paleontologists David Raup and John Sepkoski, who have studied extinction rates in a number of fossil groups, suggest that episodes of increased extinction have recurred periodically, approximately every 26 million years since the mid-Cretaceous period. 美国古生物学家David Raup 和 John Sepkoski 曾经从大量化石群中研究物种灭绝的比率。他们指出，自从白垩纪时期中期以来，灭绝的物种不断增多，大约每隔两千六百万年就会定期发生一次。

　　强化记忆： I'd like to try and forget the whole episode. 我倒想尽量把那段经历全部忘掉。

　　The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned. 这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。

　　Orbit 轨道，生活常规

　　原文：The possibility that mass extinctions may recur periodically has given rise to such hypotheses as that of a companion star with a long-period orbit deflecting other bodies from their normal orbits, making some of them fall to Earth as meteors and causing widespread devastation upon impact。对于周期性出现大规模物种灭绝的可能性，引发了这样的假设：一颗具有长周期轨道的伴星体使其他天体从正常轨道偏离，导致其中一些天体变成流星掉落到地球，撞击时造成大范围破坏。

　　强化记忆：The space rocket was launched and went into orbit. 宇宙火箭发射后进入轨道。

　　The satellite was launched into orbit around the moon. 卫星被射入环绕月球的轨道。

　　Deflect 使偏斜，转向

　　原文：The possibility that mass extinctions may recur periodically has given rise to such hypotheses as that of a companion star with a long-period orbit deflecting other bodies from their normal orbits, making some of them fall to Earth as meteors and causing widespread devastation upon impact。对于周期性出现大规模物种灭绝的可能性，引发了这样的假设：一颗具有长周期轨道的伴星体使其他天体从正常轨道偏离，导致其中一些天体变成流星掉落到地球，撞击时造成大范围破坏。

　　强化记忆：Never let a little problem deflect you. 决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。

　　This special metal shield will deflect a bullet from its course. 这种特殊的金属盾将使子弹改变方向。

　　Devastate 毁坏，毁灭

　　原文：The possibility that mass extinctions may recur periodically has given rise to such hypotheses as that of a companion star with a long-period orbit deflecting other bodies from their normal orbits, making some of them fall to Earth as meteors and causing widespread devastation upon impact。对于周期性出现大规模物种灭绝的可能性，引发了这样的假设：一颗具有长周期轨道的伴星体使其他天体从正常轨道偏离，导致其中一些天体变成流星掉落到地球，撞击时造成大范围破坏。

　　强化记忆：They intended to devastate the town at one stroke. 他们企图一举摧毁全城。

　　A fire or blood devastate and precious paper-historical documents completely. 一场大火或者一场洪水足以使珍贵的纸质资料全部摧毁。

　　Collision 冲突，碰撞

　　原文：The force of collision spewed large amounts of debris into the atmosphere, darkening the skies for several years before the finer particles settled. 碰撞的力量把大量碎片喷射到大气中，在这些细小颗粒沉积之前好几年的时间里天空都是灰蒙的。

　　强化记忆：There was a slight collision but my car was undamaged. 虽有轻微碰撞，但我的汽车没有损坏。

　　A collision with parliament could ruin the government's plans. 与议会冲突可能使政府的计划成为泡影。

　　Herbivore 食草动物

　　原文：This caused massive starvation first of herbivores and subsequently of carnivores. 这首先会造成草食动物大规模饿死，接着就是肉食动物大规模饿死。

　　强化记忆：Panda's are classified as carnivores but they mainly have a diet of an herbivore. 大熊猫被归为食肉动物，但它们饮食更像食草动物。

　　Carnivore 食肉动物

　　原文：This caused massive starvation first of herbivores and subsequently of carnivores. 这首先会造成草食动物大规模饿死，接着就是肉食动物大规模饿死。

　　强化记忆：I did mostly vegetarian food but put a couple of meat dishes out for the carnivores. 我基本上吃素，但是我会给吃肉的人准备一些肉食。

　　It is a carnivore, but it doesn't have any teeth. 它是一种食肉动物，却没有牙齿。

　　Iridium 铱(化学元素)

　　原文：One interesting test of the Alvarez hypothesis is based on the presence of the rare-earth element iridium (Ir). Alvarez 假说基于稀土元素铱的出现做了一个非常有趣的实验。

　　强化记忆：Here are some pens with gold or iridium nibs. 这里是金笔和铱金笔

　　Indeed, two iridium layers have been found in some places. 确实，有些地方发现了有两个铱层。

　　Presumably 大概，可能

　　原文：Debris thrown into the atmosphere by an asteroid collision would presumably contain large amounts of iridium, and atmospheric currents would carry this material all over the globe。因小行星碰撞而被抛进到大气中的碎片可能会含有大量铱元素，并且大气流会把这些物质带到全球各地。

　　强化记忆： Presumably this is where the accident happened. 这大概就是事故现场。

　　Presumably she had been changed on to a later shift. 想必她改值了夜班。

　　Sedimentary 沉淀的

　　原文：A search of sedimentary deposits that span the boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods shows that there is a dramatic increase in the abundance of iridium briefly and precisely at this boundary. 白垩纪时期与第三纪时期交替之间的沉积物的研究显示：在这两个时期的交替时期，铱元素的含量急剧增加。

　　强化记忆： It is useful in discussing the nature of sedimentary deposits. 它在讨论沉积物的性质时是有用的。

　　Loose sediments may be changed into solid sedimentary rocks. 松散的沉积物可以变成坚硬的沉积岩。

　　Crater 弹坑，火山口

　　原文：An asteroid of this size would be expected to leave an immense crater, even if the asteroid itself was disintegrated by the impact. 按理说，这样大小的一个行星，即使受到冲击碎裂之后也会留下一个巨大的陨石坑。

　　强化记忆：The blast blew a gaping crater in the road. 爆炸把道路撕开了一个大坑。

　　They came to the lip of a dead crater. 他们来到了一个死火山口。

　　Quartz 石英

　　原文：The intense heat of the impact would produce heat-shocked quartz in many types of rock. 撞击所释放的极度高温使得许多种岩石产生热冲击石英。

　　强化记忆：The quartz watch keeps good time. 石英表走时准。

　　There is a great deal quartz in those mountains. 那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。

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