New Light on Dinosaur Controversies
Weighing more than 80 tons, the sauropods, giant plant- eating dinosaurs such as Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus, were the largest land animals the world has ever seen. Many old-fashioned popular books showing the ancient giants in their natural setting portrayed them wallowing about in swamps flanked by deep vegetation, their bodies largely under water. Surely an animal of this bulk, it was argued then, must be partly supported by water, and their relatively inconsequential teeth must have been adapted for chewing on the kind of soft, luxuriant vegetation that flourishes in and around swamps. Because their nasal openings were on the top of their heads, they could even continue to breathe if it became necessary to submerge themselves.
More recently the life habits of these giants have been looked at in a way that disproves most of these previously held notions. Consider the structure of their legs. The sauropods have relatively long, pillar-like legs, resembling those of the elephant, the largest living land animal, and these legs may have been well adapted for supporting the huge bulk of the animal. The feet of the sauropod are small (relatively speaking), with short, stubby toes, yet animals that walk on soft mud tend to have spreading feet to distribute their weight more evenly. It is difficult to see how the compact feet of the sauropod could avoid becoming stuck fast in the soft, muddy bottom of a swamp. If the dinosaur did, after all, live on dry land, then the long neck could have usefully functioned to allow the animal to browse the high foliage of trees. This is how the animals are portrayed in recent films such as Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs. Their fossil remains occur with other animals and plants that are generally accepted as being terrestrial. There is some evidence from the tracks (fossilized footprints) they have left behind that Diplodocus and its allies moved about in herds. Sauropods may also have been the gigantic reptilian analogue of the elephant, and it may be no coincidence that the elephant also has its nasal openings on top of the skull, with the nostrils in this case sited at the end of the trunk-it has even been suggested that some sauropods may have had a proboscis (a long flexible snout or trunk) of some sort.
The balance of evidence overwhelmingly supports fully terrestrial habits for these giants. Other aspects of the dinosaur living habits have been the subject of debate. There was much controversy as to whether the dinosaurs as a whole were cold-blooded, like all living reptiles (and there is no doubt that dinosaurs were reptiles), or warm-blooded, resembling mammals. Cold- blooded animals have to ‘warm up’ before they can be fully active; that is why lizards and snakes bask in the sun in temperate climates. For this reason they cannot cope with climates having greatly extended winters. Warm- blooded animals have the same body temperature at all times, and can be continuously active, but they use far more energy and hence need more food than cold- blooded animals of the same size. The posture of many dinosaurs, particularly the carnivorous (meat-eating) theropod dinosaurs, was fully erect with the legs beneath the body, unlike the sprawling legs of living reptiles. The long back legs of such hunters look highly suitable for running, and as they did so the long tail may have been held erect as a kind of counterbalance. For any kind of prolonged activity, warm-bloodedness would have been a distinct advantage. There was, until recently, a vigorous argument between the cold-blooded and warm-blooded schools. Detailed study of the structure of the bones of dinosaurs has found favor in both schools of thought. When they were young, it is likely that dinosaurs grew very quickly, and their bone structure is consistent with a kind of warm-bloodedness like that of mammals today. However, as they grew large, growth slowed down dramatically, and their huge size allowed for a considerable degree of temperature control. They managed to have the best of both worlds, combining reptile energy efficiency with mammalian levels of activity.
1
Weighing more than 80 tons, the sauropods, giant plant- eating dinosaurs such as Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus, were the largest land animals the world has ever seen. Many old-fashioned popular books showing the ancient giants in their natural setting portrayed them wallowing about in swamps flanked by deep vegetation, their bodies largely under water. Surely an animal of this bulk, it was argued then, must be partly supported by water, and their relatively inconsequential teeth must have been adapted for chewing on the kind of soft, luxuriant vegetation that flourishes in and around swamps. Because their nasal openings were on the top of their heads, they could even continue to breathe if it became necessary to submerge themselves.
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as one of the reasons scientists once believed that sauropods spent their lives submerged in water?
Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题
ATheir bodies seemed too big and heavy to support themselves on land.
BWater would have kept them cool in the hot, swampy regions where vegetation flourished.
CTheir teeth seemed suited to feeding on the kinds of vegetation found in swamps.
DThe placement of the nasal openings seemed suited to breathing while the rest of the animal was in the water.
2
More recently the life habits of these giants have been looked at in a way that disproves most of these previously held notions. Consider the structure of their legs. The sauropods have relatively long, pillar-like legs, resembling those of the elephant, the largest living land animal, and these legs may have been well adapted for supporting the huge bulk of the animal. The feet of the sauropod are small (relatively speaking), with short, stubby toes, yet animals that walk on soft mud tend to have spreading feet to distribute their weight more evenly. It is difficult to see how the compact feet of the sauropod could avoid becoming stuck fast in the soft, muddy bottom of a swamp. If the dinosaur did, after all, live on dry land, then the long neck could have usefully functioned to allow the animal to browse the high foliage of trees. This is how the animals are portrayed in recent films such as Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs. Their fossil remains occur with other animals and plants that are generally accepted as being terrestrial. There is some evidence from the tracks (fossilized footprints) they have left behind that Diplodocus and its allies moved about in herds. Sauropods may also have been the gigantic reptilian analogue of the elephant, and it may be no coincidence that the elephant also has its nasal openings on top of the skull, with the nostrils in this case sited at the end of the trunk-it has even been suggested that some sauropods may have had a proboscis (a long flexible snout or trunk) of some sort.
Why does the author provide the information that “animals that walk on soft mud tend to have spreading feet to distribute their weight more evenly”?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
ATo provide an example of how sauropods were different from animals living today
BTo explain how sauropods were able to avoid getting stuck in the mud
CTo support the claim that sauropods lived on dry land
DTo challenge the idea that sauropods had short, stubby toes and relatively small feet
3
Weighing more than 80 tons, the sauropods, giant plant- eating dinosaurs such as Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus, were the largest land animals the world has ever seen. Many old-fashioned popular books showing the ancient giants in their natural setting portrayed them wallowing about in swamps flanked by deep vegetation, their bodies largely under water. Surely an animal of this bulk, it was argued then, must be partly supported by water, and their relatively inconsequential teeth must have been adapted for chewing on the kind of soft, luxuriant vegetation that flourishes in and around swamps. Because their nasal openings were on the top of their heads, they could even continue to breathe if it became necessary to submerge themselves.
Which of the following can be inferred about the way sauropods were portrayed in the films “Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs”?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
AThe films’ portrayal of how sauropods got their food was inaccurate.
BThe films did not accurately show the structure of sauropods legs
CThe films’ portrayal of sauropods was based on a theory about the function of their necks that was later disproven.
DThe films showed sauropods’ natural setting more accurately than did popular books written earlier.
4
More recently the life habits of these giants have been looked at in a way that disproves most of these previously held notions. Consider the structure of their legs. The sauropods have relatively long, pillar-like legs, resembling those of the elephant, the largest living land animal, and these legs may have been well adapted for supporting the huge bulk of the animal. The feet of the sauropod are small (relatively speaking), with short, stubby toes, yet animals that walk on soft mud tend to have spreading feet to distribute their weight more evenly. It is difficult to see how the compact feet of the sauropod could avoid becoming stuck fast in the soft, muddy bottom of a swamp. If the dinosaur did, after all, live on dry land, then the long neck could have usefully functioned to allow the animal to browse the high foliage of trees. This is how the animals are portrayed in recent films such as Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs. Their fossil remains occur with other animals and plants that are generally accepted as being terrestrial. There is some evidence from the tracks (fossilized footprints) they have left behind that Diplodocus and its allies moved about in herds. Sauropods may also have been the gigantic reptilian analogue of the elephant, and it may be no coincidence that the elephant also has its nasal openings on top of the skull, with the nostrils in this case sited at the end of the trunk-it has even been suggested that some sauropods may have had a proboscis (a long flexible snout or trunk) of some sort.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题
AThe sauropod may have been like the elephant, with nasal openings at the top of its skull and, perhaps, a long snout or trunk.
BAlthough the elephant, like sauropods, also has nasal openings on the top of its skull, this similarity is probably a coincidence.since its nostrils are at the end of its trunk.
CSimilarities between the skull and the proboscis of the sauropod and the elephant are likely not a coincidence and establish are lationship between the ancient and the more recent animal.
DExtending from nasal openings on the skull and having nostrils on its end, the sauropod’s proboscis clearly functioned like a gigantic elephant’s trunk.
5
The balance of evidence overwhelmingly supports fully terrestrial habits for these giants. Other aspects of the dinosaur living habits have been the subject of debate. There was much controversy as to whether the dinosaurs as a whole were cold-blooded, like all living reptiles (and there is no doubt that dinosaurs were reptiles), or warm-blooded, resembling mammals. Cold- blooded animals have to ‘warm up’ before they can be fully active; that is why lizards and snakes bask in the sun in temperate climates. For this reason they cannot cope with climates having greatly extended winters. Warm- blooded animals have the same body temperature at all times, and can be continuously active, but they use far more energy and hence need more food than cold- blooded animals of the same size. The posture of many dinosaurs, particularly the carnivorous (meat-eating) theropod dinosaurs, was fully erect with the legs beneath the body, unlike the sprawling legs of living reptiles. The long back legs of such hunters look highly suitable for running, and as they did so the long tail may have been held erect as a kind of counterbalance. For any kind of prolonged activity, warm-bloodedness would have been a distinct advantage. There was, until recently, a vigorous argument between the cold-blooded and warm-blooded schools. Detailed study of the structure of the bones of dinosaurs has found favor in both schools of thought. When they were young, it is likely that dinosaurs grew very quickly, and their bone structure is consistent with a kind of warm-bloodedness like that of mammals today. However, as they grew large, growth slowed down dramatically, and their huge size allowed for a considerable degree of temperature control. They managed to have the best of both worlds, combining reptile energy efficiency with mammalian levels of activity.
The word ‘overwhelmingly” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
Aseemingly
Bincreasingly
Cextremely strongly
Dfor now
6
The balance of evidence overwhelmingly supports fully terrestrial habits for these giants. Other aspects of the dinosaur living habits have been the subject of debate. There was much controversy as to whether the dinosaurs as a whole were cold-blooded, like all living reptiles (and there is no doubt that dinosaurs were reptiles), or warm-blooded, resembling mammals. Cold- blooded animals have to ‘warm up’ before they can be fully active; that is why lizards and snakes bask in the sun in temperate climates. For this reason they cannot cope with climates having greatly extended winters. Warm- blooded animals have the same body temperature at all times, and can be continuously active, but they use far more energy and hence need more food than cold- blooded animals of the same size. The posture of many dinosaurs, particularly the carnivorous (meat-eating) theropod dinosaurs, was fully erect with the legs beneath the body, unlike the sprawling legs of living reptiles. The long back legs of such hunters look highly suitable for running, and as they did so the long tail may have been held erect as a kind of counterbalance. For any kind of prolonged activity, warm-bloodedness would have been a distinct advantage. There was, until recently, a vigorous argument between the cold-blooded and warm-blooded schools. Detailed study of the structure of the bones of dinosaurs has found favor in both schools of thought. When they were young, it is likely that dinosaurs grew very quickly, and their bone structure is consistent with a kind of warm-bloodedness like that of mammals today. However, as they grew large, growth slowed down dramatically, and their huge size allowed for a considerable degree of temperature control. They managed to have the best of both worlds, combining reptile energy efficiency with mammalian levels of activity.
The word “prolonged” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
Aunusual
Bdemanding
Crequired
Dextended
7
The balance of evidence overwhelmingly supports fully terrestrial habits for these giants. Other aspects of the dinosaur living habits have been the subject of debate. There was much controversy as to whether the dinosaurs as a whole were cold-blooded, like all living reptiles (and there is no doubt that dinosaurs were reptiles), or warm-blooded, resembling mammals. Cold- blooded animals have to ‘warm up’ before they can be fully active; that is why lizards and snakes bask in the sun in temperate climates. For this reason they cannot cope with climates having greatly extended winters. Warm- blooded animals have the same body temperature at all times, and can be continuously active, but they use far more energy and hence need more food than cold- blooded animals of the same size. The posture of many dinosaurs, particularly the carnivorous (meat-eating) theropod dinosaurs, was fully erect with the legs beneath the body, unlike the sprawling legs of living reptiles. The long back legs of such hunters look highly suitable for running, and as they did so the long tail may have been held erect as a kind of counterbalance. For any kind of prolonged activity, warm-bloodedness would have been a distinct advantage. There was, until recently, a vigorous argument between the cold-blooded and warm-blooded schools. Detailed study of the structure of the bones of dinosaurs has found favor in both schools of thought. When they were young, it is likely that dinosaurs grew very quickly, and their bone structure is consistent with a kind of warm-bloodedness like that of mammals today. However, as they grew large, growth slowed down dramatically, and their huge size allowed for a considerable degree of temperature control. They managed to have the best of both worlds, combining reptile energy efficiency with mammalian levels of activity.
According to paragraph 3, which of the following advantages do modern reptiles have over mammals?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThey need less food than mammals of the same size do
BThey can survive in certain environments in which mammals cannot
CThey grow more rapidly when they are young than young mammals do.
DIn comparison to mammals, they have a bone structure better suited to hunting
8
The balance of evidence overwhelmingly supports fully terrestrial habits for these giants. Other aspects of the dinosaur living habits have been the subject of debate. There was much controversy as to whether the dinosaurs as a whole were cold-blooded, like all living reptiles (and there is no doubt that dinosaurs were reptiles), or warm-blooded, resembling mammals. Cold- blooded animals have to ‘warm up’ before they can be fully active; that is why lizards and snakes bask in the sun in temperate climates. For this reason they cannot cope with climates having greatly extended winters. Warm- blooded animals have the same body temperature at all times, and can be continuously active, but they use far more energy and hence need more food than cold- blooded animals of the same size. The posture of many dinosaurs, particularly the carnivorous (meat-eating) theropod dinosaurs, was fully erect with the legs beneath the body, unlike the sprawling legs of living reptiles. The long back legs of such hunters look highly suitable for running, and as they did so the long tail may have been held erect as a kind of counterbalance. For any kind of prolonged activity, warm-bloodedness would have been a distinct advantage. There was, until recently, a vigorous argument between the cold-blooded and warm-blooded schools. Detailed study of the structure of the bones of dinosaurs has found favor in both schools of thought. When they were young, it is likely that dinosaurs grew very quickly, and their bone structure is consistent with a kind of warm-bloodedness like that of mammals today. However, as they grew large, growth slowed down dramatically, and their huge size allowed for a considerable degree of temperature control. They managed to have the best of both worlds, combining reptile energy efficiency with mammalian levels of activity.
According to paragraph 3, which of the following occurred when dinosaurs reached their adult sizes?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThey became less dependent on meat for food.
BThey became less active.
CThey gained greater ability to control their body temperature.
DCertain parts of them continued to grow much larger, while other parts stopped growing.
9
More recently the life habits of these giants have been looked at in a way that disproves most of these previously held notions. Consider the structure of their legs. The sauropods have relatively long, pillar-like legs, resembling those of the elephant, the largest living land animal, and these legs may have been well adapted for supporting the huge bulk of the animal. The feet of the sauropod are small (relatively speaking), with short, stubby toes, yet animals that walk on soft mud tend to have spreading feet to distribute their weight more evenly. It is difficult to see how the compact feet of the sauropod could avoid becoming stuck fast in the soft, muddy bottom of a swamp. [■]If the dinosaur did, after all, live on dry land, then the long neck could have usefully functioned to allow the animal to browse the high foliage of trees. This is how the animals are portrayed in recent films such as Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs. [■]Their fossil remains occur with other animals and plants that are generally accepted as being terrestrial. [■]There is some evidence from the tracks (fossilized footprints) they have left behind that Diplodocus and its allies moved about in herds. [■]Sauropods may also have been the gigantic reptilian analogue of the elephant, and it may be no coincidence that the elephant also has its nasal openings on top of the skull, with the nostrils in this case sited at the end of the trunk-it has even been suggested that some sauropods may have had a proboscis (a long flexible snout or trunk) of some sort.
Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
But such a pattern of group movement would be unlikely if these large animals had inhabited swamps.Insert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
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People once thought that sauropods lived in swamps, but that theory is no longer accepted
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
AScientists have obtained clues about the lives of sauropods, which are the biggest animals that have ever lived on land, by comparing them to elephants.
BThere remains some debate about whether the theropod dinosaurs walked upright on their muscular back legs or leaned forward using their large tails to counterbalance.
CIt was once thought that sauropods ate mostly plants, but newly found remains suggest that these dinosaurs had teeth that were more suitable for eating meat.
DIt is now believed that sauropods’ feet and legs were suited for life on dry land, that their long necks were used to eat tree leaves, and that some of them possibly moved in herds.
EThe types of plants and animals found among dinosaur remains have indicated that the climate of the time was probably much drier and cooler than was previously thought.
FSimilarities in bone structure, growth patterns, and posture of some dinosaurs to mammals today suggest that dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded, but this is not certain.
