|
Digging for answers 挖掘答案
Monday, Sep 11, 2006,Page 14
|
|
A man in San Rafaelito, Guatemala holds up a mastodon𠏋 tooth.
在瓜地馬拉的San Rafaelito, 一名男子手上捧著一顆乳齒象的牙齒。 (照片：美聯社)
PHOTO: AP
|
Some scientists study people in groups through the ways they speak and interact. Some study people in hospitals to find out how their bodies work and what makes them sick. Archeologists study humans in the dirt.
Archeology is the study of the ways humans used to live by looking at the things left in the ground by animals and people who lived thousands of years ago. One of the animals whose bones archeologists study is the mastodon.
Mastodons were large, furry animals over 3m tall that lived in North America thousands of years ago. Archeologists say that for the people who lived then, mastodons were important, because people needed them for food.
The man in this picture is holding a mastodon tooth that was found not very long ago. Archeologists think that this tooth is at least 10,000 years old, and it could be as much as 30,000 years old!
Today, mastodons are extinct. Archeologists think this might be because people killed and ate so many of them. Finding out more about mastodons and why they became extinct will help archeologists understand more about the people who lived thousands of years ago.
(Lynn Steger, Staff Writer)
有些科學家透過人類說話和互動的方式來做群體研究。有些科學家研究醫院的病患，了解他們的身體如何運作以及生病的原因。考古學家則研究已歸於塵土的人。
考古學是藉由觀察遺留在土中的數千年前人與動物之物，研究從前人類怎麼生活的學科。他們研究的動物骨骸之一，就是乳齒象。
乳齒象是數千年前住在北美洲的巨型多毛動物，身高超過三公尺。考古學家表示，對生活在當時的人類來說，乳齒象是重要的食物來源。
照片中的人拿著一顆不久前出土的乳齒象牙齒。考古學家認為，這顆象牙至少有一萬年之久，也可能已有三萬年了。
現今，乳齒象已經絕跡。考古學家認為這可能肇因於人類大量殺害並食用乳齒象。找出乳齒象的特性與他們絕滅的原因，將有助於考古學家更加了解數千年前人類的生活。 （翻譯︰賴美君）
| Today's Words 今天單字 |
1. interact v.i.
互動 (hu4 dong4)
例: I love watching my cat and my new puppy interact. The puppy is afraid of the cat!
(我喜歡觀看我的貓與新小狗互動的方式。那隻小狗怕貓。)
2. furry adj.
毛茸茸的 (mao2 rong2 rong2 de5)
例: Most people like cute, furry pets, but Shannon likes snakes and turtles.
(多數人都喜歡毛茸茸的可愛動物，不過夏儂卻喜歡蛇與海龜。)
3. extinct adj.
絕跡的 (jue2 ji1 de5)
例: Taking good care of the environment can help keep some kinds of animals and plants from becoming extinct.
(好好保護環境可以幫助一些動植物免於絕跡。) |
|
|
This story has been viewed 1407 times.
|
Print
Mail