霸王龍是否比我們想象中的更善于交際？一直以來(lái)，科學(xué)家們都曾以為霸王龍是離群索居的食肉動(dòng)物，喜歡獨(dú)自捕食和生活。然而，來(lái)自美國(guó)阿肯色大學(xué)的一組古生物學(xué)家可能發(fā)現(xiàn)了有關(guān)這種可怕動(dòng)物的一個(gè)新理論。

The theory that tyrannosaurs were social animals was first suggested 20 years ago. That was when a dozen of the creatures were found at a site in Alberta, Canada. Another such mass death site was later found in Montana. This one in southern Utah again shows that tyrannosaurs died in the same place.

霸王龍是群居動(dòng)物的理論最早是在20年前提出的。當(dāng)時(shí)，加拿大阿爾伯塔省某處發(fā)現(xiàn)了十幾只霸王龍的遺骸。后來(lái)，美國(guó)蒙大拿州又發(fā)現(xiàn)了另一個(gè)這樣的霸王龍集體死亡遺址。這次，在美國(guó)猶他州南部發(fā)現(xiàn)的遺址再次表明，霸王龍是在同一地點(diǎn)死亡的。

Analysing the bones and rocks, a team of palaeontologists from the University of Arkansas say it suggests the tyrannosaurs came together to prey on other animals, at least when times got tougher and resources were dwindling. 

來(lái)自美國(guó)阿肯色大學(xué)的一組古生物學(xué)家在分析了骨骼和化石后說(shuō)，這表明這些霸王龍?jiān)奂谝黄鸩妒称渌鼊?dòng)物，至少在生存艱難、資源日益減少的日子里是這樣的。

These conclusions add to mounting evidence that they may not so much have been lone predators, but hunted in packs like wolves, which makes them, as hard to imagine as that may seem, even more terrifying.

這些結(jié)論再次證實(shí)霸王龍可能并非離群索居的食肉動(dòng)物，而是像狼一樣成群結(jié)隊(duì)地捕食，簡(jiǎn)直想不到霸王龍還可以比我們?cè)鞠胂蟮酶膳隆?

詞匯表

tyrannosaurs 霸王龍
social 善于交際的，合群的
creatures 生物，動(dòng)物
palaeontologists 古生物學(xué)家
prey on 捕食
dwindling 減少，縮小
predators 食肉動(dòng)物，掠食者
hunted 捕獵
packs （一同生活、獵食的動(dòng)物）群
terrifying 可怕的，嚇人的

閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問(wèn)題。

1. True or false? Tyrannosaurs have been thought to be social animals throughout history.

2. What does the site in southern Utah show?

3. After analysing bones and rocks, what conclusion was made by the team of palaeontologists from the University of Arkansas?

4. According to the speaker, what makes tyrannosaurs even more terrifying?

答案  

1. True or false? Tyrannosaurs have been thought to be social animals throughout history.
False. The theory that tyrannosaurs were social animals was first suggested 20 years ago. 

2. What does the site in southern Utah show?
The site in southern Utah shows that tyrannosaurs died in the same place. 

3. After analysing bones and rocks, what conclusion was made by the team of palaeontologists from the University of Arkansas? 
That tyrannosaurs came together to prey on other animals.

4. According to the speaker, what makes tyrannosaurs even more terrifying?
That they may not so much have been lone predators, but hunted in packs like wolves.