练习材料

Lesson 26-1 The past life of the earth

It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.

But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them. After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided.

/ˈlɛsən/ 26-1 /ðə/ /pæst/ /laɪf/ /ʌv/ /ði/ /ɜrθ/

/ɪt/ /ɪz/ /ˈænəməlz/ /ænd/ /plænts/ /wɪʧ/ /laɪvd/ /ɪn/ /ɔr/ /nɪr/ /ˈwɔtər/ /huz/ /rɪˈmeɪnz/ /ɑr/ /moʊst/ /ˈlaɪkli/ /tu/ /bi/ /prəˈzɜrvd/, /fɔr/ /wʌn/ /ʌv/ /ðə/ /ˈnɛsəˌsɛri/ /kənˈdɪʃənz/ /ʌv/ /ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən/ /ɪz/ /kwɪk/ /ˈbɛriəl/, /ænd/ /ɪt/ /ɪz/ /ˈoʊnli/ /ɪn/ /ðə/ /siz/ /ænd/ /ˈrɪvərz/, /ænd/ /səmˈtaɪmz/ /leɪks/, /wɛr/ /mʌd/ /ænd/ /sɪlt/ /hæv/ /bɪn/ /kənˈtɪnjuəsli/ /dəˈpɑzɪtɪd/, /ðæt/ /ˈbɑdiz/ /ænd/ /ðə/ /laɪk/ /kæn/ /bi/ /ˈræpədli/ /ˈkʌvərd/ /ˈoʊvər/ /ænd/ /prəˈzɜrvd/.

/bʌt/ /ˈivɪn/ /ɪn/ /ðə/ /moʊst/ favourable /ˈsɜrkəmˌstænsəz/ /ˈoʊnli/ /ə/ /smɔl/ /ˈfrækʃən/ /ʌv/ /ðə/ /ˈkriʧərz/ /ðæt/ /daɪ/ /ɑr/ /prəˈzɜrvd/ /ɪn/ /ðɪs/ /weɪ/ /bɪˈfɔr/ /dəˈkeɪ/ /sɛts/ /ɪn/ /ɔr/, /ˈivɪn/ /mɔr/ /ˈlaɪkli/, /bɪˈfɔr/ /ˈskævənʤərz/ /it/ /ðɛm/. /ˈæftər/ /ɔl/, /ɔl/ /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ /ˈkriʧərz/ /lɪv/ /baɪ/ /ˈfidɪŋ/ /ɑn/ /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ /ɛls/, /ˈwɛðər/ /ɪt/ /bi/ /plænt/ /ɔr/ /ˈænəməl/, /dɛd/ /ɔr/ /əˈlaɪv/, /ænd/ /ɪt/ /ɪz/ /ˈoʊnli/ /baɪ/ /ʧæns/ /ðæt/ /sʌʧ/ /ə/ /feɪt/ /ɪz/ /əˈvɔɪdəd/.