據(jù)專家介紹，在英國威爾士中部發(fā)現(xiàn)了世界上最重要的化石沉積層之一。新發(fā)現(xiàn)的化石數(shù)量多，遺址位于波伊斯郡蘭德林多德威爾斯附近。為了開展工作，研究人員不得不籌資購買顯微鏡設(shè)備。

Researchers at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales – found the fossils in rocks which were laid down under the sea more than 460 million years ago when mid Wales was covered by an ocean. They say more than 170 species were uncovered at a secret location on private land.

威爾士國家博物館的研究人員們在4.6億多年前威爾士中部被海洋覆蓋時埋在海底的巖石中發(fā)現(xiàn)了這些化石。研究人員說，他們在私有土地上的一個秘密地點發(fā)現(xiàn)了170多個物種的化石。

The fossils include many soft-bodied creatures, where soft tissue and complete organisms have been preserved, rather than just shells and bones. That's extremely rare. In fact, there's only one other Ordovician site in the world which preserves close to this level of detail – in Morocco.

這些化石包括多種軟軀體生物，化石中的軟組織和完整有機體均得以保存，而不僅僅是生物的外殼和骨骼，這實屬罕見。事實上，世界上只有一處奧陶紀(jì)遺址化石存留下了接近這種程度的細節(jié)，該遺址位于摩洛哥。

Researchers say the discovery is important as it gives a fresh insight into how life evolved during this period.

研究人員說這一發(fā)現(xiàn)的意義重大，因為它為研究這一時期的生命進化方式提供了新的見解。

詞匯表

fossils 化石
soft-bodied 軟軀體的
tissue （動植物的細胞）組織
organisms 有機體，生物
Ordovician 奧陶紀(jì)的
insight 了解，深刻見解

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. What covered this part of Wales 460 million years ago?

2. Where exactly were these fossils discovered?

3. Why is this discovery of fossils extremely rare?

4. What do researchers think this discovery tells us about life during this period?

答案

1. What covered this part of Wales 460 million years ago?

Mid Wales was covered by an ocean during this period.

2. Where exactly were these fossils discovered?

We don't know. They were uncovered at a secret location on private land.

3. Why is this discovery of fossils extremely rare? 

This find is considered to be extremely rare because there are many soft-bodied  creatures, where soft tissue and complete organisms have been preserved,  rather than just shells and bones.

4. What do researchers think this discovery tells us about life during this period?

Researchers believe it gives a fresh insight into how life evolved during this period.