SKH Leung Kwai Yee Secondary School
Form Six Biology Reading Scheme (1)
TITLE:
Dinosaurs and Birds
A debate has continued in the scientific community concerning the (1) ancestors of
modern birds. Some scientists believe birds developed from the ancient creatures called (2)
dinosaurs. Others believe birds developed separately.
A recent discovery seems to support the idea that birds developed from dinosaurs.
Nature magazine has published a report by Chinese and American researchers. It
describes the first clear evidence of a dinosaur with feathers. Ji Qiang of the Chinese (3)
Academy of (4) Geological Sciences in Beijing and Mark Norell of the American Museum of
Natural History in New York wrote the report.
（5）Fossils are the mineral remains of bones buried millions of years ago. The fossil
of a feather-covered dinosaur was discovered in Liaoning Province in northeastern China.
Several fossils of dinosaurs with feathers have been found in this area of China. But, it is not
always easy to confirm fossil discoveries.
Last year, we reported that a fossil dinosaur with feathers was found to be false. But,
this most recent discovery appears to be (6) confirmed.
The dinosaur was about a meter long. It walked on two legs and had a feather-like
covering all over its body. The small dinosaur did not have wings and could not fly. But
some of its bone structure was similar to that of birds. The animal lived about one- hundredthirty- million years ago.
Hans-Dieter Sues of the Royal Ontario Museum in (7) Toronto, Canada says the fossil
evidence shows that non-flying dinosaurs had a feather covering. Mister Sues says the most
recent fossils (8)provide strong evidence that birds developed from dinosaurs.
Both Chinese and American researchers now believe that feathers developed to keep
dinosaurs warm. They believe that some dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded like
mammals and birds are today. For many years, （9）paleontologists studying dinosaurs
have thought that some dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded. Now the confirmed
discovery of a non-flying dinosaur with feathers appears to support that theory.
The theory that feathers covered many dinosaurs requires a great change in the way
we imagine those ancient creatures. In the Latin language, "dinosaur" means "terrible
（10）lizard." Instead, dinosaurs may have looked like terribly large birds.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Mario Ritter.
注释：
(1) ancestor 祖先, 祖宗
(2) dinosaur 恐龙
(3) academy (高等)专科院校, 研究院
(4) geological 地质学的, 地质的
(5) fossil 化石的, 陈腐的
(6) confirmed 证实的, 惯常的
(7) Toronto 多伦多（加拿大）
(8) provide 供应, 供给
(9) paleontologist 古生物学家
(10) lizard [动]蜥蜴
Questions:
1. What is a fossil? How does it form?
2. What characteristic in the newly found fossil has attracted attentions of
scientists.
3. Briefly describe the structures in such fossil that relate to the dispute
of the ancestor of a bird.
4. Suggest a reason that scientists think about the function of feathers
covering on the fossil dinosaur.
5. Based on evidence in the essay, write out the pros and cons opinions of
your own about the dispute whether the dinosaur is the ancestor of a bird.