VOA慢速英语2021--希腊发现2000万年前化石树

Scientists in Greece Find 20-Million-Year-Old Tree

Greek scientists on the volcanic¹ island of Lesbos say they have found a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree.

The rare find was discovered during roadwork near an ancient forest on the eastern Mediterranean² island. The area was petrified³ millions of years ago.

Digging, or excavating⁴, at the site began in 1995. It is the first tree in the area to be found in such good condition complete with branches and roots, said Professor Nikos Zouros. He is with the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos.

The roots and branches of the tree were still unbroken after 20 million years. Zouros said it was a special find -- one that he had never seen before.

"It is a unique find," he said. "[It] is preserved in excellent condition. And from studying the fossilized wood we will be able to identify the type of plant it comes from."

The 15,000-hectare petrified forest of Lesbos is a protected site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO. The forest is the result of a volcanic eruption⁵ 20 million years ago. Lava⁶ from the volcano covered the island's ecosystem⁷, which at that time was subtropical forest.

The fossilized tree is about 19 meters long. It was preserved by heavy amounts of volcanic ash after it fell. A large number of fruit tree leaves also were found nearby. The trees and animal bones found in the same general area add to the history and understanding of life that once existed there.

"During the excavations⁸, the various forests that existed between 17 and 20 million years ago on Lesbos are being uncovered," said Zouros. He and his team plan to rebuild the "ecosystem that existed during that period."

For further study, he and his team transported the tree from the site using a special support system and metal structure.

Words in This Story

fossil – n. a trace or print or the remains⁹ of a plant or animal of a past age preserved in earth or rock : fossilized – adj. having been changed into a fossil

petrified – adj. used to describe something (such as wood) that has slowly changed into stone or a substance like stone over a very long period of time

branch – n. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk

unique – adj. very special or unusual

preserved – v. to keep alive, intact, or free from decay

lava – n. molten rock that issues from a volcano or from a fissure¹⁰ in the surface of a planet (such as earth) or moon

eruption – n. the bursting out of material from a volcano

subtropical – adj. of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone

1 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 excavating   

v.挖掘( excavate的现在分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• A bulldozer was employed for excavating the foundations of the building. 推土机用来给楼房挖地基。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A new Danish expedition is again excavating the site in annual summer digs. 一支新的丹麦探险队又在那个遗址上进行一年一度的夏季挖掘。 来自辞典例句

5 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

6 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

7 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

8 excavations   

n.挖掘( excavation的名词复数 )；开凿；开凿的洞穴（或山路等）；（发掘出来的）古迹

参考例句：

• The excavations are open to the public. 发掘现场对公众开放。
• This year's excavations may reveal ancient artifacts. 今年的挖掘可能会发现史前古器物。 来自辞典例句

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 fissure   

n.裂缝；裂伤

参考例句：

• Though we all got out to examine the fissure,he remained in the car.我们纷纷下车察看那个大裂缝，他却呆在车上。
• Ground fissure is the main geological disaster in Xi'an city construction.地裂缝是西安市主要的工程地质灾害问题。