英語聽力：美洲大平原-12

Because these two bull mammoths both had broken tusks, they could have fought at closer quarters than they would do normally. Twisting and turning, they became locked in a deadly embrace. Even more bizarre, this twist of fate then caused a third fatality. Beneath one mammoth's shoulder blade was the skull of a coyote, pressed into the ground.

While we can only speculate on just how the coyote died, it's likely it was scavenging around the decomposing carcasses, when one caved in and crushed it.

Coyotes are still on the plains today. They hunt their food as well as scavenge carcasses,but small live prey can be more trouble than large dead ones. Prairie dogs are always on alert and once a trespasser is spotted, the entire town vanishes into thin air.

Prairie dogs aren't really dogs at all. They're rodents but coyotes are full-blooded members of the canine clan and like all dogs, they sometimes hunt in groups to tackle bigger prey. Some prey, however, are just too big, even for a pack of coyotes.

But 13,000 years ago, there was another kind of canine hunter here, one that gave even the bison a run for their money. The wolf -- the ultimate pack hunter.

1 tusks

n.(象等動(dòng)物的)長牙( tusk的名詞復(fù)數(shù) );獠牙;尖形物;尖頭

參考例句：

The elephants are poached for their tusks. 為獲取象牙而偷獵大象。

Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地區(qū)則使用象牙、猴尾和鹽。 來自英語晨讀30分(高一)

2 fatality

n.不幸，災(zāi)禍，天命

參考例句：

She struggle against fatality in vain.她徒然奮斗反抗宿命。

He began to have a growing sense of fatality.他開始有一種越來越強(qiáng)烈的宿命感。

3 skull

n.頭骨;顱骨

參考例句：

The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.頭骨在15至25歲之間長合。

He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他從窗子摔了出去，跌裂了顱骨。

4 decomposing

腐爛( decompose的現(xiàn)在分詞 ); (使)分解; 分解(某物質(zhì)、光線等)

參考例句：

The air was filled with the overpowering stench of decomposing vegetation. 空氣中充滿了令人難以忍受的腐爛植物的惡臭。

Heat was obtained from decomposing manures and hot air flues. 靠肥料分解和煙道為植物提供熱量。

5 prey

n.被掠食者，犧牲者，掠食;v.捕食，掠奪，折磨

參考例句：

Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉強(qiáng)食。

The lion was hunting for its prey.獅子在尋找獵物。

6 trespasser

n.侵犯者;違反者

參考例句：

The worst they'd ever dealt with was an occasionally trespasser or small-time thief. 他們過去對付的充其量是一個(gè)偶爾闖入者或是小偷小摸者。

In such event the offending member or guest shall be trespasser. 在此情況下，違例的會(huì)員或嘉賓一概視作擅自進(jìn)入論。

7 spotted

adj.有斑點(diǎn)的，斑紋的，弄污了的

參考例句：

The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商從一群200頭牛中選出有斑點(diǎn)的牛。

Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯積了有斑點(diǎn)的短襪。

8 rodents

n.嚙齒目動(dòng)物( rodent的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )

參考例句：

Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 嚙齒目動(dòng)物傳播疾病，常被當(dāng)作害蟲對待。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》

Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生嚙齒動(dòng)物也是儲(chǔ)毒者。 來自辭典例句

9 canine

adj.犬的，犬科的

參考例句：

The fox is a canine animal.狐貍是犬科動(dòng)物。

Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草動(dòng)物的犬牙很小或者沒有。

10 clan

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

參考例句：

She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的輩分比我小。

The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中國的基督徒簡直是被逐出了自己的家族了。