火山還是行星撞擊
Long ago, Earth was ruled by dinosaurs, but they disappeared without a trace around 66 million years ago.
很久以前，恐龍主宰著地球，但牠們在6,600萬年前消失得無影無蹤。
rule(v.)統治;支配disappear(v.)消失without a trace=無影無蹤
What led to this sudden extinction?
究竟是什麼導致這場突如其來的滅絕？
lead to=導致…extinction(n.)滅絕;絕種extinct(v.)滅絕;絕種endanger(v.)瀕臨絕種
A common explanation you may have heard is the meteor theory, which suggests that a meteor hit the planet, causing gas, dust and other material to fill the atmosphere and drastically change the climate.
你常聽到的說法可能是「行星撞擊說」，該理論推測一顆行星撞擊地球，造成氣體、塵埃與其他物質充滿在大氣層中並造成氣候劇變。
common(adj.)常見的;普遍的meteor(n.)流星;行星theory(n.)學說;理論cause … to RV=導致…drastically(adv.)驟然;大幅度地;劇烈地
Two key pieces of evidence are a large crater in Mexico and a high amount of the metal iridium found in Earth’s crust.
兩大關鍵證據是墨西哥的隕石坑以及在地殼中發現大量的銥。
evidence(n.)證據crater(n.)(火山口的)坑crust(n.)地殼
Iridium is rare in Earth’s crust, but it is common in meteors.
銥在地殼中的含量極低，但常見於行星中。
rare(adj.)罕見的;稀少的=unusual
Another theory is that volcanic eruptions killed the dinosaurs.
另一派學說主張火山爆發殺死了恐龍。
volcano(n.)火山volcanic(adj.)火山相關的eruption(n.)爆發;噴發erupt(v.)爆發
More than 200,000 square miles of volcanic rock in India dates back around 60 to 65 million years ago.
印度超過20萬平方英里的火山岩便可追溯到6,000至6,500萬年前。
date(v.)推算日期;確定年份
This level of volcanic activity would have resulted in carbon dioxide and other gases covering the skies and completely changing Earth’s climate.
這種程度的火山活動可導致二氧化碳與其他氣體遮蔽天空，並徹底改變地球的氣候。
result in=造成;導致completely(adv.)徹底地;完全地
Increasingly, scientists are leaning towards a combination of these theories, and it’s possible that dinosaurs were the unlucky victims of two natural disasters.
科學家越來越傾向結合這兩種學說，而恐龍可能是這兩起自然災害中運氣不好的受害者。
lean towards sth.=傾向於······;對某事感興趣combination(n.)結合;混合it is possible that…=引導某個可能性victim(n.)受害者;罹難者natural(adj.)天然的;非人為的disaster(n.)災難