科学家表示，他们在英格兰诺森伯兰郡的一片海滩上发现了有史以来最大的巨型千足虫（又称 “马陆”）化石，该发现纯属偶然。

The fossil was discovered when a boulder fell and cracked open at Howick Bay in Northumberland. It revealed a 75cm-long section of what's now been identified as an Arthropleura, a giant millipede that lived more than 300 million years ago.

这块化石是在诺森伯兰郡豪威克湾的一块巨石坠裂时被发现的。巨石中露出了一段75厘米长的化石，现已被鉴定为节胸蜈蚣，是一种生活在三亿多年前的巨型千足虫。

Researchers at Cambridge University say that the whole creature would have been about 2.7 metres long ­­­­­­­– that's the same as a small car and could have weighed 50 kilos.

剑桥大学的研究人员指出，整个生物全长大约2.7米，与小汽车的长度相同，而且可能重达50公斤。

Given this Arthropleura's size, it's possible that it ate small invertebrates and even amphibians. Despite its incredible length and name, researchers say this giant millipede had fewer than a hundred legs.

鉴于这种节胸蜈蚣的体型，它很可能以小型无脊椎动物甚至两栖动物为食。尽管这种巨型千足虫的长度和名字很不可思议，但研究人员表示它其实只有不到100条腿。

词汇表

boulder 巨石
identified 被鉴定，被认出
creature 生物，动物
invertebrates 无脊椎动物
amphibians 两栖动物
incredible 不可思议的

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. What was the fossil found inside?

2. How long ago is it thought this millipede lived?

3. What did this millipede possibly eat?

4. True or false? Researchers think this millipede looked like a small car.

答案  

1. What was the fossil found inside?
The fossil was found inside a boulder that cracked open.

2. How long ago is it thought this millipede lived?
It's thought the millipede lived more than 300 million years ago.

3. What did this millipede possibly eat?
It's possible that it ate small invertebrates and even amphibians.

4. True or false? Researchers think this millipede looked like a small car.
False. Researchers thought it was the same length as a small car.