Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Dinosaurs

Scientists learned about the existence of dinosaurs about one hundred and fifty years ago. An English doctor and his wife first opened the door to this zoological study. Scientists thought that these reptiles were rather dangerous, and they formed the word «dinosaur» from two Greek words: «deimos» (terrible) and «sauros» (lizards).

After studying dinosaurs for many years, scientists believe that these animals lived on the Earth for millions of years and disappeared about sixty million years ago. Not all dinosaurs were meat eating; many of them were vegetarians.

Studying the bones of these beasts, scientists have reconstructed skeletons. They have learned a lot about the dinosaurs’ living conditions. They have learned that dinosaurs inhabited not only land, but also water and sky.

Topical Vocabulary

a dinosaur
динозавр
- a scientist
ученый
the existence of dinosaurs
существование динозавров
opened the door to this zoological study
зд.: открыли новое направление зоологических исследований
a reptile
рептилия
a lizard
ящерица
- to disappear
исчезнуть
meat-eating
плотоядный
a vegetarian
травоядный
a beast
животное
to reconstruct a skeleton
воссоздать скелет
living conditions
условия жизни
to inhabit smth.
населять что-либо

Answer the questions:

  1. When did scientists learn about the existence of dinosaurs?
  2. Why were the reptiles called dinosaurs?
  3. When did dinosaurs live?
  4. What have scientists learned about dinosaurs?

Translate into English:

  1. Когда ученые узнали о существовании динозавров, они думали, что эти рептилии опасны.
  2. Среди динозавров были и хищные, и травоядные.
  3. Динозавры населяли землю, воду и небо.
  4. Ученые воссоздали скелеты динозавров и изучили условия их существования.