vocabulary
cloud of dust/smoke/gas etc: a mass of dust, smoke etc in the air, or a large number of insects flying together.
interstellar: happening or existing between starst.
stromatolite: 叠层石
mound: a pile of earth or stones that looks like a small hill./a large pile of something
photosynthesising bacteria: 光合细菌
intriguingly: something that is intriguing is very interesting because it is strange, mysterious, or unexpected.
in question: the things, people etc in question are the ones that are being discussed.
if something is in question, there is doubt about it.
swathe: a long thin area of something, especially land.
swathe of…
cut a swathe through something: to destroy a large or part of something.
hudson bay: 哈德森湾
lava: hot liquid that flows from a volcano, or this rock when it has become solid.
outcrop: a rock or group pf rock above the surface of this ground. 露头
jasper: a red, yellow, or brown stone that is not very valuable. 碧玉
quartz: 石英砂
nodule: (尤指植物上的)节结，小瘤
micron: a metric unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter. 微米
rostte-shaped: 玫瑰形
conclusive: showing something is definitely ture.
conclusive proof/evidence/findings etc.
hematite: 赤铁矿
flament: 细丝
anchor: to fasten something firmly so that it cannot move.
be anchored in something: to be strongly connected with a particular system, way of life.
lump: a small piece of something solid, without a particular shape.
a lump in/to somebody’s throat: a feeling that you want to cry.
take your lump(AmE): to accept the bad things that happen and not let them affect you.
corkcrew: 螺旋
contend: to argue or stte that something is true. contend that
to compete against something in order to gain something. contend for
to have to deal with something difficult or unpleasant. contend with something
hydrothermal vent: 深海热泉
plate tectonics: 板块构造论
laden: heavily loaded with something, or containing a lot of something
having a lot of a particular quality, thing etc.
mineral-laden: 富含矿物质的
crenellated: 钝锯齿形的
spurt: if liquid or flames spurts from something, they come out of it quickly and suddenly.
coiled：圈状的
branching: 分支的
remnant: a small part of something that remains after the rest of it has been used, destroyed, or eaten.
a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists
a small piese of cloth left from a larger ad solid cheaply..
plausible: reasonable and likely to be true or successful
pore: one of the small holes in your skin that liquid, especially sweat, can pass through, or a similar hole in the surface of a plant.
doubly: much more than usual
in two ways or for two reasons.
microscopic pore: 微孔
cell wall: 细胞壁
strike: the discovery of something valuzble under the ground
a conspious success
two/three strikes against somebody/something: a condition or situation thatmakes it extremely difficult for someone or something to be successful.
in somebody’s favour: is something is in someone’s favour, it gives them an advantage over someone else.
palaeobiologist: 古生物学家
well up: if a liquid wells or wells up, itcomes to the surface of something ans starts to flow out.
if a feeling wells or wells up in you, you start to feel it strongly.
crust: 外壳
one-off: something that is done or made only once.
confine something to something: to keep something within the limits of a particular activity or subject.
phrases
the signature of living organism. 活体生物的迹象
that made him sit up: 这让它为之一振
bear more than a passing resemblance: 有许多相似之处
well-preserved fossil remnants of these microbes: 保存完好的微生物遗迹
play host to life: 是生物体的寄主/生命体寄宿在…
fierce scrutiny: 严苛的检查
convert sunlight into sugar: 把光转化成糖
