雅思听力在考试中占据着重要的地位，时常用听力材料来磨耳朵可以不断巩固大脑的英语语言能力。以下是雅思听力材料，您可以结合MP3和下方的原文及翻译进行听力学习。

听力原文及翻译

Although attempts were made to preserve the bodies of some of the birds, no complete specimen survives. In the early 17th century, four dried parts of a bird were known to exist. Of these, three have disappeared, so only one example of soft tissue from the dodo survives: a dodo head. 

尽管人们试图保存一些鸟类的尸体，但没有完整的标本留存下来。在 17 世纪早期，人们知道存在鸟类的四个干燥部分。其中三个已经消失，因此只有一个渡渡鸟的软组织样本留存下来：渡渡鸟头。

Bones have also been found, but there's only one complete skeleton in existence. This single dodo skeleton has recently been the subject of scientific research, which suggests that many of the earlier beliefs about dodos may have been incorrect. 

还发现了骨头，但只有一个完整的骨架存在。这具渡渡鸟骨架最近成为科学研究的主题，这表明许多早期关于渡渡鸟的看法可能是错误的。

For example, early accounts of the birds mention how slow and clumsy it was, but scientists now believe the birds' strong knee joints would have made it capable of movement which was not slow, but actually quite fast. 

例如，早期关于这种鸟类的记载提到它是多么缓慢和笨拙，但现在科学家认为这种鸟类强壮的膝关节使它能够移动，这种移动并不慢，实际上相当快。

In fact, one 17th-century sailor wrote that he found the birds hard to catch. It's true that the dodo's small wings wouldn't have allowed it to leave the ground, but the scientists suggest that these were probably employed for balance while going over uneven ground.

事实上，一位 17 世纪的水手写道，他发现这种鸟很难捕捉。渡渡鸟的小翅膀确实不允许它离开地面，但科学家们认为，这些翅膀可能是用来在不平坦的地面上行走时保持平衡的。

Another group of scientists carried out analysis of the dodo's skull. They found that the reports of the lack of intelligence of the dodo were not borne out by their research, which suggested the bird's brain was not small but average in size. 

另一组科学家对渡渡鸟的头骨进行了分析。他们发现，他们的研究结果与关于渡渡鸟智力低下的报道不符，他们认为渡渡鸟的大脑并不小，而是中等大小。

In fact, in relation to its body size, it was similar to that of the pigeon, which is known to be a highly intelligent bird. The researchers also found that the structure of the bird's skull suggested that one sense which was particularly well developed was that of smell. 

事实上，就其体型而言，渡渡鸟的大脑与鸽子相似，而鸽子是一种众所周知的高智商鸟类。研究人员还发现，渡渡鸟头骨的结构表明，一种特别发达的感觉是嗅觉。

So, the dodo may also have been particularly good at locating ripe fruit and other food in the island's thick vegetation.

因此，渡渡鸟可能还特别擅长在岛上茂密的植被中找到成熟的水果和其他食物。

以上就是本期的雅思听力练习，希望对您的听力水平有所帮助。您也可以访问网站主页，获取最新的英语学习资料，全方位提升英语能力。还可以加入听力课堂官方QQ群（243171310），与英语学习者共同交流！