Video: The Dangerous Life of Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs were the rulers of our planet millions of years ago. They dominated all type of wildlife and nothing seemed to threaten them. BUT…nature is stronger than everything else – animals, plants, humans… When nature decides, it can obliterate everything in its path.

Dictation time! I lo-lo-love dictations!

 Watch THIS VIDEO and then fill in with the word(s) you hear (vocabulary: animals)

....In one small valley, there is the stench of death.

Unwittingly, the Tyrannosaurus has been drawn into a natural trap. __________  vents are producing poisonous ______ _______, and because it is _______ than _____, it has formed a suffocating layer close to the ________. The giant predator stands above the layer, but as he puts his head down to feed on one of the corpses, he begins to feel the ________ of gas himself. If he topples over now, he will never _____ ____.

Eventually, his sheer size is his salvation. As he stands up with his prize, his head just clears the _____ layer. There are still _________ of greenery between the barren lava flows. In the warm, moist ________ of the late Cretaceous, the _________ has transformed. Instead of conifers, broad-leaved _______ fill the forest canopy.

Driving this quiet revolution among the ________ is the remarkable evolution of _______. Their secret lies in their intimate relationship with _________, this is now so close that some flowers can only be pollinated by insects and some insects, like __________, can only feed on ________. Among these new plants, the _______ are flourishing, and their calls form an ever-present chorus.

Millions of years of ________ have also created intimate relationships among different types of dinosaurs. Especially the delicate balance between _________ and _______. One dinosaur that specialises in ________ is the extraordinary Ankylosaurus. They are evolved to withstand attack even from _______ predators like Tyrannosaurus. At seven tonnes, Ankylosaurus are so heavily armoured that even their eyelids are hardened. And if that wasn't ________, they have a formidable club on the end of their ________. Sadly, not even these magnificent ________ have any defence against the natural forces that are suffocating their world.

Glossary:

to threaten - amenazar

stench – peste

trap – trampa

vent – respiradero

poisonous – venenoso

layer – capa

to feed – alimentarse

to topple – caerse

sheer size – gran tamaño

greenery – zonas verdes

fill – llenar

to withstand – resistir

eyelid – párpado

to harden - endurecer

club -  porra  (...)