英語聽力：長毛象王國-11

At its maximum, the ice covered nearly six million square miles. And in places, it was up to two miles thick. The ice blanket was punctuated only by occasional islands of rock, the peaks of the very highest mountains.

Though Beringia itself remained largely ice-free, it still felt the effects of the ice sheets. Cold, dry air flow down the glaciers and out across surrounding lands. The freezing dry winds blasting off the ice created conditions in which only grasses and other small plants would flourish. There were advantages: the wind also prevented snow from building up so grass remained accessible throughout the year. In such cold temperatures, this was a lifeline for the mammoths, bison and other grazers, which, in turn, sustained other beasts of Beringia.

Another widespread Beringian animal that depended on the ice age wind was the dull sheep. Dull sheep needed the snow to be blown clear from their winter grazing. And today they have the same priority. They are found only on the most exposed and wind-swept mountain slopes. In the autumn, dull rams, like the mammoths and the mask oxen, become focused on the urge to mate.

1 punctuated

v.(在文字中)加標點符號，加標點( punctuate的過去式和過去分詞 );不時打斷某事物

參考例句：

Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的講演不時被陣陣掌聲打斷。

The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 聽眾不時以陣陣掌聲打斷他的講話。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》

2 glaciers

冰河，冰川( glacier的名詞復數(shù) )

參考例句：

Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地帶沖出一條條山谷。

It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀麗的山峰。 來自英語晨讀30分(高一)

3 rams

n.公羊( ram的名詞復數(shù) );(R-)白羊(星)座;夯;攻城槌v.夯實(土等)( ram的第三人稱單數(shù) );猛撞;猛壓;反復灌輸

參考例句：

A couple of rams are butting at each other. 兩只羊正在用角互相抵觸。 來自辭典例句

More than anything the rams helped to break what should have been on interminable marriage. 那些牡羊比任何東西都更嚴重地加速了他們那本該天長地久的婚姻的破裂。 來自辭典例句