Mary Anning：the Fossil Hunter As a fossil（化石） scientist，Mary Anning made great contributions（贡献） to her field in the 19th century.Her name is now widely known in Britain and even Europe.But that was not always the case.
    Anning was a talented woman.She did not receive any proper education and taught herself geology（地质学） and paleontology（古生物学）.
    Anning grew up by the sea.At a young age，she showed great interest in studying the fossils along the coastline.Anning worked very hard.She went out in all weathers to search for fossils.At the age of 12，she uncovered a skeleton（骨架） that looked like a crocodile（鳄鱼）.Then，after ten years of tireless effort，she made an amazing discovery.It was a huge fossil of something that the world had never seen before.
    However，many of Anning's findings disagreed with theories that had been widely accepted.What's more，at that time，people had little respect for female scientists.Anning's findings were even published without her name.During her lifetime，the woman was never seriously considered to be a scientist.
    But such troubles didn't stop Anning from making more discoveries.The woman was still keen on studying all sizes and types of fossils alongside the sea.Her discoveries helped to prove the existence of some extinct（已灭绝的） animals.They formed the basis for Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species（《物种起源》）.
    In recent years，more and more people have come to realize the importance of Anning's work.She is now listed among the top ten British women who have greatly affected the history of science.Anning was an ambitious and hard-working woman in history.She deserves to be remembered.

（1）Mary Anning was a fossil scientist，wasn't she？

Yes，she was.

Yes，she was.

（2）How did Mary Anning learn geology and paleontology？

She taught herself.

She taught herself.

（3）What happened to her at the age of 12？

She uncovered a skeleton that looked like a crocodile.

She uncovered a skeleton that looked like a crocodile.

（4）When did she discover that the skeleton was a huge fossil of something that the world had never seen before？

At the age of 22.

At the age of 22.

（5）What did her discovery help to prove？

The existence of some extinct animals.

The existence of some extinct animals.

（6）If you have a chance to interview Mary Anning，what question would you like to ask her most？Why？

What made you ambitious？Because she was ambitious，I want to know her real idea.

What made you ambitious？Because she was ambitious，I want to know her real idea.