文章大意：本文是一篇新闻报道，南美洲国家秘鲁的古生物学家当地时间3月17日表示，在秘鲁一处沙漠中出土了3600万年前生活在海洋中的一头古老鲸鱼的化石遗骸，它是现代鲸的祖先和凶猛的海洋捕食动物，这种鲸鱼已灭绝。
1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Scientists in Peru have discovered the skull(颅骨) of an ancestor of modern-day whales. The fossilized skull is believed 1 (be) about 36 million years old. Researchers say the discovery suggests that the animal lived in an ocean once 2 (cover) Peru’s southern Ocucaje desert.
The scientists reported the skull was in good condition when 3 (dig) up last year. It has a series of long, pointy 4 (tooth), said Rodolfo Salas, chief of paleontology at Peru’s National University of San Marcos.
Scientists say the ancient mammal was a basilosaurus, which is in the cetacean(鲸目) family. The name basilosaurus means “king lizard(蜥蜴)” and the animal 5 (think) to have been about 12 meters long. But it was not a reptile(爬行动物) although 6 (it) long body might have moved like a large snake.
Salas called the animal “a marine monster” that may belong 7 a new species of basilosaurus. “When it was searching for its food, it 8 (sure) did a lot of damage,” he added.
Salas explained that when the ancient basilosaurus died out, its skull likely sank to the bottom of the ocean, 9 it was quickly buried and remained.
“Back during this age, 10 conditions for fossilization were very good in Ocucaje,” Salas said.
