同类 其他表示地理位置的单词还有：longitude 经度；altitude 高度
lava［'lɑ:və］n. 岩浆，熔岩
例句 1. The largest center of this area was seriously affected by a volcanic eruption with much of its agricultural land covered by lava. 该地区最大的中心受到了火山喷发的严重影响，大量的农田被火山岩浆覆盖。
2. The molten lava which flows out of volcanoes killed a mass of plants and animals. 从火山中流出的熔岩杀死了大量的动植物。
同义 magma（n. 熔岩）
layer［'ler］n. 层，层次
例句 1. It is not enough to supplement a thick layer of insulating blubber for whales. 这不足以为鲸鱼提供一个厚厚的隔热脂肪层。
2. The filling is a soft layer of wool which has already been cleaned. 填充物是一层已经清理过的柔软羊毛。
要点 layer虽然有“层次”的意思，但在托福阅读中通常取其“地层”的含义，比如：The gypsum layer contained tiny marine fossils。
leak［li:k］v.（使）渗出；（使）泄漏 n. 漏洞；泄露
搭配 leak out 泄露
例句 To study the changes in lake levels, what seeps into the lake from the groundwater and what leaks into the groundwater should be taken into consideration. 要研究湖泊水位的变化，从地下水渗入到湖中的水量以及从湖中渗出到地下水中的水量都要考虑进去。
leatherback［'leðərbæk］n. 棱皮龟，革龟
例句 An adult leatherback is double the size of the biggest sea turtles, so they will take longer time to cool their bodies off. 成年革龟的体型是最大的海龟的两倍，所以它们需要更长时间使身体冷却下来。
limestone［'laimstoun］n. 石灰石
搭配 limestone cave 石灰岩洞
例句 Water from limestone and sandstone aquifers is more suitable to drink than water from sand and gravel aquifers. 来自石灰岩和沙岩层的水比来自砂石和碎石层的水更适于饮用。
longitude［'lɑ:nʤətu:d］n. 经度；经线
搭配 longitude zone 经度带
例句 1. How to determine longitude was a problem that wasn't solved until the eighteenth century. 如何测量经度的问题直到18世纪才得以解决。
2. There are satellites that sending out signals and the signals containing important information that can be used to determine the longitude, latitude and elevation at any point on the Earth. 有许多卫星都在发射信号，而这些信号都包含着重要的信息，可以用来确定地球上任意一点的经纬度和海拔。
loose［lu:s］a. 松散的；不精确的；不牢固的；自由的
例句 A proportion of the total volume of loose sediment formed an empty space. 占总体积一定比例的松散沉积物形成了一个真空的空间。
同义 unstable（a. 不牢固的）
派生 loosen（v. 放松）；loosely（ad. 宽松地）
lump［lʌmp］n. 块；肿块 v. 将…归并在一起；形成块状
例句 When lumps of nebular dust were fused at extremely high temperatures and then quickly cooled, chondrules were formed. 当块状的星云尘埃在极高温下熔化，然后又被迅速冷却时，陨石球粒就会形成。
同义 piece（n. 块）
mammal［'mæml］n. 哺乳动物
例句 1. Around 90 percent of modern humans are right-handed, and human is the only mammal that uses one hand. 大约有90%的现代人是右利手，而人类是唯一有使用某只手习惯的哺乳动物。
2. Desert-adapted mammals have the capacity to live normally even they are in extremely dehydrated state. 适应了沙漠生活的哺乳动物拥有在极度脱水的情况下仍能正常生存的能力。
marine［mə'ri:n］a. 海的；海生的
搭配 marine animal 海洋生物
例句 1. The dead leaves of this plant are a kind of food for a wide variety of marine organisms. 这种植物的落叶对于很多种类的海洋生物而言是一种食物。
2. The coastal region has a wet gentle marine climate. 沿海地区有着湿润的温带海洋性气候。
maritime［'mæritaim］a. 海的；航海的；沿海的
例句 1. With the development of maps, navigational instruments and a maritime code of conduct, long distance navigation becomes possible. 地图、航海仪器以及海上行为准则的发展使远程航海成为可能。
2. The settling on the Pacific Islands is one of the greatest merits of maritime colonization in human history. 在太平洋岛屿上定居是人类海洋殖民历史上最伟大的壮举之一。
marsh［mɑ:rʃ］n. 沼泽，湿地
例句 1. Spartina is very suitable to the salt marshes, which plays a valuable role in stabilizing them and making them become highly productive marine habitats. 大米草非常适合在盐沼地生存，它在稳固水土并使盐沼地成为高产的海洋栖息地方面发挥着重要的作用。
2. The vegetation along the east coast is regarded valuable for its ability to stop erosion and deterioration of the marsh. 东海岸沿岸的植被因其防止沼泽侵蚀退化的能力而被认为很有价值。
同义 swamp（n. 沼泽）
matrix［'meitriks］n. 模型；基岩；基质；矩阵
搭配 extracellular matrix 细胞外基质
例句 The meteorite is a dark gray matrix which binds together small, spherical or irregular objects, formed from the interstellar cloud of gas and dust out of which the solar system was made. 陨星是由小的、球形的或不规则物体凝固而成的暗灰色基质，是由形成了太阳系的星际云气体和灰尘构成的。
meadow［'medou］n. 草地，牧场；低洼地
例句 The forest inhibits the growth of grass and other meadow plants, so the deer browses on other shrubs or herbs, for example huckleberry. 这片森林抑制了草和其他牧草植物的生长，所以这里的鹿只能以其他灌木或草本植物为食，比如越橘类植物。
melt［melt］v.（使）融化；（使）熔化；（使）消散
例句 If summer's high temperatures last for a long time, then all the snowfall from the previous winter will melt. 如果夏天高温持续很长一段时间，那么在之前一个冬天存留的积雪就会全部融化。
同义 dissolve（v. 使融化；使溶解）
merge［mə:rʤ］v. 合并，并入
例句 These interconnecting channels merged into larger, wider channels. 这些相互连接的渠道合并在一起，形成了更大、更宽的渠道。
要点 merge除了可以表示河水的汇流以外，也常用于表示公司或企业等的合并。
meteor［'mi:tiər］n. 流星
例句 1. A companion star with a long-period orbit may deflect other bodies from their normal orbits, making some of them fall to the Earth as meteors and causing widespread devastation with great impact. 一颗有着长周期轨道的伴星会使其他天体从它们正常的轨道中偏转，并使其中一些以流星的形式落在地球上，导致的巨大冲击会造成广泛的破坏。
2. Wind motion in the mesosphere could be observed by watching the trails of meteors passing through it. 通过观察流星穿过时留下的痕迹，可以观测到中间层风的运动。
meteorite［'mi:tiərait］n. 陨石
搭配 martian meteorite 火星陨石
例句 1. All these various constituents bind together to form chondritic meteorites that have the chemical compositions much like that of the Sun. 这些多种多样的成分凝固在一起构成粒状陨石，其化学成分和太阳十分相似。
2. Just as its name suggests, almost all iron meteorites are entirely consisted of metal. 正如其名称所表示的，几乎全部的铁陨星都是由金属构成的。
microscopic［ˌmaikrə'skɑ:pik］a. 用显微镜可见的；极小的
搭配 microscopic plant 微生植物；microscopic structure 显微结构
例句 Even now, microscopic meteorites constantly hit the Earth, falling on both land and sea at last. 即便是在今天，也不断有微型陨石撞击地球，最后落在地面上或者海里。
mine［main］n. 矿；地雷 v. 采矿；在…布雷
例句 The companies construct canals to transport coal and need surveyors to help them find the coal deposits that are worthy of mining, as well as determine the best courses for the channels. 这些公司建造运河来运煤，因此需要测量员来帮助他们找到值得开采的煤炭沉积位置，并决定运河流经的最佳路线。
派生 mining（n. 采矿）
mineral［'minərəl］n. 矿物，矿石 a. 矿物的，矿质的
搭配 mineral crystal 矿物晶体
例句 1. The researches have shown that certain minerals are required for the normal growth and development of the plants. 研究显示，一些特定的矿物对植物的正常生长发育是必需的。
2. The mineral content in groundwater commonly increases with depth, but even quite shallow aquifers might be highly saline. 地下水中的矿物质含量随着深度增加，但即便是浅含水土层也可能含有较高的盐分。
mud［mʌd］n. 泥，泥浆
搭配 volcanic mud 火山泥
例句 1. The remains of microscopic organism turned into petroleum once they were buried under mud. 一旦微生物被埋藏在泥土中，它的残骸就会变成石油。
2. Microscopic organisms settle to the seafloor and accumulate in marine mud, thus marine sediment was formed. 微生物生存于海底，并聚积在海底的淤泥之中，这样便形成了海洋沉积物。
mustard［'mʌstərd］n. 芥末；芥菜
搭配 cabbage mustard 芥兰；mustard family 十字花科
例句 Lots of members of the mustard family can be found in tropical and subtropical areas. 大多数十字花科成员可以在热带及亚热带地区找到。
mutualism［'mju:ʧuəlizəm］n. 共栖，互利共生
例句 Mutualism normally contains the interaction between two members of the same species. 共栖通常包括相同物种的两个成员间的相互作用。
要点 互利共生指的是两个物种生活在一起，并且双方都能从中获益的共生（symbiosis）现象。而如果将两者分开，则两者都无法生存。
nebula［'nebjələ］n. 星云
搭配 ring nebula 环状星云
例句 Chondrule must have been melted in a small air pocket of the nebula that makes it lose heat rapidly. 陨石球粒一定是在星云的小型气穴中熔化的，这个气穴会使它迅速失去热量。
要点 这个句子中的pocket不是“袋子”的意思，air pocket的意思是“气穴”。
nebular［'nebjulə］a. 星云的，星云状的
搭配 nebular spectrum 星云光谱
例句 The chondrites are truly lumps of nebular matter, probably similar in composition to the matter from which planets were assembled. 这些陨石球粒都是真正的星云物质，或许构成它们的物质与构成行星的物质十分相似。
nest［nest］n. 巢，窝 v. 做窝，筑巢
例句 For the green turtle, south beach is a meaningful nesting site. 对于绿海龟来说，南部海滩是非常重要的栖息地。
nestling［'nestliŋ］n. 雏鸟；尚未离巢的小鸟
搭配 nestling feather 新羽
例句 There is little benefit to get more food than it needs to survive for a nestling. 对于雏鸟来说，让它们得到比实际所需更多的食物几乎是没有好处的。
要点 与nestling类似的词语还有yearling，这个词也与年幼的动物有关，意为“一岁的动物”。
offspring［'ɔ:fspriŋ］n. 子孙，后代；（动物的）崽
例句 1. As these experiments state, begging apparently provides a signal of need that parents need it to be aware of which offspring needs to be fed. 这些实验表明，乞求的鸣叫提供了明显的需求信号，父母需要这些信号来判断哪一个幼崽需要喂食。
2. For the offspring of surviving rabbits, the virus was less deadly, and it caused less and less harm over the years. 对于现存的兔子后代来说，这种病毒的致死率越来越低，而且它引发的伤害也是逐年下降的。
同义 descendant（n. 后代）
orbit［'ɔ:rbit］n. 轨道 v.（绕…）做轨道运行
例句 Under the control of the Sun's gravitational force, every planet maintains an elliptical orbit, meanwhile all of them travel in the same direction. 在太阳的重力控制下，每个星球都有其自己的运行轨道，同时，这些星球也沿着同样的方向运动。
同义 track（n. 轨道）
orderly［'ɔ:rdərli］a. 有秩序的；整齐的 n. 勤务兵
例句 Because of the orderly nature of the solar system, most of the astronomers conclude that the planets formed at the same time and from the same material as the Sun. 由于太阳系有序的本质，大多数天文学家得出了这样的结论：星球都是在同一时间形成的，而且这些星球的构成物质与太阳是相同的。
organic［ɔ:r'gænik］a. 有机的；器官的
搭配 organic chemistry 有机化学；organic diseases 器官疾病
例句 Most people are aware that organic food is healthier because it is free from exposure to harmful chemicals. 许多人意识到有机食品更加健康，因为没有被有害化学物质污染。
要点 有机食品（organic food）是目前比较热门的话题，有机食品也叫生态食品，是目前国际上对无污染天然食品比较统一的说法。
organism［'ɔ:rgənizəm］n. 生物，有机物；有机体
搭配 aquatic organism 水生生物
例句 1. Not all the organisms were completely destroyed after death, some of their dead bodies would be fossilized. 不是所有的生物死亡之后都会被彻底毁灭，它们中的一些会形成化石。
2. All living organisms have to adjust to the environment when it has changed. 当环境发生变化之后，所有的生物都必须去适应。
orient［'ɔ:riənt］n.［O~］东方；东半球 v. 使适应；定位 a. 东方的
搭配 orient to/toward 以…为方向（目标）
例句 Experiments showed that this caged birds species cannot orient themselves in the direction of their migratory route. 实验表明，养在笼子里的这种鸟类在迁徙途中无法辨别方向。
派生 oriented（a. 定向的）
要点 托福阅读经常考查oriented作为“定向的；导向的”的意思，比如：child-oriented“以儿童为导向的”；与之对应地，disoriented则表示“分不清方向的”。
outflow［'autflou］n. 外流；流出量 v. 流出
搭配 oil outflow 溢油
例句 1. These outflow channels are perhaps the relics of the catastrophic flooding. 这些排水渠也许是灾难性大洪水的遗迹。
2. The inputs and outputs of rivers are important factors of measuring the discharges of each inflowing and outflowing stream and river. 河水的流入和流出量是测量每条内流或外流的溪流或河流的排水量的重要因素。
overcast［ˌouvər'kæst］a. 遮蔽的；阴天的 n. 阴天；遮蔽物；沮丧 v. 使阴暗；使沮丧
搭配 overcast sky 阴暗的天空
例句 The role of environment plays in birds' navigation is clear; on overcast days, birds use objects besides the Sun to orient themselves. 环境对于鸟类确定方向的作用十分明确。在阴天，鸟可以利用除太阳以外的物体来辨别方向。
overland［'ouvərlænd］a. 陆路的；经由陆路的；陆上的 ad. 陆上
搭配 overland flow 地表水流
例句 In the fourteenth century, political developments cut Europe's overland trade routes, with which Europe had important and highly profitable commercial ties since the twelfth century. 14世纪，政治的发展切断了欧洲的陆上商路，而这条商路自12世纪以来为欧洲建立了重要的高利润商业纽带。
overlie［ˌouvər'lai］v. 压在…上面；盖得使窒息
例句 In lowland country, almost any spots on the ground might overlie what was once the bed of a river that had been buried by soil. 在低地国家，几乎地上的任何一个地点下面都可能曾经是某条被土壤掩盖的河的河床。
pebble［'pebl］n. 小圆石，鹅卵石
例句 This example is made up of pebbles of gypsum and fragments of volcanic rock. 这个样品是由石膏和火山岩碎片组成的。
pellet［'pelit］n. 小团；小药丸；小弹丸
例句 When the ice pellets fall, the much smaller ice crystals in the center of the cloud may be struck by them. 当小冰丸落下的时候，云层中间那些更小的冰晶或许会被它们击中。
要点 -let这个后缀表示“小”，比如：booklet“小册子”，streamlet“小溪”等。在阅读中看到带有这个后缀的单词时，可以以此为依据猜测词义。
penetrate［'penətreit］v. 刺穿；渗透；洞察
例句 1. Some butterflies move into spots of sunlight that have penetrated the forest floor, displaying their beautifully patterned wings through opening and closing in the bright spotlights. 一些蝴蝶飞入穿过森林中的树木照射在地面上的光斑，在光亮里忽闪着展示它们带有图案的美丽翅膀。
2. In a microwave oven, radiation penetrates food, and then they are absorbed primarily by water molecules, causing heat to spread through the food. 在微波炉中，辐射穿透食物，然后主要被水分子吸收，这样可以使热量在食物中扩散。
同义 pierce（v. 刺穿）；apperceive（v. 洞察）
peninsula［pə'ninsələ］n. 半岛
例句 The lakes on the peninsula is the habitat of various kinds of wildlife. 这个半岛上的湖是多种野生动物的栖息地。
同义 byland（n. 半岛）
permeable［'pə:rmiəbl］a. 可渗透的，有浸透性的
例句 A rock is able to be neither porous nor permeable. 岩石既没有气孔，也没有渗透性。
petrifaction［ˌpetri'fækʃən］n. 石化；惊呆
例句 Petrifaction may contain a simultaneous exchange of the original substance of dead plants or animals with the mineral matter of different compositions. 石化可能包括已经死亡的植物或动物与含有不同成分的矿物质之间同时发生的原始物质交换。
同义 fossilization（n. 石化）
plain［plein］n. 平原 a. 清晰的；简单的；朴素的
例句 1. They are probably the paths taken by huge volumes of water that draining from the southern highlands into the northern plains. 大量的水可能正是经由这些路径从南部高地流入到北方平原的。
2. In a flat plains country, the scientist found moraines, which reminded him of the moraines found at the end of valley glaciers. 这名科学家在一个平原国家发现了堆石，这让他想到了在冰川谷尽头处发现的堆石。
3. Certainly, her carelessness made a mess of this plain job. 她的粗心确实把这项简单的工作搞砸了。
同义 grassland（n. 平原）；unadorned（a. 朴素的）
planet［'plænit］n. 行星
搭配 frozen planet 冰冻星球
例句 1. When speaking of a terrestrial and a Jovian planet, the most obvious difference is their size. 当谈到类地行星和类木行星时，它们之间最明显的差异是尺寸不同。
2. On Mars, all the water is contained in the permafrost layer, being locked under its surface now. 现在，火星上所有的水都包含在地表之下的永冻层中，被锁在其地表之下。
polar［'poulər］a.（南、北）极的；磁极的；截然对立的
搭配 polar bear 北极熊；polar expedition 极地探险
例句 As the snow line, the timberline is highest in the tropics areas and lowest in the polar regions. 如同雪线一样，树带界线在热带地区最高，在极地地区最低。
pollen［'pɑ:lən］n. 花粉
搭配 bee pollen 蜂花粉
例句 Pollinators obtain food from flowering plants, that makes the plants distribute pollen and seeds much more efficiently than just disperse them by the wind. 传粉者从开花植物那里获得食物，这使植物能够比仅靠风更加有效地传播花粉和种子。
pond［pɑ:nd］n. 池塘
例句 In hilly regions, all through a dry summer a pond maintains a steady water level, in spite of having no streams flowing into it. 在丘陵地区，尽管并没有溪水流入其中，池塘在整个干涸的夏季中也能保持一个稳定的水位。
porous［'pɔ:rəs］a. 有毛孔或气孔的；能渗透的
例句 1. Sedimentary rocks are porous, such as sandstones and conglomerates, and they are all potential sources of groundwater of great significance. 例如砂岩和砾岩等沉积岩都是可以渗透的，它们都是重要的潜在地下水资源。
2. Some bones are not porous enough to be effectively grafted. 有些骨头的渗透性不够强，因此无法对其进行有效的移植。
同义 leachy（a. 能渗透的）
prairie［'preri］n. 大草原
搭配 prairie landscape 草原景观
例句 The Columbian white-tailed deer, was common in the open prairie country in earlier times, but now it is restricted to the low, marshy islands and flood plains along the lower Columbia River. 哥伦比亚白尾鹿在早期辽阔的草原国家十分常见，如今它们的生活区域却被限制于低地、沼泽以及哥伦比亚河下游的洪泛平原地区。
precipitate［pri'sipiteit］v. 促成；降水；沉淀 n. 沉淀物
搭配 infusible precipitate 不溶性沉淀物
例句 A great deal of water was lost by evaporation, but it returned to the ocean when it was precipitated as rain. 大量的水因蒸发而流失，最后又以降雨的形式回到了海中。
precipitation［priˌsipi'teiʃn］n. 降雨量；沉淀
搭配 precipitation intensity 降雨强度
例句 There are many factors that influence the succession, such as the nature of the soil, exposure to sun and wind, regularity of precipitation, chance of colonizations, and many other random processes. 许多因素都会影响演替：比如土壤的本质、光和风的影响、降水规律、定居的机会，以及其他的随机过程。
