HOWLIFEBEGANONTHEEARTH

　　Nooneknowsexactlyhowtheearthbegan,asithappenedsolongago.However,accordingtoawidelyacceptedtheory,theuniversebeganwitha"BigBang"thatthrewmatterinalldirections.Afterthat,atomsbegantoformandcombinetocreatestarsandotherbodies.

　　Forseveralbillionyearsafterthe"BigBang",theearthwasstilljustacloudofdust.Whatitwastobecomewasuncertainuntilbetween4.5and3.8billionyearsagowhenthedustsettledintoasolidglobe.Theearthbecamesoviolentthatitwasnotclearwhethertheshapewouldlastornot.Itexplodedloudlywithfireandrock.Theywereintimetoproducecarbon,nitrogen,watervapourandothergases,whichweretomaketheearth'satmosphere.Whatisevenmoreimportantisthatastheearthcooleddown,waterbegantoappearonitssurface.

　　WaterhadalsoappearedonotherplanetslikeMarsbut,unliketheearth,ithaddisappearedlater.Itwasnotimmediatelyobviousthatwaterwastobefundamentaltothedevelopmentoflife.Whatmanyscientistsbelieveisthatthecontinuedpresenceofwaterallowedtheearthtodissolveharmfulgasesandacidsintotheoceansandseas.Thisproducedachainreaction,whichmadeitpossibleforlifetodevelop.

　　Manymillionsofyearslater,thefirstextremelysmallplantsbegantoappearonthesurfaceofthewater.Theymultipliedandfilledtheoceansandseaswithoxygen,whichencouragedthelaterdevelopmentofearlyshellfishandallsortsoffish.Next,greenplantsbegantogrowonland.Theywerefollowedintimebylandanimals.Somewereinsects.Others,calledamphibians,wereabletoliveonlandaswellasinthewater.Laterwhentheplantsgrewintoforests,reptilesappearedforthefirsttime.Theyproducedyoungentirelybylayingeggs.Afterthat,somehugeanimals,calleddinosaurs,developed.Theylaideggstooandexistedontheearthformorethan140millionyears.However,65millionyearsagotheageofthedinosaursended.Whytheysuddenlydisappearedstillremainsamystery.Thisdisappearancemadepossibletheriseofmammalsontheearth.Theseanimalsweredifferentfromalllifeformsinthepast,becausetheygavebirthtoyoungbabyanimalsandproducedmilktofeedthem.

　　Finallyabout2.6millionyearsagosomesmallcleveranimals,nowwithhandsandfeet,appearedandspreadallovertheearth.Thustheyhave,intheirturn,becomethemostimportantanimalsontheplanet.Buttheyarenotlookingaftertheearthverywell.Theyareputtingtoomuchcarbondioxideintotheatmosphere,whichpreventsheatfromescapingfromtheearthintospace.Asaresultofthis,manyscientistsbelievetheearthmaybecometoohottoliveon.Sowhetherlifewillcontinueontheearthformillionsofyearstocomewilldependonwhetherthisproblemcanbesolved.

　　给分.