E
根据短文内容，从方框内所给的A、B、C、D、E五个选项中，选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，使文章内容完整且符合逻辑。
Canadian machine operator Shawn Funk was digging through the earth when he noticed something much harder than the rock around it.
54 It looks like a piece of art, but it's not. It's a fossilized(石化的) dinosaur—one of the most amazing finds ever found!
After 110 million years underground, it has turned to stone, from its snout(长鼻子) to its hips. Armor(硬壳) covers its neck and back. 55 Fossilized skin and scales(鳞) cover its body. Caleb Brown, a researcher at the museum, is amazed by the quality of the fossil(化石).
For paleontologists, a find like this is very rare. Usually, only the bones and teeth are preserved—softer parts like the skin and scales rarely get fossilized. 56 But why is this dinosaur fossil so different? Scientists have a theory.
57 It reached the sea, and after a week or so, the carcass sank to the ocean floor. Mud covered it and entered its skin, armor, and bones. After millions of years, this made the creature's body stonelike.
58 Its bones, for example, are under its skin and armor, and paleontologists need to find a way to reach them without destroying its body.

54. 55. 56. 57. 58.

54. B 55. A 56. C 57. D 58. E

【分析】
解题时需先通读全文，明确文章围绕Shawn Funk发现的恐龙化石展开，梳理每个空前后的语境，匹配选项内容。54空前文讲发现异常物品，后文介绍是化石，需承接发现后的情况；55空前文描述恐龙化石的硬壳特征，需匹配恐龙外形相关内容；56空前文强调化石保存极佳，需承接保存程度的描述；57空后文讲化石形成的过程，需匹配科学家的相关理论；58空后文提到研究化石的注意事项，需承接研究进展的内容。
【解析】
1. 54空：前文提到Shawn Funk发现了异常物品，后文说明这是化石，B选项“当地博物馆现在展示Funk的发现”，承接发现后的合理情况，故54选B。
2. 55空：前文描述恐龙化石的硬壳覆盖脖子和背，A选项“两个50厘米的尖从肩膀伸出来”，是恐龙的身体特征，符合对化石外形的描述，故55选A。
3. 56空：前文提到该化石保存极佳，软部分（皮肤、鳞）都有，C选项“恐龙保存得如此好，甚至有一点原始颜色”，承接保存程度的描述，故56选C。
4. 57空：后文说明恐龙尸体被洪水带到河里，D选项“他们认为恐龙的尸体被洪水带到河里”，是科学家对化石形成的理论，衔接后文的形成过程，故57选D。
5. 58空：后文提到需要找方法不破坏化石，E选项“科学家已经仔细研究了化石，但要花很多年才能知道所有秘密”，承接研究的情况，符合逻辑，故58选E。
【答案】
54.B 55.A 56.C 57.D 58.E
【知识点】
英语七选五、语篇逻辑、语境理解
【点评】
本题为英语阅读理解中的七选五题型，考查学生对语篇上下文逻辑和语境的把握能力，需结合前后文内容匹配选项，难度适中，是常见的英语阅读题型。
【难度系数】
0.5