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Researchers Make Initial 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predictions; Reasons Why Scientists Continue To Research The Red Planet.

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz for CNN 10. Welcome to our viewers around the world. This week we`re starting with a forecast for a

type of season that doesn`t begin until June 1st. Why are we looking so far ahead? Because the season we`re discussing is the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane

Season and there may be increased interest in this year`s forecast because last year`s season was a doozy.
 

doozy [ˋduzɪ] adj. 异乎寻常的东西；独特的事物

The Atlantic Hurricane Season covers main storms in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists have been keeping records

of these storms in these regions since 1851. Storms can form outside of the season and several did last year and a major record that was broken last

year was the total number of systems.

There were 30 named Atlantic storms in 2020. The previous record had been set in 2005 when there were 27 named storms. What`s interesting as far as

the names themselves go is that they`re only 21 of them pre-selected for each season.

So in 2005 and 2020, scientists used the letters of the Greek alphabet. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, for the storms that came after the first 21

names. They`re not going to do that again. Meteorologists announced this year that if the 21 original names get used up, a supplemental list with

more names will be used instead of the Greek letters.

Forecasting the number of hurricanes is kind of like forecasting the weather. It`s not an exact science. Last April for instance, Colorado State

University initially predicted there would be 16 named storms.

There turned out to be almost double that and there were seasons when the group initially predicted more storms than there turned out being. But

unlike the U.S. government which predicts a range in the number of hurricanes, Colorado State predicts a specific number

and CNN 10 Contributor Tyler Mauldin tells us what that is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYLER MAULDIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The Atlantic Hurricane Season is right around the corner Carl. Early predictions say it could be another busy one.

The six-month season runs from June 1st to November 30th. Researchers at Colorado State say this year will be above average in the preseason outlook.
 

preseason [priˋsizn] adj. 季节前的

outlook [ˋaʊt͵lʊk] n. 展望，前景

The team calls for 17 named storms. Eight of which will become hurricanes and four of those becoming major hurricanes. An average year would feature

14 named storms and seven hurricanes. This is based on the newly released 30-year averages from 1991 to 2020. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

will publish its prediction in May.

It`s important to note researchers are simply trying to forecast how many systems will form. A busy season doesn`t mean a lot of landfalls nor does a

quiet season mean fewer landfalls. A tropical system receives a name once it reaches a wind speed of 39 miles per hour.

A named tropical storm then becomes categorized as a hurricane when its winds hit 74 miles per hour. The intensity is measured on the Saffir- Simpson Wind Scale

which ranges from one, the weakest to five being the strongest. Here`s a look at this year`s names. Do you see yours on the list?


The names come from the World Meteorological Organization and are reused every six years. You can easily find the list for upcoming seasons on the

internet. If a storm is significant enough, the WMO will retire the name and replace it with a new one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. Which of these is not an active, current NASA mission to Mars? Reconnaissance Orbiter, Insight, Maven, or Sample Return.
 

reconnaissance [rɪˋkɑnəsəns] n. 侦察；勘察；事先考查

maven [ˋmevən] n.【口】专家；内行

The key word here is active. Mars Sample Return is a proposed mission but it hasn`t gotten off the ground yet.

Counting its rovers, its lander, its work with the European Space Agency and its orbiters. The spacecraft zipping around Mars, NASA says it
 

zip [zɪp] v. 有力而迅速地行动（或移动）

currently has eight active missions to the red planet.

On Monday morning, Earth time at 3:30 eastern, the small Ingenuity helicopter was set to make its first attempt to fly on the red planet if

all went according to plan. Factoring in its construction and operation, the drone cost $85 million.

One example of how expensive it is to experiment on Mars and critics of Mars exploration say NASA should focus on finding solutions to life on

Earth, instead of looking to establish new life or research on the red planet. But for scientists, the Mars allure is undeniable.
 

allure [əˋlʊr] n. 诱惑力，魅力

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mars. Its blood red color inspired the Romans to name it after their god of war. The ancient Egyptians called it the red one, the

Chinese, fire star. Now with NASA aiming to send humans to the planet in the 2030s, the question many have is why?

Mars is our second nearest celestial neighbor and the fourth planet from the sun. At its closest, it`s 30 million miles from Earth. It`s the second

smallest planet after Mercury yet has the largest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons. Mars has no known resources that would be valuable

enough to send back to Earth.

It`s bombarded by solar radiation and has dust storms that cover the entire planet which raises the question why governments and private enterprise are

spending billions of dollars on getting there. Perhaps the most intriguing reason is the search for extra-terrestrial life.
 

extra-terrestrial [ˋɛkstrə͵təˋrɛstrɪəl] adj. 地球外的；大气圈外的

In 1976, NASA`s Viking I became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. Onboard was apparatus designed to detect life. Chemical soil tests
 

apparatus [͵æpəˋretəs] n. 器械，仪器；设备，装置

were initially promising but doubts were raised and has since been discounted that life was discovered by Viking I.
 

discount [ˋdɪskaʊnt] v. 不全相信；怀疑地看待

Yet it`s still supercharged the debate on whether there was life beyond our planet and what it means for our place in the universe. Conditions on
 

supercharge [ˋsupɚ͵tʃɑrdʒ] v. increase or raise

Mars indicate life could have existed and in 2018, NASA`s Curiosity Rover found organic matter, like methane in rocks.

DR. JENNIFER EIGENBRODE, RESEARCH SCIENTIST, NASA: Organic molecules could be the food for life or they could be the product of life or maybe they`re

from something all together different such as geology or meteorites that were deposited into the lake.
 

meteorite [ˋmitɪər͵aɪt] n.【天】陨星；流星

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NASA`s Perseverance Rover, which touched down on the red planet February 2021 is actively testing for signs of life too. The samples

it collects are due to be returned to Earth for analysis in 2031. NASA`s model for hunting extra-terrestrial life has been follow the water and in

fact, water did once flow on Mars in abundance, enough to cover a fifth of the planet.

And the water still exists. Today, the planet`s two polar caps are largely made up of ice. If it melted, the water could flood the entire planet to a
 

polar cap 极冠; 极地冰盖

depth of 35 meters. The presence of water also makes the prospect of human settlements on Mars possible even though there are only small amounts on
 

prospect [ˋprɑspɛkt] n.（成功的）可能性；前景，前途

the surface.

As well as drinking it, NASA`s exploring using water as protection from solar radiation and as a possible fuel source. But Martian settlements
 

as well as: and in addition

won`t come cheap, in the 1960s and `70s, NASA`s Apollo program cost $280 billion.

NEIL ARMSTRONG, AMERICAN ASTRONAUT: That`s one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That hasn`t stopped people like SpaceX founder Elon Musk from pushing the idea.

ELON MUSK, FOUNDER, SPACEX: So history going to bifurcate on two directions. One -- one -- one path is we stay on Earth forever and there
 

bifurcate [ˋbaɪfɚ͵ket] v. 分枝；分叉

will be some eventual extinction event. The alternative is to become a space (inaudible) civilization and multi-planet species which I hope you do

agree that is the right way to go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Musk floated the idea of terraforming the red planet to make it more habitable. Even suggesting this could be achieved by dropping
 

terraform [ˋtɛrəˋfɔrm] v. 使..地球化

nuclear bombs on it. Historically, the idea of terraforming has been met with skepticism by members of the scientific community.
 

meet with: to encounter; experience

Many doubt there are enough resources on Mars to do it. Then there are all the other unexpected benefits of attempting to go to Mars. The last space

race brought a boom in technological innovation that gave us things like GPS, ear thermometers, camera phones, CAT scanners, athletic shoes and LEDs.
 

cat : computed axial tomography  

Perseverance Rover is just the latest in a series of missions to Mars that spans decades. And each new step towards the red planet has brought the

potential for better understanding of our own. There may not be a lot on Mars but it`s the unknown and the adventure of getting there that might

just merit the price tag.
 

merit [ˋmɛrɪt] v. 值得，应受

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: For 10 out of 10, this kind of thing might not attract much of a crowd in parts of Britain or Australia. But when officials shut down a

highway in Idaho for a rancher and 2,500 sheep to cross, well, this has become a tradition in the "Gem State".
 

Idaho [ˋaɪdə͵ho] n. 美国爱达荷州

rancher [ˋræntʃɚ] n. 牧场主; 牧场经理; 牧场工

Every year about this time, the rancher moves his flock from his farming community to the foothills near Boise so they can munch on grass there
 

foothills [ˋfʊt͵hɪlz] n. 山麓丘陵

munch [mʌntʃ] v. 咯吱咯吱地咀嚼；津津有味地嚼[（+away/at/on）]

through the summer. Highway 55 stands in their way. So with the help of handlers and some working dogs and under the watchful eyes of excited
 

handler [ˋhændlɚ] n. 驯兽师；（尤指）驯狗师; one who trains or exhibits an animal, such as a dog.

watchful [ˋwɑtʃfəl] adj. 戒备的；注意的

onlookers, the flock makes its way to greener pastures.

Well why not? It`s a sight to "sheep". Of course, folks are going to make "Bo Peep" about it. Of course, some might think the animals are on the

"lamb" and want to "lamb baste" someone for this. But the rancher`s not trying to pull the "wool" over anyone`s eyes.

He just wants to "flock" to where the grass is greener to keep his sheep in "sheep shape". It`s really not a "baaaaaaaad" idea. Hey, one to give a

shout out to Creekside High School today. The one in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Thank you for your comment on You Tube. I`m Carl Azuz

for CNN.

END