Superstorms: Humans vs. Nature 超级风暴：人定胜天？
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2008年10月15日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2012年2月11日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：322
课文朗读
课文讲解
Wind and rain rip through the city. Houses are torn apart by the force of the storm, and gigantic waves flood the streets. This is a terrifying reminder of the forces of nature, and a scene that will become more common in coastal cities as global warming worsens. But what if we had the power to control the weather? In the BBC’s drama series Superstorm, a group of scientists try to do just that.
狂风暴雨横扫整座城市。暴风摧毁房屋，巨浪淹没街道。这些骇人景象提醒了我们大自然的力量，而且将随着日趋严重的地球暖化而更频繁地出现。然而如果我们能够控制天气呢？在BBC剧集《超级风暴》中，一群科学家正企图这么做。
After the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the American government decides to start researching weather modification. It gathers a team of top meteorologists to work under the name Stormshield. Some of the Stormshield members are not convinced that it’s even possible to change the weather, but the thought of saving people from these terrible storms motivates them to try.
美国遭到卡翠娜飓风大肆破坏后，政府决定开始研究天气改造，并且以风暴盾计划的名义，召集一群顶尖气象学家进行研究。该计划的某些参与者不认为改变天气可行的，但拯救人们免受可怕飓风之害的想法，使他们产生尝试的动力。
As the hurricane season begins, a new storm much larger than Hurricane Katrina, named Hurricane Grace, starts heading towards Florida. Stormshield comes up with the idea to drop carbon particles into the air off the west coast of the U.S.A. This will cause the air to warm up and create a weather front that will cross America and collide with Hurricane Grace, deflecting it away.
飓风季节开始了，一个名为葛芮丝的飓风，比卡翠娜飓风还强大，正朝着佛罗里达州前进。风暴盾团队想出一个点子，也就是在美国西岸外海上空倾倒碳微粒，如此一来，气温便会上升且形成锋面，这道锋面将横越美国与葛芮丝飓风相撞，使飓风转向。
Vocabulary
单词发音
rip through something 迅猛地冲过 if something such as a fire, storm, or bomb rips through a place, it damages or destroys the place very quickly
gigantic [dʒaɪˋgæntɪk] adj. 巨大的，庞大的
terrifying [`tɛrəˏfaɪɪŋ] adj. 极其可怕的﹐骇人听闻的
devastation [͵dɛvəsˋteʃən] n. 毁坏
modification [͵mɑdəfəˋkeʃən] n. 改造
collide [kəˋlaɪd] v. 碰撞；相撞.[(+with)]
More Information
单词发音
meteorologist [͵mitɪəˋrɑlədʒɪst] n. 气象学者
motivate [ˋmotə͵vet] v. 给……动机；刺激；激发
come up with (针对问题等)想出; 提供 to think of, develop, or find something
front [frʌnt] n.【气】锋
deflect someone or something away 使...偏斜；使...转向 to divert someone or something away ; to cause someone or something to veer away
deflect [dɪˋflɛkt] v. 使偏斜；使转向
课文朗读
课文讲解
Stormshield’s plan has a drawback, though. The weather front they are creating will cause heavy rainstorms and flooding in certain southern states. The government is not happy about the possibility of flooding, but Stormshield manages to convince government officials that it’s worth the risk because of all the lives that will be saved in Florida.
不过风暴盾计划有个缺点。该计划所制造出来的锋面为南部数州带来豪雨，导致严重水灾。政府并不乐见此事发生。但风暴盾成员最后还是成功说服政府官员，使他们相信这项计划值得冒险，因为佛罗里达州有许多居民将因此获救。
As their plan takes shape, Stormshield notices another storm moving northwards. This storm is much smaller, but it is on course to collide with Hurricane Grace. This will cause Grace to change direction again and hit New York City. But, the Stromshield members have realized this too late and the government is already going ahead with the plan.
该计划成形时，风暴盾成员注意到另一个风暴正在北移。这个风暴比较小，但是其行进路径将与葛芮丝飓风相撞。这会造成葛芮丝飓风再度改变路径，转而侵袭纽约。然而当风暴盾成员注意到这一点时，为时已晚，政府正着手执行该计划。
As predicted, Hurricane Grace hits New York. With winds traveling at 275 kilometers per hour, houses are blown away. Surging waves flood the city, submerging cars and buildings beneath the water’s surface. Amidst the destruction, people seek shelter where they can, clinging to life and waiting for the storm to pass. Two members of Stormshield are killed in the storm, but the others survive. Now the question remains: have they learned their lesson?
一如所料，葛芮丝飓风重创纽约。时速高达275公里的暴风吹垮了房屋。来势汹汹的巨浪涌入城市，吞没了车辆和建筑物。在飓风造成这些破坏的同时，人们寻觅着任何可以躲避的地方，紧紧抓着求生的机会，等待这场风暴结束。风暴盾有两名成员在风暴中罹难，但是其他人活下来了。而今问题依旧存在：他们得到教训了吗？
−by Michael Evans
Vocabulary
单词发音
drawback [ˋdrɔ͵bæk] n. 缺点，短处，不利条件
manage [ˋmænɪdʒ] v. 设法做到；勉力完成[+to-v]
take shape 成形 to begin to be organized and specific
predict [prɪˋdɪkt] v. 预言；预料
submerge [səbˋmɝdʒ] v. 淹没
More Information
单词发音
rainstorm [ˋren͵stɔrm] n. 暴风雨
convince [kənˋvɪns] v. 使..确信，使..信服；说服
on course 在规定的行进路径中 going in the right direction or on the right route
go ahead 开始 to start or continue, often after obtaining permission
surge [sɝdʒ] v.（波涛的）汹涌
cling [klɪŋ] v. 紧握不放.[(+to)]
Reading Questions
1. According to the article, what is the purpose of the Stormshield project?
A. It teaches Americans how hurricanes form and get stronger.
B. It tries to find out possible ways to change the weather.
C. It researches ways to stop global warming.
D. It studies how to save people after huge storms hit the land.
2. What does Stormshield plan to do with Hurricane Grace?
A. It wants to make it disappear.
B. It tries to send it to another place.
C. It wants to change it into a weather front.
D. It attempts to reduce it to a less harmful storm.
3. Which of the following is true of the result of Stormshield’s plan?
A. It causes Hurricane Grace to move north and hit New York.
B. It draws Hurricane Grace to several southern states of the U.S.
C. It makes Hurricane Grace become a smaller storm, but doesn’t change its path.
D. It is opposed by the government because of its possible side effects.
4. This article is mainly about ______.
A. a weather experiment based on data about Hurricane Grace, which hit America recently
B. a news story which reports the damage that Hurricane Grace has caused
C. a story in which humans try to change the weather, but their plan results in disaster
D. a plan that allows scientists to move hurricanes wherever they want
Hurricane Grace Devastation - Superstorm - BBC
Government Decisions - Superstorm - BBC
Answer
|
1. ( B ) |
2. ( B ) |
3. ( A ) |
4. ( C ) |