Step by Step2000 第二册UNIT 12 News (III)

Unit 12 News (III)

A. tapescript:

1. An avalanche¹ is a large amout of ice, snow, earth, rock or other materials sliding down the side of a mountain or falling down a cliff.

2. A mudslide is a slow-mving mudflow that moves down a gradual slope.

3. An earthquake is the sudden release of strain energy in the earth’s crust resulting in waves of shaking that radiate outwards² from the earthquake source.

4. A cyclone³ is a storm or ystem of winds that rotates around a center of low atmospheric⁴ pressure, advances at a speed of about 30 to 50 kilometers an hour, and often brings heavy rain.

5. Hurricanes are tropical cyclones⁵ with winds that exceed 64 knots or 74 miles per hour and circulate about their centers in the western atlantic ocean.

6. A tornado⁶ is a violent destructive whirling wind usually accompanied with severe thunder, lightening, and torrents⁷ of rain, and commonly of short duration and small breadth.

7. A typhoon is a type of violent tropical storm with strong circular winds that exceed 74 mph. It happens especially in the pacific ocean.

8. A drought is a period of dryness especially when prolonged that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth.

9. A flood is a rising and overflowing⁸ of a body of water especially onto normally dry land.

10. A forest fire is a wild fire or an uncontrolled fire that is burning in frest, grass or other areas of vegetation.

1 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

2 outwards   

adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形

参考例句：

• Does this door open inwards or outwards?这门朝里开还是朝外开？
• In lapping up a fur,they always put the inner side outwards.卷毛皮时，他们总是让内层朝外。

3 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

4 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

5 cyclones   

n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风

参考例句：

• The pricipal objective in designing cyclones is to create a vortex. 设计旋风除尘器的主要目的在于造成涡旋运动。 来自辞典例句
• Middle-latitude cyclones originate at the popar front. 中纬度地区的气旋发源于极锋。 来自辞典例句

6 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

7 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。