英语听力：自然百科 神奇水世界 Water-10

 The key was adaptation. Rain. A familiar occurrence in many parts of the world. But this is rain at its most extreme, the monsoon¹.

 

The significance of the monsoon isn't the human discomfort², but how the people here have learned to live with it. I'm travelling to the very epicenter of the monsoon, a place called Cherrapunji, which holds a world record for the highest rainfall in a single year.

 

Ah, a new rain. If you’re from west Scotland, you met rain before. But this is different. It's different rain. It’s hard to explain. It's the sheer intensity³ of it. It just comes barreling down. But also the raindrops are massive. In fact I could feel a leg cuff⁴ with them, which means it, within minutes, you’re just soaked. It's pointless with the hood⁵ on. I'm soaked. But I really need a broadly like this chap. Very wet. Wet. It's what is ..., it’s very slady.

 

Back in West Scotland where I'm from, the average annual rainfall is over 3 feet, and that might horrify⁶ a Californian, but here in Cherrapunji, the annual average rainfall is more than 10 times that, between 35 and 40 feet. That's nearly the height of a 4-storey building. Streams turn to rivers and rivers turn to torrents⁷.

 

When you live with so much water, you have to adapt, just to get around. And that's exactly what the local Kasi people have done.

 

Look at that. Isn't this fantastic? Look at it. It's a living bridge. You can see all these roots coming down. Texture⁸, beautiful. I mean this entire structure has built a growing rogger tree.

1 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

2 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

3 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

4 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

5 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

6 horrify   

vt.使恐怖，使恐惧，使惊骇

参考例句：

• His family were horrified by the change.他的家人对这一变化感到震惊。
• When I saw these figures I was horrified.我看到这些数字时无比惊骇。

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 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。