Southern California Wildfires

By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: November 1, 2003

This is Steve Ember with In the News, from VOA Special English.
Thousands of firefighters from around the United States are battling the wildfires in Southern California. The fires are spread from the Mexican border north more than two-hundred kilometers to Los Angeles, and beyond. Around three-hundred-thousand 1)hectares have burned. Officials say the fires are the most 2)destructive¹ in state history.
The fires began last week. At least twenty people have been killed. More than two-thousand homes have been destroyed. Officials say crews could find more bodies when they inspect the ruins. More than one-hundred-thousand people have had to leave their homes.
Winds have eased² during the past few days. And officials expect 3)cooler temperatures and rain. Rain would also help clear the air of smoke and ash.
Hot, dry winds have spread the flames. These winds are called Santa Anas. They develop this time of year in the Santa Ana Canyon³.
Officials had hoped that cooler winds from the Pacific Ocean would calm the fires. But the wind changes moved some fires into areas that crews thought they had under control.
More than ten fires are burning in five counties⁴. The two worst fires are in the San Bernardino mountains east of Los Angeles and in the mountains of San Diego County⁵.
What is known as the Cedar⁶ Fire in San Diego is the largest fire in Southern California. Officials say the Cedar Fire has burned more than one-hundred-thousand hectares of San Diego County. At least fourteen people have been killed. The first death of firefighter happened Wednesday, near the historic⁷ mountain town of Julian. To the south, in the town of Cuyamaca, flames left only a fire station and city hall still standing⁸.
Crews have been working hard to keep the Cedar Fire from joining with another large fire burning in San Diego County.
Officials say a hunter who got lost and fired a signal 4)flare⁹ into the sky started the Cedar Fire in San Diego. But officials believe all of the fires in San Bernardino County were set. Police were looking for a man seen leaving the area when the fire first began.
In San Bernardino, crews have been working to protect popular tourist towns like Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead from what they call the Old Fire. Officials have been worried for days that changing winds would blow flames into huge pine trees in the San Bernardino National Forest. These trees have already been 5)damaged by insects and dry weather. Damaged and dead trees have also fueled other fires.
Outgoing Governor¹⁰ Gray Davis has estimated¹¹ the cost of the fires at more than two-thousand-million dollars. He declared the five counties a disaster area to speed federal¹² aid. The next governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was in Washington this week and also appealed for aid. He takes office next month.
In the News, from VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.

注释：
1) hectare [5hektB:] n.公顷
2) destructive [dis5trQktiv] adj.破坏(性)的
3) cooler [5ku:lE] n.冷却器
4) flare [flZE] n.闪光, 闪耀
5) damaged [5dAmidVid] adj.被损坏的

1 destructive   

adj.破坏（性）的，毁灭（性）的

参考例句：

• In the end,it will be destructive of our whole society.它最终会毁灭我们整个社会。
• It is the most destructive storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的一次风暴。

2 eased   

adj. 放松的 动词ease的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。
• The news that her child was safe eased her mind. 孩子平安的消息使她放心了。

3 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

4 counties   

郡，县( county的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The deposits spread for 100 kilometers across four counties. 这些矿藏绵延一百公里，跨越四个县。
• The Jinggang Mountains stand where the boundaries of four counties meet. 井冈山位于四县之交。

5 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

6 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

7 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

10 governor   

n.统治者，地方长官(如省长，州长，总督等)

参考例句：

• The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters.这位州长是搪塞新闻记者的能手。
• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。

11 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

12 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。