2006年VOA标准英语-Large Asteroid Has 'Close' Brush with Earth

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
03 July 2006

A large asteroid¹, known as 2004 XP14, raced past the Earth early Monday. Scientists say it posed no threat to the planet, but serves as a reminder² of the hazards encountered in space.

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The rocky space body, thought to be 800 meters wide, came within 430,000 kilometers of Earth, almost as close as the moon.

Discovered in December, 2004, the asteroid is big enough to cause some serious damage if it hit us. That did not happen, but many such collisions with near-Earth objects have occurred in the past. Sixty-five million years ago, a much larger asteroid struck the Yucatan region of Mexico and the resulting atmospheric³ disruptions are believed to have caused the extinction⁴ of dinosaurs⁵.

Hollywood has seized on the scenario⁶ of killer⁷ objects in space in several action-movies. Two of the best known were released in 1998, and both dealt with the theme in typical Hollywood fashion, with a heavy dose of drama and destruction, but very little science.

In the film Armageddon, Bruce Willis was sent to destroy an asteroid the size of Texas, described here by Billy Bob Thornton.

"It's what we call a global killer. Nothing would survive, not even bacteria," said Thornton in the film. "

The United States government just asked us to save the world," said Willis. "Anybody want to say no?"

In the film Deep Impact, the danger comes from a pair of killer comets, composed of ice, rock and dust, described by Morgan Freeman.

"Last summer, two comets were discovered that are on a collision course with Earth," he said.

The U.S. space agency NASA tracks thousands of near-Earth objects that could pose a hazard if they struck the planet. The agency has classified more than 700 asteroids⁸ as potentially hazardous⁹, but says those rocky space bodies are rich in minerals and are also a possible resource to be exploited.

Asteroid 2004 XP14 passed harmlessly by the Earth in the early hours Monday, universal time. It was seen easily with amateur telescopes, with the best views available in North America.

Scientists say this asteroid will have 10 more close encounters with Earth over the next century, but none is expected to pose a threat to the planet.

1 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

2 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

3 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。

4 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

5 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

7 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

8 asteroids   

n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星

参考例句：

• Asteroids,also known as "minor planets",are numerous in the outer space. 小行星，亦称为“小型行星”，在外太空中不计其数。
• Most stars probably have their quota of planets, meteorids, comets, and asteroids. 多数恒星也许还拥有若干行星、流星、彗星和小行星。

9 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。