VOA标准英语2010年-Cold Front Hits Russia After Two-Month

Andrei Savelyev, 46, stands at the site of his house that was burnt down during the forest fires, 17 Aug 2010, in the village of Yuzhny, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, some 300 kilometers (187.5 miles) east of Moscow

The heat wave that gripped Moscow and surrounding regions is over Friday as a cold front hit western Russia sending temperatures plummeting¹ into the low teens. This after temperatures averaged in the mid-30s for nearly two months. The high temperatures sparked tens of thousands of fires across Russia and caused the country's worst drought on record.

 

Russia had been experiencing the hottest weather on record. The drought and temperatures triggered tens of thousands fires across the country. More than 50 people are dead, thousands of homes have been destroyed and millions of crops have been affected² due to the heat, drought and flames.

Russian Emergency officials say a wave of cold air from the north and strong winds have helped them drastically reduce the number of fires raging around the country to about 9,000 hectares. That's less than one 20th of the area that was affected by the blazes when they were at their worst.

Muscovite Nikolai, who refused to give his last name, says he's happy about the weather change.

He says the air has become colder, it's easier to breath and he feels more comfortable. He says the heat made it hard for him to stay in Moscow and he was sick and tired of it.  So, he's really happy about the change.

The cooler weather has also lifted the toxic³ smog that has enveloped⁴ the Russian capital off and on for weeks. At its worst, the acrid⁵ smoke caused carbon monoxide to soar to nearly seven times the acceptable level.

Moscow resident Sergei says he's glad the awful smoke is gone.

Sergei says this is the best option for Moscow because when the acrid smoke is gone, people don't feel the air pollution.  He says the environment is very important to Russians.

According to the head of Moscow's health department, Andrei Seltsovsky, the city's death rate doubled during the heat wave.  Seltsovsky attributes this, in part,  to the heat, fires and dangerous smog that were in the air of and on for the last eight weeks.

Despite the warnings from officials not to spend time outdoors and avoid the acrid smoke, this man says he wants the warm weather back.

He says who cares about the smog? He says it wasn't that bad. He says what's important is that it was warm and he hates the cold.

Meanwhile the Russian Emergency Ministry⁶ says the fires caused about $400 million worth of damage.  Some economists⁷ estimate the combination of record heat, fires and drought will cost the Russian economy at least $15 billion.

 

1 plummeting   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Prices are rising, falling, going up, going down, shooting up, plummeting, etc. 物价在上涨、下跌、上升、下落、猛然上涨、骤然下跌等。 来自辞典例句
• The enemy plane went plummeting into the sea. 敌机直直掉进海里。 来自辞典例句

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

4 enveloped   

v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
• Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 acrid   

adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的

参考例句：

• There is an acrid tone to your remarks.你说这些话的口气带有讥刺意味。
• The room was filled with acrid smoke.房里充满刺鼻的烟。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》