21世紀(jì)大學(xué)英語讀寫教程第二冊第九單元unit 9

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UNIT 9

Text A

Pre-reading Activities
First Listening
1. As you listen to the passage the first time, circle the words from the list that you hear.
ice hate perish snow fear suffice frost despair hold with rain desire know of fire sorrow wonder fog confusion suffer wind corruption favor

Second Listening
2. Natural disasters are as fascinating as they are frightening. What forms do they take, and what do you know about their causes?

Get Ready for Some Wild Weather

Per Ola & Emily D'aulaire

In March of 1997, Stephen Zebiak stared at his computer screen in alarm. The veteran climate researcher saw indications of a worldwide weather event that, over the years, has been blamed for droughts and floods, famine, fires and thousands of deaths. Called El Nino, it is the most disruptive climatic phenomenon on the planet.
Zebiak and Mark Cane, research scientists at Columbia University, had developed a computerized forecast model that correctly predicted El Nino's occurrences in 1982, '86 and '91, and it had pointed to a recurrence in '98. But the data appearing on Zebiak's screen from satellite and sea-surface monitors across the Pacific were unmistakable: El Nino was already beginning. A huge pool of warm water — larger than the United States and some 600 feet deep — was moving slowly but surely eastward toward South America.
In June the equatorial trade winds reversed direction from westward to eastward. By September, waters off Northern California were roughly 17 degrees warmer than normal. Off the Washington coast, stunned fishermen caught tropical fish that seldom stray that far north. Storms were flooding central Chile, and heavier-than-normal snowfalls in the Andes trapped hundreds in the bitter cold. And all of this only foretold of even more devastating weather for the fall and winter.
El Nino means "little boy" in Spanish; when capitalized, it refers to the Christ child. This innocent-sounding name originated in the 19th century, when Peruvian sailors noticed that every few years around Christmastime, waters near the coasts warmed up and the current shifted southward. But this "little boy" plays havoc around the globe.
El Nino occurs when weather patterns in the tropical Pacific shift violently. Normally, strong westward-blowing trade winds off South America push surface water toward Asia. Just as blowing on hot coffee pushes the liquid up against the opposite side of the cup, the trade winds pile warm water against the coastlines of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Above the warm water, moist air rises, lowering atmospheric pressure and triggering the tropical showers that nourish the rain forests of Asia. Meanwhile high-altitude winds travel back toward South America. There, the cooled air sinks, raising atmospheric pressure and suppressing rain along most of the Pacific coast, making it one of the driest regions in the world.
But with El Nino, the pattern reverses. Atmospheric pressure in the Western Pacific rises, setting the stage for drought from Australia to India. The trade winds decrease, or in extreme years reverse to blow eastward. As a result, a huge mass of warm water flows back toward South America, causing storms from Chile to California. Meanwhile, over the Pacific, ten-mile-high storm clouds further heat the atmosphere, fueling a stronger-than-normal jet stream, which often splits in two. One branch moves north, warming the Pacific Northwest, central Canada and Alaska. Another branch surges south, producing heavy rains in the U.S. Gulf States and Southwest.
El Nino's vast impact on humans has often been catastrophic. The El Nino of 1982-83 inflicted $13 billion in damage and claimed some 2,000 lives. In Australia day turned to night when a dust storm blanketed Melbourne; brush fires raged in its wake. In place of its normal monsoon, Southern India got dried-up crops and the threat of mass starvation. At the same time, violent rainstorms devastated the Western Hemisphere: Peru's fishing industry — once one of the richest in the world — was wiped out, and seaside towns were washed into the Pacific.
Is there a good side to El Nino? There can be. Zebiak notes that the number of tropical hurricanes in the Atlantic is reduced during an El Nino year. One theory is that winds created by El Nino shear off the tops of Atlantic hurricanes, aborting them before they reach full force. And a team of scientists in Israel who study tree rings and satellite cloud pictures concluded that El Nino may bring precious moisture to the thirsty Middle East. "It is perhaps fitting that El Nino — the Christ child — should have a link to the Holy Land," notes scientist Dan Yakir.
This year, scientists around the world are keeping a sharp eye on El Nino. They know that the greater the temperature rise in Pacific waters off South America, the more powerful the El Nino. And this year's waters have heated up unusually fast. Climate-change researcher Michael Ghil of UCLA expects the impact to be "substantial." Ants Leetmaa, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center in Maryland, agrees: This El Nino is shaping up as one of the most powerful ever.
According to forecasters, hardest hit in this country will likely be California, where heavy rains can send houses sliding down muddy slopes onto washed-out coastal highways. The nation's southern states — from California to Florida — can expect cooler and wetter weather than normal this winter and spring, with extensive storms in some areas. The Northwest should be warmer and drier than normal.
Wetter-than-normal conditions are expected in much of South America. The Asian monsoon rains could fail, resulting in food shortages in India. In Australia, where El Nino ypically means drought, strict water conservation is already under way.
El Nino's effects won't just be climatic, of course — the global economy is sure to suffer as well. Drought in Brazil and flooding in Colombia may result in higher prices for coffee and other crops. And fishing industries from Ecuador to California are already being hurt.
Clearly, the more accurately scientists can forecast El Nino, the more people everywhere can prepare. Insurance companies, farmers, power and irrigation companies, public-safety agencies and even tourist boards could benefit from knowing in advance when El Nino will strike.
"Reliable forecasting is still in its infancy," states Mark Cane. Someday, perhaps, scientists will be able to predict exactly how El Nino will behave. But for now, batten down the hatches and get ready for some wild weather!
(985 words)

New Words

indication
n. a sign or suggestion 跡象，暗示

*indicative
a. (of) showing or suggesting 指示的；標(biāo)示的；暗示的

disruptive
a. causing disorder or trouble 破壞性的；制造混亂的；搗亂的

climatic
a. of or connected with the climate 氣候的

occurrence
n. 1. the fact that sth. happens or is present in a particular situation 出現(xiàn)，發(fā)生
2. an event 發(fā)生的事情；事件

recurrence
n. the fact or process of happening again 重新出現(xiàn)；復(fù)發(fā)

*recur
v. (esp. of sth. unpleasant or unwelcome) happen or appear again, or more than once （尤指不好的事）一再發(fā)生；重現(xiàn)

data
n. (sing. datum) facts, information 資料；數(shù)據(jù)

sea-surface
n. the surface of the sea 海面

equatorial
a. 赤道的；赤道附近的

equator
n. 赤道

trade wind
a tropical wind that blows almost continually towards the equator from the northeast and southeast 信風(fēng)，貿(mào)易風(fēng)

*stray
vi. move away from a group, path or place, etc., usually with no particular purpose or destination 離群；走失；走離
a. 1. lost; wandering away from home 走失的；離群的
2. scattered; met by chance 零星的；偶爾遇到的

foretell
vt. tell (what will happen in the future) 預(yù)言；預(yù)示

devastating
a. causing great destruction 破壞性極大的；毀滅性的

capitalize,-ise
vt. 將…大寫

innocent
a. 天真無邪的，純真的；無害的；無罪的，無辜的

*originate
vi. start, occur for the first time 發(fā)源；始于

violently
ad. with a lot of force 劇烈地；強烈地

westward-blowing
a. blowing towards the west 向西刮的

coastline
n. the shape (outline) of a coast 海岸線

moist
a. slightly wet 潮濕的

atmospheric
a. 大氣的；大氣層的

*nourish
vt. cause to stay alive or grow by giving food, water, etc. 滋養(yǎng)；養(yǎng)育

altitude
n. 1. height, as of a mountain above sea level 高度；海拔
2. (often pl.)a high place or area ［常復(fù)數(shù)］高處；高地

*suppress
vt. prevent from appearing 阻止；壓制

region
n. 1. a large area of land 地區(qū)；地帶
2. 行政區(qū)

decrease
v. (cause to) become less in size, number, strength, amount, or quality （使）減少；（使）減弱；（使）減輕
n. the act or action of decreasing; the state of being decreased 減少；減弱

jet stream
［氣］急流

northwest
n. 西北；（N-）（一國或一地區(qū)的）西北部
a. 位于西北的；朝西北部的；來自西北的
ad. 在西北；向西北；從西北

gulf
n. 海灣

southwest
n. 西南；（S-）（一國或一地區(qū)）西南部
a. 位于西南的；向西南的；來自西南的
ad. 在西南；向西南；從西南

*inflict
vt. cause (damage, suffering, etc.) 導(dǎo)致（破壞、痛苦等）

dust storm
［氣］（干燥地區(qū)的）塵暴，沙暴

brush fire
bush fire 灌叢火

rage
vi. 1. (of fires, storms, battles, etc.) continue violently （烈火）熊熊燃燒；（浪）洶涌；激戰(zhàn)
2. feel or express violent anger 發(fā)怒；怒斥

monsoon
n. 季風(fēng)

violent
a. 1. uncontrollably fierce or dangerous in action 暴力的；強暴的
2. acting with or using great damaging force 猛烈的，劇烈的

*hemisphere
n. a half of the earth 半球

seaside
n. & a. (of) an area or town by the sea 海邊（的），海濱（的）

*hurricane
n. 颶風(fēng)；暴風(fēng)雨

shear
v. 1. (off) 剪斷
2. cut off wool (from sheep) 剪（羊毛等）

abort
v. 1. end ( a job, plan, etc.) before the expected time because of some trouble （因中途遭遇困難而）中止（工作、計劃等）
2. (of a job, plan, etc.) end in this way （工作，計劃等）中止；未完成
3. （使）流產(chǎn)，墜胎

tree rings
（樹木的）年輪

precious
a. valuable and useful 寶貴的；珍貴的

moisture
n. 1. 水分；降雨量
2. 水氣；濕氣

*fitting
a. suitable, appropriate, right for the purpose or occasion 適當(dāng)?shù)模‘?dāng)?shù)?

link
n. 1. relationship 聯(lián)系，關(guān)系
2. a physical connection between two places or objects 連接
v. join or connect 連接；聯(lián)系

holy
a. of God or religion; sacred 上帝的；宗教的；神圣的

oceanic
a. 1. 海洋的，大洋的
2. 在海洋中生活的；產(chǎn)于海洋的

forecaster
n. 天氣預(yù)報員

*muddy
a. full of or covered with mud 泥濘的

washed-out
a. destroyed or made useless by the force of water 被洪水沖蝕的；受到侵蝕的

coastal
n. of or related to the coast 海岸的；沿岸的

extensive
a. 1. great in effect 巨大的；嚴(yán)重的
2. widespread, covering a large area 廣闊的；廣大的

conservation
n. the preservation of natural things to prevent them from being spoiled or destroyed （對自然資源的）保護；保存

insurance
n. 1. agreement by contract to pay money in case of misfortune 保險
2. 保險業(yè)

insure
v. to protect... by insurance 給…保險，為…提供保證

*irrigation
n. the supply of water (to dry land) 灌溉

agency
n. 1. 公眾服務(wù)機構(gòu)
2. a business or organisation providing a specified service 代理行；經(jīng)銷處

tourist
n. a person travelling for pleasure 旅游者
a. 旅游的

batten
vt. (down) (on ships) fasten with boards of wood 用板條固定

*hatch
n. （船的）艙口（蓋）；（飛機的）艙口
vt. 1. cause (an egg) to break, letting the young bird out 孵出
2. (up) make up (a plan or idea) 籌劃；策劃
vi. (of an egg) break, letting the young bird out; (of a young bird) break through an egg （蛋等）孵化；（小雞等）出殼

Phrases and Expressions

point to
suggest that (sth.) is likely; indicate 說明（某事）很可能；表明

warm up
(cause to) get warmer （使）變暖

refer to
relate to; mention or speak of 與…有關(guān)；提到；談到

set the stage for
prepare for; make possible 為…做好準(zhǔn)備；使成為可能

in sth.'s wake / in the wake of sth.
coming after or following sth.; as a result of sth. 隨著…而來；作為…的結(jié)果

wipe out
destroy completely 徹底摧毀；消滅

be washed into
be carried somewhere by water 被沖入某處

shear off
cut off 剪斷；切掉

keep a sharp eye on
watch closely 密切注意

heat up
make or become hot or warm （使）變熱

shape up
develop; assume a shape 發(fā)展；成形，形成

under way
in progress 在進行中；在前進中

benefit from
receive benefit or gain from 得益于

in advance
before, ahead of time 事先，事前

batten down the hatches （在暴風(fēng)雨未來到前）封艙；（喻）未雨綢繆，做好準(zhǔn)備

Proper Names

Per Ola
珀·奧拉

Emily D'aulaire
埃米莉·多萊爾

Stephen Zebiak
斯蒂芬·澤比埃克

El Nino
“厄爾尼諾”現(xiàn)象（指嚴(yán)重影響全球氣候的太平洋熱帶海域的大風(fēng)及海水的大規(guī)模移動）

Mark Cane
馬克·凱恩

Columbia University
（美國）哥倫比亞大學(xué)

Chile
智利（南美洲西南部國家）

the Andes
安第斯山脈（南美洲西部）

Christ
基督

Peruvian
秘魯?shù)?；秘魯?

Christmastime
圣誕節(jié)時期

Indonesia
印度尼西亞（東南亞島國）

the Philippines
菲律賓（東南亞島國）；菲律賓群島

Alaska
阿拉斯加州（美國州名）

the Gulf States
美國瀕墨西哥灣諸州（指佛羅里達、亞拉巴馬、密西西比、路易斯安那和得克薩斯等五個州）

Melbourne
墨爾本（澳大利亞東南部港市）
Peru
秘魯（南美洲西部國家）

Israel
以色列（全稱以色列國，在西南亞巴勒斯坦地區(qū)）

the Holy Land
（基督教）圣地；宗教圣地

Dan Yakir
丹·亞克

Michael Ghil
邁克爾·吉爾

Ants Leetmaa
安茨·利特馬

Maryland
馬里蘭州（美國州名）

Florida
佛羅里達州（美國州名）

Brazil
巴西（南美洲國家）

Colombia
哥倫比亞（南美洲西北部國家）

Ecuador
厄瓜多爾（南美洲西北部國家）