VOA标准英语2011--US Sets Extreme Weather Records in 2011
时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2011年(十二月)
US Sets Extreme Weather Records in 2011
Extreme weather cut a path of destruction across the United States in 2011.
For Bill Wing, it began 12 months ago, on New Year’s Day, as he surveyed the damage from a tornado 1 that touched down in Cincinnati, Arkansas.
“It sounded like a freight train coming," he says. "We weren't in the direct path of it. You could feel the wind moving and the shaking, more like an earthquake for us.”
That tornado was among 1,600 that crisscrossed the nation in 2011. Twelve weather-related disasters accounted for $1 billion or more each in economic losses, a new record, according to Chris Vaccaro, spokesman for the National Weather Service.
“We’ve seen historic events of nearly every weather category," says Vaccaro. "So in terms of snow storms, and hurricanes and floods and droughts, all of these events this year ranked in the top three or even the highest ever recorded.”
Margie Sisemore cleans after a tornado destroyed several homes in the small town of Cincinnati, Arkansas. That tornado was among 1,600 that crisscrossed the US in 2011.
The extreme weather affected 2 millions of people, claimed 1,000 lives, resulted in 8,000 injuries and totaled more than $52 billion in economic losses. The most costly 3, according to David Brown, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 4 Administration, was the year-long drought that continues to grip southern plains states.
“We’re looking at $6 to $8 billion in damage from agricultural losses, from fire losses, in places like Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma and if the drought persists for the next several months, as we expect it will, those damages will only increase.”
Vaccaro says a growing population and expanding infrastructure 5 account in part for the damages, but also large-scale cyclical weather patterns came into play in 2011. “First and foremost was La Nina in the eastern Pacific which altered our standard storm patterns. And we also had a pattern in the Arctic called the Arctic Oscillation.
That was a big factor in the winter and spring months, allowing cold air to flow into the United States that helped spawn 6 snow storms and also support the tornado season.”
In 2011, Texas farmers contended with a year-long drought which continues to grip southern plains states.
While there is no evidence to connect global warming with specific local weather events, Vaccarro says this past year’s weather extremes are consistent with what climate experts are projecting for the long-term. Warming temperatures provide more energy and water in the atmosphere and consequently trigger more intense droughts, heavier rainfall and stronger storms.
Peter Altman, climate and clean air campaign director for the Natural Resources Defense 7 Council, expects the situation to get worse as global temperatures continue to rise. He advocates action to reduce climate changing emissions 8 and mitigate 9 their impact.
“We’ve got to better prepare ourselves to manage these kind of weather events, whether they are droughts, wildfires, heat waves, floods, and that means in terms of emergency management in providing the kind of health assistance that you need in the aftermath of those kinds of events.”
The 2011 weather extremes could be the “new normal,” says Vaccaro with the National Weather Service. The agency is taking steps to build a weather-ready nation, which calls on a growing network of partners in the public and private sector 10 to work together to prepare for future disasters.
- A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
- The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
- 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。
- It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
- This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
- 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。
- We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
- We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设,发展各类群众文化。
- The fish were madly pushing their way upstream to spawn.鱼群为产卵而疯狂地向上游挤进。
- These fish will lay spawn in about one month from now.这些鱼大约一个月内会产卵。
- The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
- The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
- Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
- Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。
- The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
- Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。