新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 3-12

VI. Further Listening and Speaking
Task1: Description of a Tsunami¹
Script
A strange hissing² noise filled the air, said witnesses to the disaster, and that was followed by an ear-shattering roar. Racing³ toward the shore at speed of 450 kilometers per hour was a vast black wall of water more than 20 meters high.
For sunbathers on the beaches and diners at outdoor beachfront cafes there was no escape. Along with fishing boats, automobiles⁴, trams, trains, early-morning shoppers and beach bungalows⁵ they were smashed to the ground and swept as far as two kilometers inland by the force of the tsunami that came after a force 9 earthquake deep under the sea off the coast of Sumatra.
Many local residents, including numerous children, rushed onto the beach to pick up fish thrown ashore⁶ by the first giant wave. Before they could return to safety, a second powerful wave struck and swept them to their deaths at sea.
When the worst of the waters finally retreated back into the ocean, bodies lay everywhere, and many hung from trees. At least 140,000 people died in the flooding around the rim⁷ of the Indian Ocean and as far away as Kenya and Somalia. Still missing are more than a thousand people, among then 200 Indonesian fishmen.
Hundreds of fishing village in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand are cut off from supplies of clean water, food and medicines. Relief efforts from across the globe are rushing towards the disaster area. Whether they will be able to prevent further deaths from disease remain to be seen.

 

1. What happened after shoppers were smashed to the ground?
2. According to the passage, what happened after the first giant wave?
3. How many people are missing in the disaster?
4. What may follow immediately after the disaster, according to the passage?
5. What id the passage mainly about?

 

Keys: 1.A 2.C 3.B 4.D 5.A

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 hissing   

n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。
• His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

3 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

4 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 bungalows   

n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋

参考例句：

• It was a town filled with white bungalows. 这个小镇里都是白色平房。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We also seduced by the reasonable price of the bungalows. 我们也确实被这里单层间的合理价格所吸引。 来自互联网

6 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

7 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。