新西兰英语 708 Cyclone in the Pacific

 　　Cyclone¹ Evan hit Samoa on Thursday evening with strong winds and heavy rain. Four people are dead and eight in fishing boats are missing. The captain of one fishing boat managed to swim to a nearby island and was found by a Royal New Zealand Air Force plane.

　　There is heavy flooding and damage from the wind. Power poles and trees are down. Many houses are so badly damaged that thousands of people have had to go to emergency shelters.

　　Many New Zealand tourists are in Samoa at the moment. Those staying near beaches have moved to higher ground.

　　The cyclone is now getting stronger as it moves close to Fiji. It should hit tomorrow morning. The government has told everyone to make sure they have food and water, and stay inside. Tourists on island resorts have moved to the town of Nadi on the mainland. Now they have to wait until the storm is over.

　　Vocabulary

　　?cyclone – strong tropical storm which moves clockwise² in the Southern Hemisphere³

　　?Evan – a man’s name; cyclone are given a man’s name then a woman’s name beginning with A at the beginning of the cyclone season and moving through the alphabet. This is the 5th cyclone in the Pacific this season.

　　?managed – was able to but it was not easy, could

　　?resorts – hotels, holiday places

　　?is over – is finished

　　Grammar

　　So badly damaged that

　　The grammar is: so + (adverb) adjective + that

1 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

2 clockwise   

adj./adv.顺时针方向的

参考例句：

• Please turn the key in a clockwise direction.请顺时针转动钥匙。
• Gently swing your right arm in a clockwise direction.按顺时针方向轻轻摆动右臂。

3 hemisphere   

n.半球，半球地图

参考例句：

• This animal is to be found only in the Southern Hemisphere.这种动物只有在南半球才能找到。
• In most people,the left hemisphere is bigger than the right.多数人的左脑比右脑大。