CNN 2011-04-19

A couple stories we first reported on Friday have developed and changed over the weekend so today, CNN Student News is catching¹ you up! I'm Carl Azuz. Let's get this show started!

It was the kind of forecast we don't like to hear: Predictions of tornadoes³ as cold air combined with warm air in a storm system sweeping⁴ across the southeast. This map shows you who was in the path of the storms over the weekend. Several states were affected⁵. More than 40 people were killed. At least 23 of those deaths were in North Carolina. Of the 100+ tornadoes seen during this storm, we don't know yet how many of them touched down in North Carolina. But there's no doubt the state was the hardest hit -- a CNN meterologist described the effects as "epic⁶." TJ Holmes from CNN Sunday Morning gives you a glimpse of the kind of damage these storms left behind.

Holy crap!

Transformers exploded. Cars tossed. Trees toppled. All made for a wild spring night in parts of the Southeast. In Alabama, there are reports of tornadoes touching⁷ down in at least six counties. This woman in Tuscaloosa ran into her hallway as the storm hit.

I got in the hallway I could hear this, I don't know what kind of noise, a whizzing, crackling. It scared me.

In nearby Birmingham, heavy winds knocked down power lines and tore off roofs. Further south in Washington County, Alabama, a large tornado² was reported on the ground. This house was flattened⁸; tossed yards from its foundation. In Mississippi, folks are waking up to a state of emergency in 14 counties. A twister ripped through Interstate 20 in Clinton.

The funnel⁹ crowd dropped right there at the laundromat. And we were lucky we even got in the door. And it just crossed, went behind us and crossed I-20. In like five minutes, it was over.

Even blew over an 18-wheeler. It also ripped through local businesses and homes.

At first, we heard a lot of wind blowing and something sounded like a train, a whistle. Then, all of a sudden, we've seen like a black funnel cloud.

We saw people standing¹⁰ outside. We didn't know why. So, we just decided¹¹ to go and see, too, and we saw all this damage out here.

In the Atlanta area, a tornado watch was in effect for most of the night. Heavy rain and hail blasted several counties, fallen trees, pummeled homes. When this woman came to check on her parents after large tree uprooted¹² and fell through their roof.

I thought the Lord was looking after them because my daddy was right there next to that window and the tree barely missed him.

Black Hawk¹³ helicopters. Boots on the ground from dozens of states. It sounds like a military operation. It's what's been assembled to battle Texas' raging wildfires. Between Friday and Sunday, the size of the wildfires doubled. Hundreds of thousands of acres -- that's like a hundreds of thousands of football fields -- have burned. And weather conditions aren't helping¹⁴: It's been hot, dry and windy, which does little but fan the flames.

1 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

2 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• 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。

3 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

4 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

5 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。

6 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

7 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

8 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

9 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。