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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
It's been a staple1 of adventure movies and fiction for generations. Our hero is traipsing through a swamp, fighting off all manner of alligators2, giant snakes, and what-not, when--suddenly!--he discovers he's stepped into a pit of quicksand. Can he get free, or will he be drawn3 to certain death, leaving only his hat, bobbing on the surface, to advertise his fate? If this were real life, not the movies, and if he doesn't panic, our hero should have no trouble freeing himself from this peril4. Aside from Hollywood studios, quicksand is usually found near the mouths of large rivers or along beaches and streams where pools of water can become partly filled by sand. It's often formed by a flow of groundwater that passes upward through sand. Quicksand is a mixture of two things: sand and water. The reason you don't sink into ordinary sand is because the sand grains rest against each other in an interlocking pattern. This mutual5 contact helps them distribute your weight and hold you up. However, if there's enough water between the grains of sand to keep them out of contact, the sand can no longer bear your weight. The sand and water mixture functions like a liquid and you start to sink. Unlike in the movies, quicksand will not suck you under. The mixture of sand and water is denser6 than water alone, so it's actually more buoyant. You float better in quicksand than in water. The only reason some people have drowned in quicksand is because they've panicked. Don't ever play in quicksand, but in the unlikely event you're accidentally caught, stay calm, float on your back, and call for help. If no one's around, gently squirm on your back to firmer ground.
1 staple | |
n.主要产物,常用品,主要要素,原料,订书钉,钩环;adj.主要的,重要的;vt.分类 | |
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2 alligators | |
n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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3 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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4 peril | |
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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5 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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6 denser | |
adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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