英语听力精选进阶版 13822

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News   

7 March 2012 

Making a splash 

Transcript: 

The Perito Moreno glacier¹  in Southern Argentina.   

Huge sections of a massive ice wall have  crashed into  Lake Argentina in the 

Patagonia region of the country. 

Periodically the glacier forms a dam separating the lake into two. Eventually 

pressure builds up and enormous c hunks of ice fall into the lake.   

Tourists visiting the national park enjoyed watching this spectacular ice rupture² 

which occurs every four to five years. 

Vocabulary: 

glacier 

mass of ice formed by accumulated snow 

crashed into   

violently fell into 

periodically  

from time to time 

dam  

barrier that controls water flow   

rupture  

when something breaks 

Watch the video online: Making a splash       

Exercise: 

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from 

BBC news reports.   

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence 

correctly. 

glacier / crashed into / pe riodically / dam / rupture 

1. Viral infections have __________ wiped  out the crop in some regions leading 

to famine. 

2. Experts now say melting glaciers³ put pressure on an ice wall that acted as a 

__________, causing it to give way. 

3. Scott described the last moments of Evans's life, writing: "His downward path 

was accelerated first by the shock of his frostbitten fingers, and later by falls 

during rough travelling on the __________." 

4. If it slips into deeper water, fuel  tanks could __________ threatening one of 

the most unspoilt parts of the Mediterranean⁴. 

5. The crew were returning from a mission over Norway, but their Beaufort 

Bomber⁵ had been hit by enemy fire and __________ the sea more than 100 

miles from home. 

Answers: 

1. Viral infections have periodically wiped out the crop in some regions leading 

to famine.   

Source :    Cassava 'offers climate change hope' for Africa 

2. Experts now say melting glaciers put pressure on an ice wall that acted as a 

dam, causing it to give way.   

Source :    Global warming 'made lake vanish'   

3. Scott described the last moments of Evans's life, writing: "His downward path 

was accelerated first by the shock of his frostbitten fingers, and later by falls 

during rough travelling on the glacier ." 

Source :  Captain Scott explorer Edgar Evans remembered in Swansea                       

4. If it slips into deeper water, fuel tanks could rupture threatening one of the 

most unspoilt parts of the Mediterranean. 

Source :    Costa Concordia disaster: Cruise firm faces US lawsuit 

5. The crew were returning from a mission over Norway, but their Beaufort 

Bomber had been hit by enemy fire and crashed into  the sea more than 100 

miles from home. 

Source :    The pigeon that saved a World War II bomber crew 

1 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

2 rupture   

n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂

参考例句：

• I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。
• The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。

3 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

4 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

5 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。