英语听力：探索发现 科学新发现：我们的大气层-16

 The global average could be up 7 degrees F by the end of the century, wreaking¹ havoc² with weather patterns and habitats. We can't prevent climate change by preserving the air's delicate blend of gases, the unique mix that sets earth apart. And our planet is also marked by how this blend sets above the surface in a distinct layer structure. As we rise above the clouds and winds of lower altitudes, we enter a completely new zone---a world of extreme temperatures and ever thinning air, air that will kill us in seconds, but which shields us from deadly radiation. We live in a tiny sliver³ of earth atmosphere called the troposphere. Winds and clouds, rain and snow dominate this turbulent zone. But above it lie miles of freezing dry air. The conditions there will kill a human in seconds, but we desperately⁴ need the high atmosphere's weight and protection. Engineer John Powell's balloon team has spent 27 years exploring its layers, pushing further and further into this remote, dangerous world. 

Sometimes if you run into a phenomenon that we have no idea what that was. we just have this moment of data, you know, that we need to go back and explore. But it really is like a completely alien form of world out there.

The team has made over 90 launches. Each one edges them closer to their ultimate goal of reaching space. 

1 wreaking   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Coal mining is a messy business, often wreaking terrible environmental damage nearby. 采矿是肮脏的行业，往往会严重破坏周边环境。
• The floods are wreaking havoc in low-lying areas. 洪水正在地势低洼地区肆虐。

2 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

3 sliver   

n.裂片，细片，梳毛；v.纵切，切成长片，剖开

参考例句：

• There was only one sliver of light in the darkness.黑暗中只有一点零星的光亮。
• Then,one night,Monica saw a thin sliver of the moon reappear.之后的一天晚上，莫尼卡看到了一个月牙。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。