VOA慢速英语2014 美国卫星帮助东南亚应对气候变化挑战

 

AS IT IS 2014-10-14 US Satellites to Help Southeast Asia with Climate Change 美国卫星帮助东南亚应对气候变化挑战

Satellite imagery from the United States is expected to soon begin helping¹ about 60 million people in the Lower Mekong River Basin of Southeast Asia.  The goal is to help the people with natural disasters and challenges of climate change. The project adds to existing programs of the National Aeronautics² and Space Administration.  

The U.S. -led project brings together the Lower Mekong nations of  Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar -- formerly³ known as Burma. The area faces growing challenges from rising temperatures on our planet.

Environmental activists⁴ say these problems include issues over water use, destruction of forests, floods and disaster mitigation -- reducing the effect of disasters.

The United Nations' Office of Disaster Risk Reduction says costs from natural disasters are rising. It also says from 2000 to 2012, the estimated cost of climate-related disasters was $1.7 billion. The UN agency says 1.2 million people died in the disasters. Almost three billion others were affected⁵.

The U.S. development agency USAID will help support NASA in the five-year project. They will work with local partners including the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, based in Thailand. 

Gabrielle Iglesias serves as a project officer with the Preparedness Center.  She says the goal is to report to communities about changing conditions and help them use the information effectively. 

“This project will be addressing both those steps -- the development of the tools to process the information, the satellite obtained data and then to raise the capacity for decision makers⁶ to understand and interpret the results of these analyses for use in their own decision making over land use, environmental protection, adaptation.”

USAID officials say the information will go to a number of experts. They include scientists, government representatives, national resource managers and disaster response specialists. The officials say their purpose was to more effectively provide support to areas with the most immediate⁷ need after natural disasters. 

The costs of getting such satellite imagery have dropped sharply in recent years. That has made the data more easily available. Such information proves especially valuable immediately after natural disasters. 

In 2008, Cyclone⁸ Nargis struck the Irrawaddy Delta⁹ area of Myanmar. More than 130,000 people died in that storm. 

Words in this Story

challenges - n. – difficulties or problems

currently -  adj. – happening or existing now; belonging or existing in the present time

data  -  n. – facts or information used usually to calculate, to plan, to analyze¹⁰ something

resource -  n. – something that a country has that can increase its wealth

imagery -   n. – pictures or photos

1 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。

2 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

3 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 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。

9 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

10 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。