AS IT IS 2016-02-27 Infant Swept From Father's Arms In Fiji Cyclone

AS IT IS 2016-02-27 Infant¹ Swept From Father's Arms In Fiji Cyclone²

After Cyclone Winston blew through Fiji last weekend, 42 people were dead, and four were still missing³, including an infant.

The winds of Cyclone Winston reached more than 285 kilometers per hour. It was the strongest storm in Fiji's recorded history.

The infant's parents told a local journalist that they lost hold of their child in the strong winds and flood waters.

The child's father told Fiji One Television that his family ran from the home where they were taking shelter. He said that they were expecting powerful winds, but not the flood waters.

The father said that when the winds began to rise, his family tried to run for safety and keep their 10-month-old son above water.

"The water level was up to my neck," the father said. "The house began to fall and waves began to pound on us."

He said they have not yet found their firstborn son.  

Emergency Response

"There are Fijians out there who are without water, without a roof over their heads, without food and without essential services," said the Prime⁴ Minister of Fiji.

Emergency workers faced many difficulties helping⁵ people, including power outages, fallen phone lines and road blocks.

Government officials have closed schools until Monday. They plan to use the buildings as shelters for the hundreds of people who have been left homeless.

The government lifted a curfew that it had put in place. However, it asked people to limit their movements as much as possible.

Concerned about an increase in the number of mosquitoes, the government also asked people to not leave standing⁶ water.

"It is likely that smaller villages across Fiji will have suffered the most, given their infrastructures⁷ would be too weak to withstand⁸ the power of a category 5 cyclone," said Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for UNICEF in the Pacific. "Families may have lost their homes and crops, therefore leaving them without shelter, food and a livelihood⁹."

Fiji, a group of more than 100 islands, is in the South Pacific Ocean. It is around 2,800 kilometers from Australia's east coast.

Words in This Story

cyclone – n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive¹⁰ storm with very high winds that turn around an area of low pressure

firstborn – adj. born first

mosquitoes – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood

1 infant   

n.婴儿，幼儿；adj.婴儿的；幼稚的，初期的

参考例句：

• Tourism was then still in its infant stage.旅游业当时还处在初创阶段。
• I also need an infant's food for my baby.我要买些婴儿食品给我的孩子。

2 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。

3 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

4 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。

5 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。

6 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。

7 infrastructures   

n.基础设施( infrastructure的名词复数 )；基础结构；行政机构；秘密机构

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。 来自互联网
• The increasingly fast urbanization process requires more and more infrastructures. 我国城市化进程不断加快，对城市基础设施的需求也越来越大。 来自互联网

8 withstand   

vt.经受，承受，抵住

参考例句：

• The walls can withstand high winds.这些墙能顶得住强风。
• This dress material will withstand repeated washings.这种衣料能经得住反复洗涤。

9 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

10 destructive   

adj.破坏（性）的，毁灭（性）的

参考例句：

• In the end,it will be destructive of our whole society.它最终会毁灭我们整个社会。
• It is the most destructive storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的一次风暴。