2006年VOA标准英语-Tornadoes, Way Above Average in Number

By Paul Sisco
Washington, DC
19 April 2006
 
watch Severe Weather report

Several weeks of unusual and severe weather in the U.S. are not being specifically linked to global warming but they are causing damage in large parts of the United States. 

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Home damaged during a recent tornado  
  

North, South, East and West: unusually severe weather across North America has been claiming homes, businesses and lives. Across the South and Midwestern United States particularly, people have been bracing¹ for, cleaning up from, or weathering violent storms almost without relief.  So far this year nearly 400 tornadoes² there, about four times more than during the same period in 2005.

“It's devastating³.  I have never actually experienced one of these,” says one storm victim. “Everybody's scared to death right now,' says another.

Government meteorologist Dan McCarthy says, "So far in 2006 this is way above average."  

Unofficially, the storm season begins in April or May.  On average, there are about 85 damaging tornadoes reported each year in the United States

  
  
Scientists say this current cycle is the result of a remarkably⁴ warm winter in the South, and warmer than usual temperatures in the Gulf⁵ of Mexico.  When moist weather in the South, collides with cold fronts from the North and West, the result is: funnel⁶ clouds and tornadoes.  

Scientists are not suggesting the severe U.S. weather is a direct result of global warming trends or conditions, only that these weather patterns are likely to continue as is for the near future.

1 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

2 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。