Rains help ease SW China drought

 BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Precipitation has helped ease a lingering drought in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and conditions will further improve as rainy season arrives, the drought relief authority said on Thursday.

Recent rainfall has alleviated¹ 290,000 people and 220,000 livestock² from lacking adequate drinking water in the two provinces, according to a statement posted on the website of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

However, the dry spell is still affecting 5.47 million people, 2.76 million livestock and 6.07 million mu (about 404,667 hectares) of cropland due to insufficient³ precipitation and uneven⁴ distribution, it warned.

In the following three days, scattered⁵ rain showers are expected to hit the two drought-plagued provinces, with some areas expecting heavy rains, said the National Meteorological Center.

1 alleviated   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It is always completely alleviated by total gastrectomy. 全胃切除永远完全缓解症状。
• Toxicity problem in manufacturing and storage might be alleviated by coating beryllium with aluminum. 但如果用铝包覆铍，则可避免加工过程中及储存期间的中毒问题。

2 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

3 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

4 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

5 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。