新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 1-15

News Report
U.S. Roller Coaster
Script
The world’s first 4D roller coaster, “X”, took on its first passengers last week at the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park, just outside Los Angeles.
After climbing on board and properly securing their safety harnesses, “X” riders are first to a height of over 66meters. At the top, the passenger train is released and builds up enough speed to race and plummet¹ around the track at speeds of over 130km an hour.
The rider takes the daring passengers down an incredible 66m dive and over the top of a 62m loop, in cars that spin independently of the roller coaster train. This unique design allows riders to spin360degree, both forwards and backwards², through the entire ride.
Passengers hurtle through this ride often moving in many different directions at the same time ad the cars somersault back and forth³ and the roller coaster twists, loops, and dives.
The complicated series of maneuvers⁴ includes two raven⁵ turn, one front flip⁶, one twisting front flip, and two back flips⁷.
Since passengers aren’t always facing the right direction to see what’s coming up next, the element of surprise is high. For “X” riders, this adds to the thrill of the ride.
The track of this newest roller coaster runs a total length of a little over1, 100meters. The passenger trains measure 6meters wide and 21meters long, large enough to carry 28 passengers at a time. At full capacity, the trains can take 1,600passengers for the ride of their lives each hour.
The entire ride lasts for only a total about 2minutes, but you can tell from the exhilarated faces of passengers returning to the boarding dock that they were two of the most thrilling minutes of heir lives.
 

1 plummet   

vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物

参考例句：

• Mengniu and Yili have seen their shares plummet since the incident broke.自事件发生以来，蒙牛和伊利的股票大幅下跌。
• Even if rice prices were to plummet,other brakes on poverty alleviation remain.就算大米价格下跌，其它阻止导致贫困的因素仍然存在。

2 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

5 raven   

n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的

参考例句：

• We know the raven will never leave the man's room.我们知道了乌鸦再也不会离开那个男人的房间。
• Her charming face was framed with raven hair.她迷人的脸上垂落着乌亮的黑发。

6 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

7 flips   

轻弹( flip的第三人称单数 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• Larry flips on the TV while he is on vacation in Budapest. 赖瑞在布达佩斯渡假时，打开电视收看节目。
• He flips through a book before making a decision. 他在决定买下一本书前总要先草草翻阅一下。