新西兰英语 607 Manawatu Gorge Rd Open Day

 　　The Manawatu Gorge¹ Rd follows the Manawatu River along a deep valley. On one side of the river is the railway line and on the other side is the road. This road is a main highway for people travelling from Highway 2 to Palmerston North. However, in August and then again in October last year, heavy rain caused many landslides² (slips) of rock and soil. These slips closed the road and destroyed two bridges. This is the biggest slip that has ever hit a road in New Zealand. 370,000 cubic metres of rock and soil have been removed.

　　Workers with heavy machines have been trying to make a flat platform at the top before clearing the slip. Then they will spray³ grass seed and water onto the slip and fix netting for safety. Workers have now started to rebuild the bridges.

　　Yesterday was an open day for people to see the slip from the western end. About 10,000 people came. They travelled by bus to near the slip. It was also a day for raising money for the Rescue Helicopter.

　　This road usually carries about 6,800 vehicles a day including 480 trucks. For the last 9 months, while the Manawatu Gorge Rd has been closed, drivers have used an alternative route. This alternative road is longer, narrower, more winding⁴, slower and more dangerous for trucks.

　　The cost of repairing the road is already about $11m and will probably be nearer $20m by the time it is finished. The road may be open next month for one lane⁵ from the eastern end during the day and two lanes⁶ at night.

　　To see what the slip looks like, go to: this site

　　or watch it on: to YouTube

　　YouTube also has an older video of driving along the Manawatu Gorge Rd in winter:

　　to YouTube Driving

　　Vocabulary

　　gorge – a river in a deep valley, with high cliffs⁷ on each side

　　heavy rain – opposite of light rain (idiom)

　　soil – dirt, earth

　　platform – a flat place. also called a ‘bench’ in the video

　　alternative – another one

　　route – path, road

　　Grammar

　　‘This is the biggest slip that has ever + p.p.’ Can you make your own example of this structure using a superlative e.g. This is the hardest test I have ever done; this is the most expensive …

　　Comparatives⁸: slower etc. Try to compare two things e.g. the climate in two countries in a long sentence e.g. wetter, colder, more unpleasant, windier

　　Present perfect continuous⁹ – have been trying… This is used to show it is taking a long, long time. It started in the past and is still continuing.

　　Present perfect – have used; this is used to show it started in the past and is still continuing.

　　Present perfect passive¹⁰ – has been closed; again it started in the past and is still continuing. This time the subject (Ministry of Transport? Police?) is not important.

1 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

2 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

3 spray   

v.喷，(使)溅散；n.浪花，飞沫；喷雾

参考例句：

• The liquid came out of the bottle in a spray.液体从瓶子里呈雾状喷出。
• We were wet with the sea spray.我们被海水的浪花溅湿。

4 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

5 lane   

n.(乡间)小路(巷)；车(跑，泳)道；航道

参考例句：

• There is a shop at the end of this lane.这条胡同的顶头有一家商店。
• The champion is running in lane five.冠军跑在第五跑道上。

6 lanes   

n.小路( lane的名词复数 )；车道；航道；分道

参考例句：

• A headless rider haunts the country lanes. 一个无头骑士常出没于乡间的小路上。
• He made a kamikaze run across three lanes of traffic. 他不要命地冲过了三条车道。

7 cliffs   

n.悬崖，峭壁（cliff的复数形式）

参考例句：

• the chalk cliffs of southern England 英格兰南部的白垩质峭壁
• Local folklore has it that prehistoric men drove cattle over these cliffs. 当地民间传说中称，史前人类把野牛从这些悬崖上驱赶下去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 comparatives   

n.（形容词或副词的）比较级形式( comparative的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In this unit, are many adjectives. Please write their comparatives. 在这一单元中，有许多形容词，请依据前面所讲，写出他们的比较级。 来自互联网
• Comparatives, superlatives, hedges, numerals, quantifiers and pronouns are also used in advertisements. 比较级、最高级、模糊限制语、数词、量词和代词也出现在广告中。 来自互联网

9 continuous   

adj.继续的，连续的，持续的，延伸的

参考例句：

• She finally got in after 10 years'continuous effort.坚持不懈地努力了十年后，她终于当选了。
• We must be continuous to study.我们必须不断学习。

10 passive   

adj.被动的；消极的

参考例句：

• He has a passive expression on his face.他脸上有一种漠然的表情。
• It lands the manager in a passive position.它使经理处于被动地位。