英语听力—环球英语 584 The Language of Volcanoes

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Ruby¹ Jones
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight². This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
‘Suddenly you know that the volcano³ is speaking to you. And you understand the language. This is a defining⁴ moment.’
Voice 2
Scientist Bernard Chouet said these words. He was talking about an important time in his work. It was when he discovered a secret that would save thousands of lives. For years, scientists had wanted to know how to predict the time a volcano would erupt. If they could warn people that a volcanic⁵ mountain would soon explode, people living near it could escape.
Voice 1
In today’s programme we look at the work of a man called Bernard Chouet - and how he has shaped the course of volcano science.
Voice 2
A volcano is an amazing sight, but also very frightening - a huge mountain with a mouth that blows out hot melted rock and gases. Volcanoes⁶ permit gases to escape from deep below the earth. And they permit liquid rock, called magma, to escape. The magma moves up and up. If the top of the volcano is closed there is nowhere for the magma to go. The high pressure pushes against the top of the volcano. Finally, it pushes through the top - causing the volcano to explode or erupt.
Voice 1
In the past, there has been no clear warning as to exactly when a volcano would erupt. This has resulted in many injuries and deaths.
Voice 2
In 1985 the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted. More than twenty thousand people died. This tragic⁷ event deeply troubled scientists. How could they prevent volcanoes from causing such great loss of life? They had to find a way to predict when a volcano would erupt. The answer came through the work of one particular scientist - Bernard Chouet.
Voice 1
Bernard Chouet was different from other volcanologists. Yes he studied volcanoes, and examined their behaviour. But his earlier training was in other areas of science. This gave Chouet extra skills in understanding one of the key instruments for studying volcanoes - seismographs. Seismographs record earthquakes that happen inside the volcano. These records are called seismograms. The seismograms show the sounds of the rocks breaking. There is only one thing that can break solid rock inside a volcano - liquid rock - magma. As magma moves up the volcano, it breaks through rock. And so seismograms show the travel path of magma. For many years, scientists studied seismograms and eruptions⁹ of volcanoes. They looked for a link between the two. However, there did not seem to be a link. Scientists could not see any repeats in the behaviour.
Voice 2
Bernard Chouet studied the seismograms. He saw the main signal that other scientists had studied. But he was particularly interested in a second layer of information - a weaker signal hidden under the main signal. Scientists knew about it, but they did not know what it meant. However, Chouet’s particular scientific skills caused him to notice something more. He saw the shapes repeating themselves beautifully on the seismogram!! He called these shapes ‘long period events.’
Voice 1
Chouet explained that the magma moves up the volcano, breaking rock on its way. The hot magma blowing through the broken rock produces a signal that the seismograph can sense. Scientists call this signal “resonance¹⁰”. Resonance is the same effect that produces sound when a person blows air into a pipe. In the seismogram, the resonance signal shows as the series of long shapes - the ‘long period events.’ Chouet discovered that there are more long period events when the volcano is closer to exploding. So, long period events could show when a volcano would soon erupt.
Voice 2
However, Chouet was not the only scientist trying to understand volcanoes. Another scientist was working on a completely different method. His name was Stanley Williams. Williams climbed into volcanoes to learn about them! And, he believed the answer was in measuring gases. Magma releases¹¹ gases into the air above the volcano. The gases are the force behind the eruption⁸. The amount of gas increases as the magma rises under the ground. Williams believed that measuring the gas would help to predict the eruption.
Voice 1
In 1993, the two ideas came against each other. Some scientists met together at Galeras. Galeras is a volcano in southern Colombia. They planned to go into the volcano to study it. Williams’ gas readings showed that the volcano was safe. But Chouet’s long period events warned that the volcano may erupt. The scientists discussed what to do. Chouet’s methods were not well known. And, Chouet was unable to be at the meeting - to explain more. And so the scientists decided¹² to go ahead and trust the gas method. They went into the volcano.
Voice 2
On the 14th of January, 1993 Galeras erupted. It killed six of the scientists. Stanley Williams survived. But he suffered permanent injuries.
Voice 1
On the Galeras trip, Chouet’s methods had proved to be correct. But the cost was high. The tragic event created respect for Chouet’s work. And people began to listen to his theory.
Voice 2
In December 2000, Mexican scientists used Chouet’s methods. They saw the long period events on the seismograph for the volcano Popocatepetl. The events were greatly increasing. Bernard Chouet said,
Voice 3
‘This is like a warning song. The volcano is telling you, "OK I am under pressure here. I am going to blow at the top."’
Voice 2
The experts in Mexico decided to trust the long period event warning. They showed that Popocatepetl volcano would explode on the eighteenth of December. So, the authorities¹³ gave the order. Thirty thousand people had to leave their homes - in less than twenty-four hours. And, on the 18th of December 2000 Popocatepetl erupted. It was the largest eruption for a thousand years. But no one was hurt.
Voice 1
Today, Bernard Chouet’s method is one of several that scientists use to try to predict volcanic eruptions. It is still too early to say if the method will always work. But Chouet has made great progress in understanding the science of volcanoes. He said;
Voice 3
‘Science works¹⁴ through a painful process of research and testing. You have to show that process works for other volcanoes as well. Because there is so much more richness in nature than anyone can imagine.’
Voice 1
Bernard Chouet’s work has proven what many scientists already knew. Humans do not have to be powerless victims in natural tragedies. There are warnings and signs in nature. It is just a case of understanding the language.
 

1 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 volcano   

n.火山

参考例句：

• The volcano unexpectedly blew up early in the morning.火山一早突然爆发了。
• It is most risky to go and examine an active volcano.去探察活火山是非常危险的。

4 defining   

规定( define的现在分词 )； 使明确； 精确地解释； 画出…的线条

参考例句：

• You can customise the behavior of the Asynchronous Server and hence re-brand it by defining your own command set for invoking services. 通过定义自己调用服务的命令集，您可以定制自定义异步服务器的行为，通过为调用服务定义自己的命令集从而对它重新标记。
• This point can be put another way in defining poverty. 这一点还能从另一方面来加以说明以佐证贫困的涵义。 来自英汉非文学 - 新闻报道

5 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

6 volcanoes   

n.火山( volcano的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Volcanoes and geysers erupt. 火山和间歇喷泉均能喷发。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has been able to tell us more about active volcanoes than any man alive. 他现在比任何人都能更多地向我们讲述有关活火山的情况。 来自《用法词典》

7 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

8 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

9 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

10 resonance   

n.洪亮；共鸣；共振

参考例句：

• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments.一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。
• The areas under the two resonance envelopes are unequal.两个共振峰下面的面积是不相等的。

11 releases   

v.释放( release的第三人称单数 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• Nuclear fission releases tremendous amounts of energy. 核裂变释放出巨大的能量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Zemel says that when calcium levels are low, the body releases a hormone that helps squeeze the most out of every available milligram of the mineral. 泽莫尔博士说，当人体中的钙含量偏低时，身体里就会产生一种荷尔蒙，它能帮助肌体最大限度地吸收所摄入的钙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。