VOA标准英语2013--Oklahoma Tornado Victims Share Stories of Survival

 

Oklahoma Tornado¹ Victims Share Stories of Survival

Among the countless² buildings struck by the three-kilometer-wide tornado were two elementary schools - hit just as students were about to be released for the day.

Sherry Biddle, a teacher at Briarwood Elementary School, described how she helped her students protect themselves

"I had them take their backpacks and put them over their heads, just as another safety precaution, in the center of our room, in the center of our building," she said.

Briarwood third-grade student Caden talked about what he experienced as the tornado passed.

"I was on the ground, and I just, my ears just went WHOOO, and I couldn't hear anything except cracking and kids screaming," he said.

Incredibly, all the students at Briarwood Elementary School have been accounted for. Another school, Plaza³ Towers, was not so lucky.

As of early Tuesday, police said seven students had died there and at least 24 were missing. In the chaos⁴ following the storm, rescuers and parents searched frantically⁵ for surviving children.

One emotional parent was able to locate his child. "I'm just happy that I was able to find my son and that my family's okay," he said.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said "hearts are broken'' for parents looking for their children. She deployed⁶ the state National Guard and extra police to assist with rescue operations.

1 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

3 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

6 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。