Unit 5 Marine Disasters
Text A
Part I
Understanding and Learning
Text A
Background information
1. Notable occurrences of Harmful Algal Blooms
●In 1972 a red tide was caused in New England by a toxic dinoflagellate
Alexandrium (Gonyaulax) tamarense.
●In 2005 the Canadian HAB was discovered to have come further south than it has
in years prior by a ship called ―The Oceanus‖, closing shellfish beds in Maine and Massachusetts and alerting authorities as far south as Montauk (Long Island, NY) to check their beds. Experts who discovered the reproductive cysts in the seabed warn of a possible spread to Long Island in the future, halting the area's fishing and shellfish industry and threatening the tourist trade, which constitutes a significant portion of the island's economy.
●Brittany, in France, in 2009 was experiencing recurring algal blooms caused by
the high amount of fertilizer discharging in the sea due to intensive pig farming, causing lethal gas emissions that have led to one case of human unconsciousness and three animal deaths.
2. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the President at any time, or by Congress during time of war. The Coast Guard motto is Semper Paratus (Latin for "Always Ready" or "Always Prepared").
Detailed Study of the Text
1.Harmful algal blooms may cause harm through the production of toxins or by their accumulated biomass, which can affect co-occurring organisms and alter food-web dynamics. (Para.1)
Meaning: There are two ways that HAB may cause harm: one is through producing toxins and the other is through getting together and forming a huge size of algae. The latter one has an effect on organisms which exist with the algae and subsequently change the relationship and motion of food-web.
co-occurring: a. appearing together in sequence or simultaneously
food-web: n. (Ecology) a series of organisms related by predator-prey and
consumer-resource interactions; the entirety of interrelated food chains in an ecological community
dynamics: n. (plural form) those forces that produce change in any field or system 2. The term red tide erroneously includes many blooms that discolor the water but cause no harm, and also excludes blooms of highly toxic cells that cause problems at low (and essentially invisible) cell concentrations. (Para.2) Meaning: The term red tide is different from HABs in the sense that it includes many blooms that make the water colorful but cause no harm and it does not include some blooms that have hardly coloured the water but caused harm.
erroneously: adv. wrongly
e.g. It had been widely and erroneously reported that Armstrong had refused to give evidence.
阿姆斯特朗拒绝提供证据，这曾经被错误地大肆报道过。
erroneous: a. based on or containing error; mistaken; incorrect
e.g. Some people have the erroneous notion that one can contract AIDS by giving blood.
有些人有这样一种错误的观念：认为献血会染上艾滋病。
3.These effects can include light attenuation, clogging of fish gills, or depletion of dissolved oxygen upon decay of the algal cells. (Para.3)
Meaning：The effects are as follows: light penetration becomes weak, fish gills stick in a mass, and oxygen of decaying the algal cells is exhausted .
attenuation: n. the act of attenuating or the state of being attenuated
attenuate: v. weaken or become weak; reduce in size, strength, density, or value
e.g. Women, I believe, will attenuate the economic gender gap that now exists and move into positions of leadership.
我相信妇女在经济上将缩小现存的性别差距，然后取得主导地位。
clog: v. adhere or stick in a mass
e.g. Oil soon clogs in cold weather.
天气冷时油很快就凝成一块。
e.g. The expressway was clogged with automobiles.
这条高速公路被汽车堵塞了。
4.Marketable shellfish are generally considered to be safe, but in spite of these precautions, there are known illnesses. (Para.4)
Meaning: Shellfish which are sold on the market are thought to have no harm to human’s health. But people have still got some known diseases despite some measures taken ahead of diseases’ occurrences.
precaution: n. an action taken in advance to protect against possible danger, failure, or injury
e.g. Could’t he, just as a precaution, move to a place of safety?
难道他不能就当是一种防范搬到一个安全的地方去吗？
take precautions against (phrase) 采取措施预防
5. As techniques for detecting algal toxins in animal tissues have advanced, so has our appreciation of the number of marine mammal deaths linked to HABs.
(Para.7)
Meaning: The technique to assess the number of marine mammal deaths caused by HABs has made the same progress as to detect algal toxins in animal tissues. appreciation: n.recognition and assessment of the quality, value, significance, or magnitude of people and things
e.g. They have a stronger appreciation of the importance of economic incentives.
他们对经济激励的重要性有了更深的了解。
6. Impacts include loss of shellfish, loss of habitat, sea grass die-backs, and altered food web interactions that decrease preferred higher trophic level species. (Para.8)
Meaning: Impacts include loss of shellfish, loss of living place of organisms, sea grass die-back, a kind of sea grass disease, and decrease of organisms in higher position of a food chain and consequently the change of the food web interactions.
trophic level species: a group of organisms that occupy the same position in a food chain
preferred higher trophic level species refers to organisms that occupying the higher position in a food chain.
7. The demand for seafood as part of a healthy diet, combined with globalization of trade and tourism, expands the geographic boundaries for human exposure and subsequent illness as well as those of economic losses beyond historically affected coastal communities. (Para.10)
Meaning: Seafood is part of human’s diet, so people need it. People need more sea food due to globalization of trade and tourism. And then the economic losses caused by sea food affect more people across the world. The chances of being exposed to seafood-linked illnesses are increasing for people not living in coastal communities. Part II
Pre-reading Questions
Before you read the text, take a few minutes to think about the following questions:
1.What marine disasters do you know? Name some of them.
tsunamis, some earthquake, some volcanic eruption, shipwreck, oil spill.…
2.What can human beings do to prevent and mitigate these natural disasters?
●create awareness of the importance of preventing and mitigating disasters;
●gain and store up the knowledge on disaster preventing and mitigating;
●raise money for scientific research on disaster warning systems and know more
about nature and about the law of nature;
●make evacuation plans for governments and local authorities;
●acquire surviving and first-aid skills for individuals;
●prevent from flooding and build dykes (堤坝), dams and reservoirs;
●the dams and reservoirs can also be used to fight a drought by allowing the
irrigation of dry fields;
●protect our enviroment
3. What do you know about algae? Is it harmful or not？
open
Exercises
I.Reading Comprehension
A.
1.Are HABs and red tide the same thing? Why or why not?
They are not the same. Because the term red tide erroneously includes many blooms that discolor the water but cause no harm, and also excludes blooms of highly toxic cells that cause problems at low (and essentially invisible) cell concentrations.
2.In what way do HABs cause harm?
There are two ways that HABs cause harm. One is the production of toxins; the other is high biomass accumulation.
3.How do HABs impact ecosystems?
It is recognized that harmful algae and their toxins can influence ecosystems from both the top-down (i.e., affecting predators and influencing grazing) and from the bottom-up (i.e., affecting plankton and benthic communities).
4.What are the reasons for expansion of socioeconomic impacts of HABs? Globalization of trade and tourism.
5.On what fields are many millions of dollars spent every year?
Many millions of dollars are spent annually addressing the known HAB-related impacts on public health, commercial fisheries, recreation, tourism, environmental monitoring, and bloom management.
I.Structure Analysis
Part 1: General information about “HABs” (Paras.1-3)
Some of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria create potent while some of them are harmless.
Difference between HABs and red tide:
Red tide includes blooms discoloring the water but causing no harm; excludes blooms of highly toxic cells but often almost invisible.
Two mechanisms to cause harm:
1. the production of toxins
2. high biomass accumulation
Part 2: Impacts of HABs (Paras.4-11)
Impacts on human health
Example : in 1990, six fishermen almost died from eating mussels during a fishing trip.
Impacts on wildlife
HABs-related animal mortality includes:
fish kill, bird kill, or stranding of manatees and whales.
Impacts on ecosystem
Impacts include:
loss of shellfish, loss of habitat, sea grass die-back, and altered food web interactions that decease preferred higher tropic level species.
Example: some species cause brown tides.
Two ways that HABs impact ecosystem: the top-down & bottom-up
Impacts on socio-economy
Reasons for expansion of HABs’ impacts:
1.the demand for seafood
2.globalization of trade and tourism.
The fields that money is spent to address problems :
public health, commercial fisheries, recreation, tourism, environmental monitoring, and bloom management.
III．Vocabulary Study
A.
1. ultimately
2. inadvertently
3. decay
4. mechanism
5. precaution
6. sustain
7. recurrent
8. teem
9. penetration 10.contaminate
B.
1. C
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. A
9. B 10. C
C.
1.maintain
2. reserve
3. excluded
4. incur
5. resume
Ⅳ. Cloze
1．in 2．transfer 3．one-month 4．tourism
5．reducing 6．where 7．portion 8．rank
9．potent 10．safety 11．component 12．Moreover
13．unknown 14．estimating 15．disrupted 16．alternate
17．reservation 18．about 19．ruined 20．adversely
V. Translation
A.
海洋和淡水中聚集着生命，许多很微小，许多没有危害；实际上，所有水中生命最后都以这种微小生命为生。尽管大多数浮游生物和蓝细菌是无害的，但仍然有一些在特定的情况下会产生毒素。有害藻类通过自身产生毒素或通过聚集大量生物来危害一方，进而影响共生的有机物，从而改变食物网循环。这些影响包括食用海产品或间接暴露于赤潮毒素中而导致的人类疾病和死亡，沿岸居民和渔业的经济损失，由赤潮导致的鱼类、鸟类和哺乳动物的死亡。从人类肉眼来看，有害藻类经常呈现绿色、棕色，甚至红黄色。不同颜色是由于海藻的种类，水中的生态系统，和有机体的聚集度来决定的。
藻类泛滥既发生在海水中也发生在淡水中。它主要通过以下两种方式产生危害。第一种危害是由产生的毒素造成的。毒素直接杀死鱼类或贝类,或者人类通过吃受污染的海产品致病。第二种是通过大量生物群聚集，从而造成环境恶化。
这些影响具体包括光线变弱，鱼鳃结块，或者是藻类细胞腐烂消耗了过多的氧气。还有一些有害藻类是因为其物理形状，它们寄生在鱼鳃的组织中，引起鱼的生理反应，导致鱼的死亡。
B．
Marine waters teem with microscopic life. Some of them create potent toxins and some of them do harm by accumulating. The algae causing harm is called Harmful Algal Blooms. It not only has impact on health of human beings (such as some known and even unknown diseases), but on wild life as well. In fact, more than 50% of the unusual marine mortality events are now associated with HABs. It is another societal concern that HABs have profound influence on ecosystem. Sometimes, the impact works from bottom up (such as affecting predators and grazing), and sometimes from bottom-up (such as affecting plankton). In spite of the precautions, the socioeconomic impact is substantial. Many millions of dollars are spent annually addressing the HAB-related problems. The money on public health accounts for the largest part, followed by commercial fisheries and tourism.
Extended Exercises
1.feel in the pink
2.feeling blue
3. sing the blues
4. tickled pink
5. raises a red flag
6. yellow journalism
7. brown as a berry
8. black sheep
Appreciation and Recitation
1.我们大家都说谎——小谎、大谎、善意的谎——都是为确保社会安宁、心理舒适而说的谎。
2.我们懂得善，我们理解善，但是我们无法实现善。人的勇气就是坚信自己的希望能够实现，并为之进行不屈不挠的努力。
3.真正的勇敢，都包含谦虚。
4.人都会犯错误，在许多情况下，大多数仍是由于欲望或兴趣的引诱而犯错误的。
5.暗处最能反映一个人的真正品格。
6.勇气是一架梯子，其他美德全靠它爬上去。
7.不管一切危险，由于一个普通人的无私行动，有人得救了，英雄就应运而生。
8.行善总是具体的、特定的；抽象的、笼统的行善是恶棍、伪君子和献媚者的托辞。
Part III
参考译文
有害藻类
1．海洋和淡水中聚集着生命，许多很微小，许多没有危害；实际上，所有水中生命最后都以这种微小生命为生。尽管大多数浮游生物和蓝细菌是无害的，但仍然有一些在特定的情况下会产生毒素。有害藻类通过自身产生毒素或通过聚集大量生物来危害一方，进而影响共生的有机物，从而改变食物网循环。这些影响包括食用海产品或间接暴露于赤潮毒素中而导致的人类疾病和死亡，沿岸居民和渔业的经济损失，由赤潮导致的鱼类、鸟类和哺乳动物的死亡。从人类肉眼来看，有害藻类经常呈现绿色、棕色，甚至红黄色。不同颜色是由于海藻的种类，水中的生态系统，和有机体的聚集度来决定的。
2．有害藻类爆发时，人们常常称其为赤潮。但科学家更倾向于称之为―有害藻类‖。赤潮还包括了那些使海水变色但不会产生危害的藻类。而且，它还把那些含高毒性细胞的藻花排除在外，而这些藻花在低（本质上是看不见的）菌体浓度下会有问题。所以有害藻类（HABs）是更合适的称呼。
3．藻类泛滥既发生在海水中也发生在淡水中。它主要通过以下两种方式产生危害。第一种危害是由产生的毒素造成的。毒素直接杀死鱼类或贝类,或者人类通过吃受污染的海产品致病。第二种是通过大量生物群聚集，从而造成环境恶化。这些影响具体包括光线变弱，鱼鳃结块，或者是藻类细胞腐烂消耗了过多的氧气。还有一些有害藻类是因为其物理形状，它们寄生在鱼鳃的组织中，引起鱼的生理反应，导致鱼的死亡。
对人体健康的影响
4．食用贝类（如贻贝，蛤）是藻类毒素影响人类健康最常见的方式。在美国，各州管理机构负责监控贝类中毒素的聚集程度，如果毒素量达到警戒线，这些机构还要负责关闭贝类生长基地，不让其收成。市场上买卖的贝类一般是安全的。但尽管有这些预防措施，还是出现了一些大家都知道的疾病。。
5．1990年，发生了一次戏剧性事件。6个渔民在乔治海岸捕鱼期间，由于食用贻贝而差点送命。乔治海岸是一处富产长须鲸和贝类的近海海域，位于马萨诸塞州科德角东100英里处。辛苦一天的渔民收网后，在船上的厨房中用瓦罐蒸贻贝吃，这些贻贝都是当天无意中捕捞的。船长吃饭的时候迟到，因而目睹了船员因为毒素而麻痹，最后一动也不能动的场景。船长本人也感到不适，但他还是给美国海岸护卫队发送了紧急无线电求救信号。护卫队把渔民空运到最近的医院，也就是位于马萨诸塞州楠塔基特岛上的医院。在那里，医生用呼吸疗法来维持渔民的呼吸，让他们不会由于肺部麻痹而导致死亡。幸运的是，所有人在几个星期内恢复了健康，重新回到海上捕鱼。这次事件可能是由从东北海岸海域流动到亚历山大地区的大量藻类造成的。这使得乔治海岸的蛤蜊养殖业关闭。乔治海岸面积很大，监管起来非常困难，同时也在州管辖范围之外，因此美国联邦政府开始行使管辖权。多年以来人们就知道这些蛤蜊含有毒素。目前已经禁止在这里养殖蛤蜊。
对野生动物的影响
6．尽管有害藻类对人类的影响首当其冲，它所导致的野生动物大规模死亡是另外一个人们关注的话题。动物死亡事件，如鱼类鸟类的大量死亡或者海牛和鲸类的搁浅，这些都已经极大地影响了当地居民的生活。
7．随着藻类毒素在食物网中的聚集，海龟、海豚、海牛和其他海洋哺乳动物都会受其影响。随着动物组织毒素技术的进步，我们也越来越多意识到海洋哺乳动
物的死亡和有害藻类密切相关。实际上，50%以上海洋生物的非正常死亡和有害藻类有关。加利福尼亚海岸附近几乎每年都会发生海狮死亡事件，其中大多数死亡几乎都和渗透整个食物网的ASP毒素有关。最近缅因湾乔治海岸附近，19头坐头鲸的死亡也和软骨藻酸中毒有关。在淡水系统水域，这种影响还扩大至短吻鳄和其他动物。
对生态系统的影响
8．对生态系统的影响有很多不同的类型，有的和有毒有害藻花有关，有的和无毒有害藻花无关。这些影响包括贝类死亡，（动物）栖息地丧失，海草枯梢病，和被改变的食物网互动。这种互动使得食物网高处首选动物数量减少。一个例子就是微藻类金藻，它是大西洋中部褐潮的原凶。另一个例子是它的相关物种，Aureoumbra lagunensis，它则导致了德克萨斯州沿岸的褐潮。这些物种对生态系统影响极大，包括光线穿透力减弱，海草范围缩小，文蛤生长速度降低。褐潮还导致了罗得岛和长岛水域贻贝的大量死亡。海藻的周期性蔓延同时对海湾干贝生产造成严重影响，纽约80%以上的产量都受到影响，所造成的商业损失巨大。9．人们意识到有害藻类及其毒素既能自上而下影响生态系统（比如，影响食肉动物和放牧）也可以自下而上影响生态系统（比如影响浮游生物和深海环境）。过度或长期暴露于有害藻类及其毒素之下，会直接或通过食物网把这些生物统统置于危险境地。
对社会经济的影响
10．作为人类饮食的一部分，我们需要海产品。这种需求和贸易全球化及旅游交织在一起，人类暴露于有害藻类的机会和伴随而来的疾病都会超越地理的限制，向世界各地传播。经济损失就会超越原来所影响的近海居民。因而，有害藻类对经济和公共健康的影响极其深远。
11．每年，人们要用巨额资金来处理有害藻类有关的影响。这包括公共卫生、商业捕鱼、休闲、旅游、环境监控及藻类管理等领域。花在公共健康上的钱最多，然后是商业捕鱼和旅游业。出现一次有害藻类，花费就已不菲。第二产业(比如食品加工，水产养殖业的供给)的隐性花费，还有人们的疾病（比如治疗未诊断出的疾病或慢性病），还有消费者的信心下降（比如不去餐馆买海鲜，延期包车钓鱼旅行），以上这些影响都还未知。
Text B
Part I
Understanding and Learning
Background information
1. October 25 of 2010 earthquake and tsunami in western Indonesia
The earthquake was a magnitude 7.7 Mw earthquake that occurred on 25 October 2010 off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia at 21:42 local time (14:42 UTC).
Many villages on the islands were affected by the tsunami, which reached a height of 3 m (9 ft) and swept as far as 600 m (1800 ft) inland. The tsunami caused widespread destruction that displaced more than 20,000 people and affected about 4,000 households. 435 people were reported to have been killed, with over 100 more still missing. The subsequent relief effort was hampered by bad weather and the remoteness of the islands, which led to delays in the reporting of casualties.
Early warning system problems
Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) issued a tsunami warning based on seismographic data. An alert was broadcast from radios and mosque loudspeakers on the mainland, prompting thousands to flee to higher ground. It was later canceled, but officials said that a tsunami warning system installed following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami had failed to function properly. According to Indonesian officials, two of the system's buoys out at sea had been vandalized and were inoperative. The claim of a breakdown was disputed by German officials who were working with the Indonesians to maintain and develop the system. J?rn Lauterjung, the head of the German-Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning Project, said that it had "worked very well", only one sensor had not been working and its failure had not harmed the system's operation. However, the epicentre of the earthquake was so close to the islands that a warning would probably have been too late in any case, as the tsunami only took about five to ten minutes to reach Pagai.
2.Tsunami warning systems
A tsunami cannot be precisely predicted, even if the magnitude and location of an earthquake is known. Geologists, oceanographers, and seismologists, who analyse each earthquake based on many factors, may or may not issue a tsunami warning.
However, there are some warning signs of an impending tsunami, and automated systems can provide warnings immediately after an earthquake in time to save lives. One of the most successful systems uses bottom pressure sensors, attached to buoys, which constantly monitor the pressure of the overlying water column.
Regions with a high tsunami risk typically use tsunami warning systems to warn the population before the wave reaches land. On the west coast of the United States, which is prone to Pacific Ocean tsunami, warning signs indicate evacuation routes. In Japan, the community is well-educated about earthquakes and tsunamis, and along the Japanese shorelines the tsunami warning signs are reminders of the natural hazards
together with a network of warning sirens, typically at the top of the cliff of surroundings hills.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning System is based in Honolulu, Hawaii. It monitors Pacific Ocean seismic activity. A sufficiently large earthquake magnitude and other information triggers a tsunami warning. While the subduction zones around the Pacific are seismically active, not all earthquakes generate tsunami. Computers assist in analysing the tsunami risk of every earthquake that occurs in the Pacific Ocean and the adjoining land masses.
3.Big tsunami occurrences in the history
The tallest tsunami ever recorded so far is the 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami, which had a record height of 524 m (1742 ft).
The deadliest tsunami in recorded history was the 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed almost 230,000 people in eleven countries across the Indian Ocean.
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had a moment magnitude of 9.1–9.3, triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on December 26, 2004, that killed approximately 230,210 people (including 168,000 in Indonesia alone), making it the deadliest tsunami as well as one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. It was also caused by the third largest earthquake in recorded history. The initial surge was measured at a height of approximately 33 meters (108 ft), making it the largest earthquake-generated tsunami in recorded history. The tsunami killed people over an area ranging from the immediate vicinity of the quake in Indonesia, Thailand, and the north-western coast of Malaysia, to thousands of kilometres away in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and even as far away as Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania in eastern Africa. This trans-Indian Ocean tsunami is an example of a teletsunami, which can travel vast distances across the open ocean. In this case, it is an ocean-wide tsunami.
Unlike in the Pacific Ocean, there was no organized alert service covering the Indian Ocean. This was in part due to the absence of major tsunami events since 1883 (the Krakatoa eruption, which killed 36,000 people). In light of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, UNESCO and other world bodies have called for an international tsunami monitoring system.
Detailed Study of the Text
1. Tsunamis are very devastating, but the tricky thing is that some marine earthquakes generate fierce tsunamis and some do not. As the situation in Japan makes painfully clear, there is no good way for people being tossed around by a tremor to know the difference until a wave arrives. (Para.3)
Meaning: Tsunamis have a profound impact on human beings' lives and property, but it is difficult for people to predict tsunamis because some quakes cause tsunamis, and others do not. For example, in the 2010 Japan tsunamis, it shows that people did not know the coming of tsunamis until a wave arrived.
toss: v. throw lightly or casually or with a sudden slight jerk
e.g. It would be better to decide it on the toss of a coin.
最好用抛硬币的方式来对此事做出决定。
toss and turn: (idiom)be unable to sleep because of worrying
e.g. I try to go back to sleep and toss and turn for a while.
我努力重新入睡，辗转反侧了一会儿。
tremor: n.
1) a shaking or vibrating movement, as of the earth
e.g. The earthquake sent tremors through the region.
这次地震的震感传遍了整个地区。
2)a trembling or quivering effect
e.g. News of 160 lay-offs had sent tremors through the community.
裁员160人的消息在社区中引起了波动。
3)an involuntary trembling or quivering, as from nervous agitation or weakness
e.g. The old man has a tremor in his hands.
那位老人的双手颤抖着。
2.Deep ones (as a rule of thumb, those below 20km, or 12 miles) generate small or non-existent tsunamis because their uplifting effects are absorbed by the overburden. (Para.5)
a rule of thumb: (idiom) a way of calculating something which is not exact but which will help you to be correct enough
Usage notes: A rule of thumb was originally a way of measuring using the width or length of your thumb.
e.g. As a rule of thumb, resale stores offer customers products at about one-third the cost they would have been new.
凭经验（据估算），二手商店所买货品是新品的三分之一。
overburden: n.(Earth Sciences / Geological Science) the sedimentary rock material that covers coal seams, mineral veins, etc.
3.The problem is deciding which is which. (Para.5)
Meaning: The key to predict tsunamis is to decide the types of earthquakes: shallow or deep ones.
4.The secret of the new method is that depth changes an earthquake’s charact er in ways other than just its tsunami-generating propensity. (Para.6)
Meaning: The secret of the new method is that depth of epicentre not only changes the chances of generating tsunamis but also the character of an earthquake.
in ways: in the aspect that(the usage of "in ways": it is the same to "in the way...that", "the way that...)
e.g.This flooding along the Mississippi River could affect people in ways you might not think about.
洪水对密西西比河的影响，你都没有想到。
idioms about "way"
in a way:(idioms)
1)a certain extent; with reservations:
e.g.I like the new styles, in a way.
某种程度上说，我还是喜欢你的新风格。
2)from one point of view:
e.g. In a way, you're right.
从某种角度来说，你是对的。
in the(one's) way: (idioms) in a position to obstruct, hinder, or interfere.
E.g. He put every obstacle in my way.
他处处跟我作对。
other than: besides
e.g.I'm especially excited to have the opportunity to blog about anything other than technology and science.
除了在博客中写些关于科技方面的东西，我特别兴奋的是在那里我可以写下任何事情。
propensity: n. an innate inclination; a tendency
e.g.Mr Bint has a propensity to put off decisions to the last minute.
宾特先生有一种将决定拖到最后一分钟的倾向。
4.An energy-release rate indicating a rupture rate of 1?km a second or less sets the alarm bells ringing, for the earthquake has probably spawned a tsunami—though the system is also sensitive to the actual earthquake magnitude, and adjusts accordingly, so it did not miss the tsunami-creating potential of the Japanese earthquake either. (Para.7)
Meaning: If the energy-release is at the rate of 1?km a second or less, the alarm bells will ring for possible tsunami. So, it is likely for the system to predict the possible tsunami as well as the actual earthquake magnitude.
Note: The sentence is a compound sentence linked by ―so‖.
rupture: n. a tearing or breaking。
v. to break or tear
e.g. Certain gasoline tanks in trucks can rupture and burn in a collision.
卡车内的某些油箱会在一次碰撞中爆裂起火。
accordingly: adv.
e.g. We have a different background, a different history. Accordingly, we have the right to different futures.
我们来自不同文化背景和历史环境。因此，我们的未来也会不同。
spawn n the eggs of fish, frogs, etc.
In the spring, the pond is full of frog spawn.
spawn: v.
1）deposit eggs
e.g. Salmon live much of their lives in the open ocean but return to freshwater streams to spawn.
鲑鱼生命中大部分时间生活在海洋里，但产卵的时候，它们会回到淡水溪流中。
5. It will then be up to local authorities to have evacuation plans in place. But they will no longer be able to say they did not see it coming. (Para.10) Meaning: The local government will be responsible for evacuation plan. At that time, they will not have any excuse that they do not predict the coming of tsunamis.
be up to: (idiom)
1）do or plan something secretly
e.g. We knew the boys were up to something because we hadn't seen them all
morning.
我们知道男孩子们在筹划什么事情，因为整个早上都没看到他们。
2）be as good as something; be good enough for something
e.g. Your last essay was not up to your best.
你上篇论文没有达到你最好水平。
3）dependent on
e.g. Mr. Robinson said it was up to the government to take the lead on London Bridge's future.
罗宾逊先生说伦敦桥的未来规划主要依靠政府，政府将在其中起领导作用。
4) as many as
e.g. The building will provide office accommodation for up to 60 businesses.
这栋大楼可以为多达60个公司提供办公地点。
in place: (idiom)
1）in the appropriate or usual position or order
e.g. With everything in place, she started the slide show.
一切准备就绪，她开始放幻灯片。
2）in the same spot; without moving forwards or backwards
e.g. While marching in place, the band played a popular tune.
游行队伍开始原地不动，乐队开始吹奏一首流行的曲子。
Part II
Pre-reading Questions
Before you read the text, take a few minutes to think about the following questions:
1. What is tsunami? Have you ever seen or experienced it?
The phenomenon we call "tsunami" (soo-NAH-mee) is a series of traveling ocean waves of extremely long length generated by disturbances associated primarily with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. Underwater volcanic eruptions and landslides can also generate tsunamis.Can you list some of the disastrous ones that occurred in human beings’ history?
2.Is it possible for human beings to predict tsunamis?
A tsunami cannot be precisely predicted, even if the magnitude and location of an earthquake is known. Geologists, oceanographers, and seismologists, who analyse each earthquake based on many factors, may or may not issue a tsunami warning. However, there are some warning signs of an impending tsunami, and automated systems can provide warnings immediately after an earthquake in time to save lives. Exercises
II.Reading Comprehension
A.
1. what is ―Tsunami‖ according to the passage?
The phenomenon we call "tsunami" (soo-NAH-mee) is a series of traveling ocean
waves of extremely long length generated by disturbances associated primarily with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor. Underwater volcanic eruptions and landslides can also generate tsunamis.
2. How destructive is Japan’s Tsun ami in 2011?
The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami. The tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents, primarily the ongoing level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions due to hydrogen gas that had built up within their outer containment buildings after cooling system failure. Residents within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km (6.2 mi) radius of the Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated.
3. Why is it hard to decide deep earthquakes or shallow earthquakes?
Once all the data are in during an earthquake, its depth can be worked out with reasonable accuracy. But that takes time. The recent Japanese quake, for example, was thought initially to have happened 83km down. The latest measurements suggests its depth was actually 30km. Normally, that would still put it in the class of safe earthquakes, but it was so powerful that the usual rules did not apply.
4. Why does the rupture causing a deep earthquake propagate more rapidly?
The speed seems related to the rigidity of the rock that is rupturing, and deep rock, which is under more pressure, is more rigid. Shallow rocks bend, and that slows the rupture down.
5. When an earthquake is detected, its magnitude is above
6.5 and epicenter is under the water, what will the new system subsequently react?
If the quake’s magnitude is greater than 6.5 and the epicentre is underwater, it then requests information from the relevant stations on how long the earthquake took from beginning to end. That allows it to work out how quickly energy was released by the earthquake, and thus how fast the rupture propagated. An energy-release rate indicating a rupture rate of 1?km a second or less sets the alarm bells ringing, for the earthquake has probably spawned a tsunami—though the system is also sensitive to the actual earthquake magnitude, and adjusts accordingly
6. Has the new system managed to detect Western Indonesia Tsunami on Oct.25 of 2010?
Yes. But it still killed more than 400 islanders. Unfortunately, the new system was not then attached to any sort of alarm that could let the Mentawai islanders know that they were in danger.
II.Structure Analysis
Part 1: General information about “tsunami” (Paras.1-2)
Causes: earthquakes, volcanic eruption, landslide (Para.1)
Impacts: (Para.2)
A threat to life and property to anyone living near the ocean.
Example:
Japanese Tsunami in 2011
Part2: A New earthquake-monitoring system: A help to distinguish the earthquakes that can cause tsunamis from those that can not(Paras.3-10)
Inventors of the new system: Andrew Newman and Jaime Convers
Problem of the old method (Paras.4-5):
It takes time to work out an earthquake ’s depth with reasonable accuracy.
The usual rule
Exception: Japanese Tsunami, a deep earthquake, causing tsunamis
Advantages of the new method (Paras.6-7):
A tool to make an instant estimate of an earthquake’s depth.
Principle: The rupture causing deep earthquake propagates more rapidly than in a shallow rupture.
Working process:
tsunamis
nuclear accidents
earthquake deep earthquakes shallow earthquakes less dangerous more dangerous Conclusion: The usual rule does not work. To have detected an earthquake To look at the size of the tremor and location of its epicenter To work out how quickly energy was released by the earthquake To request information on how long the earthquake took (if magnitude is greater than 6.5 and epicenter is under water) To request how fast the rupture propagated
The alarm bells will ring for a probable tsunami if
Application of the new method: tsunami in western Indonesia (Paras.8-9) Implication of the new method (Para.10):
a help for local authorities to have evacuation plans in place.
III．Vocabulary Study
A.
1.sensitive
2.propagate
3.rupture
4.detect
5. initially
6.ongoing
7.propensity
8.evacuation
9.trigger 10.disturbance
B.
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. C
9. B 10. A
C.
1.Seismology
2.residence
3.depression
4.generate
5. hydroelectric
Ⅳ. Cloze
1．earthquakes 2．rarely 3．awesome 4．of
5．occurring 6．localized 7．underneath 8．frequent
9．margins 10．at 11．other 12．aware
13．dramatically 14．coastal 15．modify 16．inland
17．extreme 18．largest 19．while 20．by
V. Translation
A.
按照是否引发海啸，地震可分两类。一是深震（凭经验，在20公里或12英里以下），隆升通常被表层所吸收，因此不会引发海啸或只引发小型海啸。二是浅震（20km以上），由于地表震感强烈，因此也更危险。目前的问题是如何区分这两种地震。只要有全面的数据，则可较精准地测算出地震的深度。然而，这一过程需花费一定时间。例如，近期日本地震最初深度测算为地下83公里，而最近的一次测算结果却显示，深度实为30公里。通常来说，30公里仍可划入安全等级。但此次地震能量巨大，以往的经验概不管用。
新系统的秘密在于地震深度对地震性质的改变不仅仅停留在是否引发海啸的问题上。岩层断裂可引发深震，且传播速度很快——大约3公里/秒。而浅震中岩层断裂传播速度较慢：一般约1.5公里/秒。速度可能与断裂岩层的坚硬程度
有关，深层岩体受压力更大，也更坚硬。浅层岩体有韧度，可减缓断裂。地震学家可据此迅速估算地震深度，如果是海洋地震，还能估算地震是否引发强烈海啸。
B.
Seismologists have long known that some marine earthquakes generate fierce tsunamis and some do not. The problem is deciding which is which. A new tsunamis-prediction system is under development. It makes an instant estimate of an earthquake’s depth through selecting date of propagating speed when rupture occurred in the rock. And thus it can predict the risk of creating a big tsunami. The researchers tried their system out and analyzed many earthquake and predicted some tsunamis successfully. But unfortunately, it was not attached to local alarms and it still caused devastating tolls and loss. In the near future, the system will be hooked up to alarms around the world. If the new system works at that time, the government will have evacuation plans in place ahead of time.
VIII. Extended Exercises
幸福路上的坎坷
1. 可怜可憎可悲的工作
假如你热爱你的工作，那么恭喜你。如果你和95%的人们一样，那么糟透了。我们或许一周只花40个小时工作，但感觉上却像是被判了无期徒刑。就像蹲监狱一样，我们觉得受束缚，绝望，注定要过一辈子我们不想要的生活。
2. 家庭压力
拥有孩子是真正的恩典，是世界上最美好的事情，但同时也可能成为并且通常是源源不断的压力的根源。绑架，恋童癖者，交通事故，受伤和入室行窃是每一位家长担心的主要问题。但是抱怨、不尊重的行为、发脾气、打架和睡眠不足的问题才是真正困扰我们的。
3. 心如死灰
如此多的人已经放弃了过上自己想要的生活。生活令他们精疲力竭，徒剩一副躯壳。这是相当可悲但同时又相当普遍的情况。这些人只是毫无方向、毫无激情、毫无志趣的随波逐流着。
4. 平庸无为
这个世界需要更多的领导、能够跳出固定思维的人、探索者、敢冒风险的人以及充满激情的人。不需要另一个只是月光族的普通人。
5. 毫无方向
没有目标，没有梦想，我们怎么能成就大业？大梦想就会有大成就。有小梦想就会有小成就。没有梦想就什么也得不到。
6. 缺乏激情
当一个人发现生活中真正的激情时，那一刻堪称生命的里程碑。大多数人终其一生都不明白什么能让他们心跳加速、大脑飞转。
7. 自我中心
世界上最美好的存在之一是付出而不求回报。这个社会总是让我们关心―我能得到什么‖，于是我们变成了―索取的一代‖。我们更需要那些能够真正懂得无私的伟大力量的人。
8. 不会放松
在生活给予的持久压力下，我们都需要放松。发现一个爱好、活动或兴趣可以成为我们生活中的―救生圈‖。打打网球，参加一个当地的商业组织，或者学一门外
语。缺少了放松，生活必定是令人失望的。
9. 不会自我提升
生活就是不断成长、学习、完善自我的过程。从不努力提升自我是通往平庸生活的必经之路。说实话，有谁愿意过平庸的生活呢？当然没有。
10. 内心空虚
如果你走来走去总会觉得生活中少了点什么，那么你就离孤独还远。不幸的是，很多人终其一生都有这种感觉。有人用宗教来弥补这种空虚，有人用孩子，还有的甚至用毒品和酒精。
Part III
参考译文
惊涛骇浪
1．我们称之为―海啸‖的现象（soo-NAH-mee）是由一系列行进中的长波波浪所引起。这些波浪则主要由于海底或近海地区发生地震所导致。海底火山喷发和山体滑坡，也可能引发海啸。深海中，波浪长度从波峰到下一个波峰可能达到一百英里或更多，但波高只有几英尺或更少。船上和海面的空气中都感受不到其存在。在深水中，波浪可能时速会超过500公里。
2．海啸威胁着沿海居民的生命和财产。例如，2011年3月，日本遭遇了难以想象的灾难性地震，这也是日本历史上最强震。地震引发强烈海啸。海啸又引起核泄漏事故。福岛第一核电站三个反应堆不间断地发生7级核泄露事故。疏散人口达数十万人。许多发电厂关闭，至少3个核反应堆因为氢气积聚，导致温度升高，但外层制冷设备失灵，最后发生爆炸。福岛第一核电站半径20公里（12英里），福岛第二核电站半径10公里（6.2英里）内的居民被紧急疏散。此外，美国建议其公民撤离到核电厂80公里（50英里）之外。
3．海啸的破坏力非常大，但复杂的是有些海下地震能引起海啸，有的则不能。就像日本海啸，它惨痛的经验告诉我们，在地震中惊慌失控，流离失所的人们根本无法辨别哪种地震会引发海啸，而哪种则不会。而现在，由乔治亚理工学院的安德鲁?纽曼与亚伊梅?康弗斯共同研发的最新地震监测系统有望改变现状。
4.地震时，地壳板块隆升。如果震中位于海底，板块运动带动上方海水起伏，形成波浪。然而波浪大小因板块隆升性质而定。
5.按照是否引发海啸，地震可分两类。一是深震（凭经验，在20公里或12英里以下），隆升通常被表层所吸收，因此不会引发海啸或只引发小型海啸。二是浅震（20km以上），由于地表震感强烈，因此也更危险。目前的问题是如何区分这两种地震。只要有全面的数据，则可较精准地测算出地震的深度。然而，这一过程需花费一定时间。例如，近期日本地震最初深度测算为地下83公里，而最近的一次测算结果却显示，深度实为30公里。通常来说，30公里仍可划入安全等级。但此次地震能量巨大，以往的经验概不管用。
6.新系统的秘密在于地震深度对地震性质的改变不仅仅停留在是否引发海啸的问题上。岩层断裂可引发深震，且传播速度很快——大约3公里/秒。而浅震中岩层断裂传播速度较慢：一般约1.5公里/秒。速度可能与断裂岩层的坚硬程度有关，深层岩体受压力更大，也更坚硬。浅层岩体有韧度，可减缓断裂。地震学家可据此迅速估算地震深度，如果是海洋地震，还能估算地震是否引发强烈海啸。
7.纽曼博士与康弗斯先生研发的新系统接入了世界各地几百所地震监测站。当检测到地震时，该系统软件立即测算地震规模与震中位置。如果震级超过6.5级且震中位于水下，系统则要求相关监测站报送地震全程持续时间。这一信息可帮助计算地震能量释放速度，并以此计算岩层断裂速度。岩层断裂速度达 1.5公里/秒或以下标准所释放的能量会让警报拉响，而这时极有可能引发海啸——然而，该系统也能检测出地震级数并做出相应调整，因此也检测出了日本地震会引发海啸的风险。
8.两位研究者去年对该发明进行了测试，用它分析了许多地震，包括2010年10月25日印尼西部发生的里氏7.8级地震。震中位于距民大威群岛70km处，岛上只有轻微震感。但是，地震随后引发了一次破坏力极强的海啸，导致400多位岛民死亡。
9.该系统迅速检测到印尼地震，两位研究者近期在《地理物理研究快报》中指出，系统在地震开始后8.5分钟自动检测到震后海啸威胁。随后，系统启动了一系列检查程序，震后16.5分钟便完全确定海啸即将发生。因为海啸将在震后35分钟后到达，如果使用该系统发出警报，则为人们赢得了18.5分钟逃生时间。不幸的是，该系统当时还未与警报系统连接，因此无法及时通知民大威群岛岛民海啸险情。
10.幸运的是，缺乏警报机制的这种情况以后不会再有了。在今年夏天之前，该系统将会与全世界警报系统相连接，并将会在检测到地震后7分钟内计算出海啸发生的概率。随后则由地方政府开展撤离计划。到那时，政府便不可能再说他们没有预测到海啸的发生了。