Foundations Reading 10A

Chap 19

第19章

Reading 10A WILD WEATHER In late June 2018, the weather forecast for western Japan predicted heavy rain, but no one was prepared for what was to come. By mid-July, large areas were flooded. Some areas received over 100 centimeters of rain. Cars and trucks floated down the streets. Whole buildings were washed away. At least 225 people died, and millions had to leave their homes. Changing Weather The weather is changing. Over the last few years, heavy rains have caused floods in many parts of the world. There have been droughts in Brazil and Australia. Heat waves in Europe have killed thousands. There have been more hurricanes and tornadoes, and they have struck with more power than ever before. In 2017 alone, the financial cost from weather events around the world was 340 billion dollars.

读数10A 恶劣的天气 2018年6月下旬，日本西部的天气预报预测将有大雨， 但没有人为即将发生的事情做好准备。 到7月中旬，大片地区被洪水淹没。 一些地区降雨量超过100厘米。 汽车和卡车在街道上漂浮。 整栋建筑都被冲走了。 至少有225人死亡，数百万人不得不离开家园。 天气变化 天气在变。 在过去的几年里，大雨在世界许多地区造成了洪水。 巴西和澳大利亚发生了干旱。 欧洲的热浪已造成数千人死亡。 飓风和龙卷风的次数比以往任何时候都多，而且它们的威力也比以往任何时期都大。 仅在2017年，全球天气事件的财务成本就达到了3400亿美元。

Warmer and Wetter As more wild weather events happen, people are asking questions: What is happening with the weather? And why? Is this natural, or are we to blame? The answer seems to be: a little of both. Wild weather is natural. But most scientists agree human activity has made the Earth warmer. This global warming makes heat waves more likely. The higher temperatures also cause more water to enter the air. This causes heavier and more frequent rain. Many scientists also believe global warming makes hurricanes and other storms stronger. This means we're likely to see more wild weather. "[But] we don't have to just stand there and take it," says scientist Michael Oppenheimer. He and other experts say we need to stop the Earth from getting warmer. We also need to be prepared, to do things that will help save lives.

温暖和湿润 随着越来越多的恶劣天气事件发生，人们开始问：天气怎么了？为什么？ 这是自然的，还是我们应该受到指责？ 答案似乎是：两者兼而有之。 狂野的天气是自然的。 但大多数科学家都认为，人类活动使地球变暖。 全球变暖使热浪更有可能发生。 更高的温度也会导致更多的水进入空气。 这会导致更大、更频繁的降雨。 许多科学家还认为，全球变暖会使飓风和其他风暴更强。 这意味着我们可能会看到更多的恶劣天气。 科学家迈克尔·奥本海默说：“（但是）我们不必只是站在那里接受它。”。 他和其他专家说，我们需要阻止地球变暖。 我们还需要做好准备，做一些有助于拯救生命的事情。

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