1.Did
you know that before 1950, hurricanes had no names? They were simply given
numbers. The first names were simply Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. But in 1953,
females names were given because of the unpredictability (不可预知的) factor of the
storms. In 1979, realizing the sexist (性别歧视的) nature of such names, the lists
were expanded to include both men and women. 2. Hurricanes and
typhoons (台风) are the same things. If they form in the Atlantic, we call these
strong storms hurricanes, from the West Indian word hurricane, meaning "big
wind". And if they are Pacific storms, they are called typhoons from the Chinese
taifeng, meaning "great wind". To he classified as a hurricane, the
storm must have maximum winds of at least 75 mph. These storms are big, many
hundreds of miles in diameter. 3. Hurricanes get their power
from water vapor as it gives out its stored-up energy. All water vapor gives out
heat as it condenses (凝结) from a gaseous state to a liquid state over fixed
points on the equator (赤道). To make a hurricane, you must have extremely wet,
warm air, the kind of air that can only he found in tropical region.
4. Scientists have determined that the heat given out in the process of
water condensation can be as high as 95 billion kilowatts per hour. In just one
day alone, the storm can produce more energy than many industrialized nations
need in an entire year! The problem is that we don't know how to make sure such
great energy work for us. 5. Predicting the path of a hurricane
is one of the most difficult tasks for forecasters. It moves at a typical speed
of 15 mph. But not always. Some storms may race at twice this speed, then
suddenly stop and remain in the same location for several days. It can be
maddening (发疯的) if you live in a coastal area that may be hit.
6. The biggest advance in early detection is continuous watch from weather
satellites. With these, we can see the storms form and track them fully, from
birth to death. While they can still kill people and destroy property,
hurricanes will never surprise any nation again.
填空题
Paragraph 1 ______
A. A Short History of Naming Hurricanes
B. Harnessing the Hurricane Energy
C. Difficulty in Forecasting the Course of a Hurricane
D. Huge Energy Stored in a Hurricane
E. Forecasting a Hurricane Through Satellite Watching
F. Different Names for the Same Things
填空题
Paragraph 2 ______
填空题
Paragraph 4 ______
填空题
Paragraph 5 ______
填空题
Both male and female names are used for hurricanes in consideration of ______.
A. the timely (及时的) discovery
B. convenience
C. sex equality
D. its connection with humans
E. the huge power
F. its uncertainty
填空题
Using weather satellites can ensure ______ of hurricanes.
填空题
Energy specialists may be interested in ______ of hurricanes.
填空题
Scientists cannot accurately predict the course of a hurricane due to ______.