The megafires of California
site: The megafires of California
Wildfires are becoming an increasing menace in the western United States, with Southern California being the hardest hit area.
menace /ˈmen.əs/ noun. 威胁; 恐吓 +1
The wildfires themselves, experts say, are generally hotter, faster, and spread more erratically than in the past.
erratically /ɪˈræt̬.ɪ.kəl.i/ adverb. 不稳定地
The unintentional consequence has been to halt the natural eradication of underbrush, now the primary fuel for megafires.
halt /hɑːlt/ verb. 使…停下来
eradication /ɪˌræd.əˈkeɪ.ʃən/ noun. 根除; 杜绝 +2
Stung in the past by criticism of bungling that allowed fires to spread when they might have been contained, personnel are meeting the peculiar challenges of neighborhood - and canyon- hopping fires better than previously, observers say.
bungling /ˈbʌŋ.ɡlɪŋ/ adjective. 笨拙的; 拙劣的
peculiar /pɪˈkjuːl.jɚ/ adjective. 奇怪的; 古怪的
Firefighters’ unions that in the past complained of dilapidated equipment, old fire engines, and insufficient blueprints for fire safety are now praising the state’s commitment, noting that funding for firefighting has increased, despite huge cuts in many other programs.
dilapidated /dɪˈlæp.ə.deɪ.t̬ɪd/ adjective. 破旧的
insufficient /ˌɪn.səˈfɪʃ.ənt/ adjective. 不足的; 不充分的
- sufficient 充分的
Besides providing money to upgrade the fire engines that must traverse the mammoth state and wind along serpentine canyon roads, the state has invested in better command-and-control facilities as well as in the strategies to run them.
traverse /trəˈvɝːs/ verb. 穿过 +1
mammoth /ˈmæm.əθ/ adjective. 巨大的
serpentine /ˈsɝː.pən.taɪn/ adjective. 弯弯曲曲的
In the fire sieges of earlier years, we found that other jurisdictions and states were willing to offer mutual-aid help, but we were not able to communicate adequately with them
siege /siːdʒ/ noun. 周围
jurisdiction /ˌdʒʊr.ɪsˈdɪk.ʃən/ noun. 管辖权; 管辖区域 +1
Second nature
site: Second nature
Cultivating such qualities will help you realise your full potential.
cultivate /ˈkʌl.tə.veɪt/ verb. 培养
Inherently introverted, he realised early on that as an academic, his reticence would prove disastrous in the lecture hall. So he learned to be more outgoing and to entertain his classes. ‘Now my extroverted behaviour is spontaneous,’ he says.
inherently /ɪnˈhɪr.ənt.li/ adverb. 内在地
introverted /ˈɪn.trə.vɝː.t̬ɪd/ adjective. 内向的
reticence /ˈret̬.ə.səns/ noun. 缄默
disastrous /dɪˈzæs.trəs/ adjective. 灾难性的
extrovert /ˈek.strə.vɝːt/ noun. 性格外向的人
spontaneous /spɑːnˈteɪ.ni.əs/ adjective. 主动的; 自发的
On campus, he quickly found that beyond ordinary counselling, the university had no services for students who were undergoing physical rehabilitation and suffering from depression like him.
rehabilitation /ˌriː.həˌbɪl.əˈteɪ.ʃən/ noun. 康复; 修复
The physical stamina required for this sport is intense but the psychological demands are even more overwhelming.
stamina /ˈstæm.ə.nə/ noun. 耐力
overwhelming /ˌoʊ.vɚˈwel.mɪŋ/ adjective 压倒性的; 难以抑制的;
The new manager was intimidating staff so Pedeleose carefully recorded each instance of bullying and eventually took the evidence to a senior director, knowing his own job security would be threatened.
intimidate /ɪnˈtɪm.ə.deɪt/ verb. 恐吓
According to Cynthia Pury, a psychologist at Clemson University, Pedeleose’s story proves the point that courage is not motivated by fearlessness, but by moral obligation.
moral /ˈmɔːr.əl/ adjective. 道德的
obligation /ˌɑː.bləˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ noun. 义务; 责任
When evolution runs backwards
site: When evolution runs backwards
For the better part of a century, most biologists have been reluctant to use those words, mindful of a principle of evolution that says ‘evolution cannot run backwards.
reluctant /rɪˈlʌk.tənt/ adjective 不情愿的
Another more intriguing possibility is that the genetic information needed to make toes somehow survived for tens or perhaps hundreds of millions of years in the lizards and was reactivated.
intrigue /ɪnˈtriːɡ/ verb. 引起…的好奇 +2
- intriguing /ɪnˈtriː.ɡɪŋ/ adjective. 引起兴趣的