The volcanic eruption is like a heavy snowfall火山爆发就像一场大雪

李燕

俄罗斯堪察加半岛上的火山爆发，喷出了大量的火山灰。这些火山灰落在地上，看起来就像下了一场大雪。

主题语境：自然灾害 篇幅：329词 建议用时：7分钟

1 One of Russias most active volcanoes erupted，launching a massive gray cloud into the air and coatingnearby villages in a thick layer of ash.

2 The eruption of Shiveluch， a volcano on RussiasKamchatka Peninsula， was not immediately reported tocause any deaths. But scientists said the fallout covered 108，000 square kilometers andprompted a code red warning for flights.“ The ash reached 20 kilometers high，” said DanilaChebrov， director of the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of Russian Academyof Sciences.“ The ash cloud moved westwards， and there was a very strong fall of ash onnearby villages.”

3 The Kamchatka Peninsula， a 270，000?square?kilometer area with a population ofabout 300，000 in Russia's far east， has more than 300 volcanoes—including 29 volcanoesthat are active. The Volcanoes of Kamchatka are considered one of the most outstandingvolcanic regions in the world and were listed as a World Heritage site， according to UnitedNations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization （UNESCO）.

4 With at least 60 eruptions during the past 11，700 years， Shiveluch is one ofKamchatka's largest and most active volcanoes. Michigan Technological University'svolcanologist Simon Carn said that the latest eruption was likely Shiveluch's largestsince the dawn of satellites.

5 Shiveluch began erupting just after midnight on April 11， 2023， dumping about eightcentimeters of ash on Klyuchi， the closest village， located about 50 kilometers away.“ Theroads are completely terrible，” said local resident Vera Mayorova.“ It's very difficult totake the kids to the kindergarten. Pupils at schools are studying at home. It's impossible towalk outside because of the ash?fall （降灰）.”

6 Residents also reported their tap water had turned ash gray in color， promptingauthorities to deliver bottled water. The eruption was likely powerful enough to shootvolcanic material into the stratosphere （平流层）， which could have a temporary coolingeffect.

7 The governor of Kamchatka， Vladimir Solodov， said mass evacuation （疏散） was notnecessary but explained that schools would switch to remote classes for the duration of theaftermath （后續影响） of the disaster.“ As much as possible， stay at home，” he said.

Reading Check

Detail

1. What can we know about Shiveluch from the text？

A. The eruption of it causes many deaths.

B. It is Kamchatka's largest active volcano.

C. It is one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes.

D. The eruption of it prevents everyone going outside.

Detail

2. How high did the ash cloud from the eruption reach？

A. 20 kilometers.

B. 50 kilometers.

C. 108，000 kilometers.

D. 270，000 kilometers.

Gist

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about？

A. The explanation of an outstanding volcano.

B. The Kamchatka Peninsula's large populaion.

C. The Kamchatka Peninsula's many volcanoes.

D. The introduction to the Volcanoes of Kamchatka.

Detail

4. What is difficult for the residents of Klyuchi？

A. Going to school.

B. Always staying at home.

C. Mass evacuation.

D. Much high temperature.

Language Study

Difficult sentences in the text

1. Michigan Technological University's volcanologist Simon Carn said that the latesteruption was likely Shiveluch's largest since the dawn of satellites.密歇根理工大学的火山学家西蒙·卡恩说，最近的这次喷发可能是自卫星出现以来舍维留奇火山最大的一次喷发。

【点石成金】句中的that 引导的是宾语从句；since 在句中意为“自从”，since...satellites作状语。

2. The eruption was likely powerful enough to shoot volcanic material into the strato?sphere， which could have a temporary cooling effect.这次喷发的威力可能足以将火山物质喷射到平流层，这可能会产生暂时的冷却效果。

【点石成金】句中的which引导的是定语从句，并在从句中作主语；be likely to意为“很有可能”。