CNN 2012-08-28

 Isaac is the name of a storm making its way to the Caribbean Sea. On Thursday, it was a tropical storm. But forecasters think it could become a hurricane sometime today. That`s also when Isaac is expected to hit Hispaniola, the island made up of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. More than 400,000 Haitians live in tent camps like this, because of an earthquake that hit the country in 2010. Officials are worried about the danger this storm could pose for the camps and all of Haiti. Rob Marciano has more on Isaac`s path.

 

 

 

It`s got a big circulation, it`s got a lot of water to contend with here, to tap into. So, we think it`s going to intensify<sup>1</sup>. The Island of Hispaniola is going to get very, very hard with potentially hurricane force winds and heavier rainfall, and you are talking about a country that has hundreds of the thousands people with questionable<sup>2</sup> shelter that`s going to be an issue of potentially with mud slides. Here is the forecast track from the National Hurricane Center that does intensify it, and brings it over Hispaniola, notably³ right over Port- au-Prince, Haiti during the day on Friday, and then again on Saturday, and then likely knocking a little bit of its punch, because these very mountainous areas take some of the steam out of it, so what shape it will be in, when it reemerges in the Florida Straits and potentially, the Gulf⁴ of Mexico Sunday night into Monday? That`s really unknown as well. And then when it gets into the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, how much more is it going to strengthen? But notice a forecast track does bring it very, very close to Tampa.

 

 

 

All right, Rob mentioned Tampa because that city is hosting the Republican National Convention next week. And we don`t know for sure where Isaac will hit. When forecasters predict the path of the storm, they use what`s called "a cone⁵ of uncertainty⁶." It`s just this range where the storm could go.

 

 

 

This is the building where the Republican convention will be happening. If Isaac hits Tampa, and if it`s strong enough, the building might have to be evacuated<sup>7</sup>. Republican officials say they are working on backup plans, but added that they won`t let weather stop them from making Mitt⁸ Romney the party`s official presidential nominee⁹ next week.

1 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

2 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

3 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 cone   

n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果

参考例句：

• Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
• The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

7 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

8 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

9 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。