英语听力文摘 English Digest 576、希腊不总是人间天堂！

 　　Greek Island Shows Signs Of Volcanic¹ Unrest

 

　　Fira is a typical Greek city overlooking the Aegean Sea. Sitting atop a twelve hundred foot cliff on Santorini Island, it’s an ideal vacation spot. But this island wasn’t always a paradise. Thirty five hundred years ago, it was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions³ in historic times.

 

　　The Santorini volcano blew up with very little warning, causing a massive tsunami⁴ that destroyed coastal⁵ towns around the Mediterranean⁶. The volcano collapsed⁷ to form what looks like a collection of small islands, but the islands are actually part of the rim⁸ of its four mile wide sunken caldera.

 

　　The volcano’s long slumber⁹, followed by such a sudden and massive eruption², was a puzzle to scientists. Why does a volcano sit dormant¹⁰ for thousands of years and then suddenly erupt? Scientists think they have found a clue in layers of crystal rock.

 

　　Magnesium¹¹ is one element present in the volcano’s different rock layers. Since it diffuses¹² slowly through crystalline rock, scientists can calculate rock ages by how much magnesium is present.

 

　　Scientists found that almost all of the crystal layers on Santorini were deposited just before the eruption. That meant that several cubic miles of hot magna rose from the depths of the volcano very rapidly. The magma melted and mixed with the rocks just below the surface immediately before the massive explosion. The volcano that had been sleeping for thousands of years woke in the blink of an eye.

 

　　Researchers don’t know what caused such a large volume of magma to rise so quickly, but their findings may give scientists a clue to help predict the next big eruption. GPS measurements show that the rim of Santorini is deforming¹³ right now, indicating that more magma may be on the rise.

 

　　希腊岛屿显示火山活动迹象

 

　　菲拉是一座典型的希腊城市，坐落在圣托里尼岛1200英寸高的悬崖之上，俯瞰爱琴海，是一处理想的度假胜地。但这座岛屿在过去并非一直是人间天堂。3500年前，这里发生了历史上最大规模之一的火上喷发。

 

　　圣托里尼火山在爆发之前几乎没有任何征兆，爆发后引起一场巨大的海啸，摧毁了地中海沿岸的城镇。接着火山发生塌陷，形成了如今这一系列小岛。这些岛屿事实上是沉入海水中的四英里宽火山口的一部分。

 

　　圣托里尼火山在长期沉寂后突然发生大规模的爆发，这一现象令科学家们感到费解。为何一座火山几千年来一直处于休眠状态，却会突然爆发呢？科学家们认为他们已在结晶岩层中找到了线索。

 

　　镁元素存在于火山的不同岩层中。由于它在结晶岩层中扩散缓慢，因此科学家们可以通过检测镁元素含量来计算岩层的年龄。

 

　　科学家们发现，圣托里尼岛上几乎所有的结晶岩层均恰好在火山爆发之前沉积下来。这意味着，体积达数立方英里的火热岩浆从火山深处迅速喷发出，在大规模火山爆发之前立即将地表下的岩石融化，并与之混合。已沉睡千年的火山就这样在眨眼之间苏醒了。

 

　　研究人员不清楚是什么原因导致如此多岩浆的快速喷发，但他们的研究发现也许可以为科学家们预测下一次的大爆发提供线索。GPS测量显示，圣托里尼火山口边缘正在变形，这预示着更多的岩浆可能正蓄势待发。

1 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

3 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

4 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

5 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

6 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

9 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

10 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。

11 magnesium   

n.镁

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The water contains high amounts of magnesium.这水含有大量的镁。

12 diffuses   

（使光）模糊，漫射，漫散( diffuse的第三人称单数 )； （使）扩散； （使）弥漫； （使）传播

参考例句：

• A gas in solution diffuses from region of greater to one of less concentration. 溶液中的气体由浓度较高的区域向浓度较低的区域扩散。
• The sun diffuses light and heat. 太阳发出光和热。

13 deforming   

使变形，使残废，丑化( deform的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient may show an actual crater deforming indication of active disease. 病人可以出现表现活动病变的真正龛影变形。
• He saw Jan as though someone had snatched a deforming mask from Jan's face. 他看见了简的真面目，仿佛有人把一个歪曲形象的面具从简的脸上撕了下来。