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51 非洲沙尘暴正威胁人类生存环境
DATE=8-3-01
TITLE=ENVIRONMENT REPORT - African Dust Storms
BYLINE=Cynthia Kirk
（Start at 59" ）This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.
Researchers in the United States say (1)dust clouds from dry African (2)deserts may be a threat to the environment and human health. They say the dust may (3)contain many small (4)organisms that could be dangerous to some people.
Each year, huge dust storms form in the Sahara and the Sahel deserts of northern Africa. Winds carry the dust across the Atlantic Ocean. The movement of dust across the Atlantic Ocean has been increasing in recent years because of longer periods without rain in Africa.
From February to April, the dust settles in South America. From June to October, the winds change and (5)transport the dust to North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The dust clouds travel several thousand meters above sea level. It takes five to seven days for the dust to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Researchers have long known that the dust clouds could travel long distances. But they thought few microorganisms could (6)survive the trip because of damaging (7)ultraviolet (8)radiation from the sun. Researchers now believe that the dust clouds block enough of the light to protect viruses, (9)bacteria and (10)fungi in the dust.
Researchers say these microorganisms may be a health risk to some people. About half of the bacteria and fungi that survive the trip from Africa are known to cause disease in people, animals or plants.
More than half of the dust that reaches the United States settles in the state of Florida. For many years, it has caused the skies there to turn red. Now researchers say there may be a link between the dust storms and increased health risks in Florida. They believe the dust causes higher rates of (11)asthma, (12)allergies and other breathing problems in people there. The dust also has been linked to a large increase in (13)lung problems in at least one Caribbean nation.
Last year, American scientists published a study showing that the African dust is causing (14)coral (15)reef damage in the Caribbean. They identified organisms in the dust particles that cause coral diseases.
Scientists at the United States Geological Survey reported the latest findings. They used satellites from NASA, the United States space agency, to carry out their work.
This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.
(1) dust [ dQst ]n.灰尘, 尘土, 尘埃vt.掸掉...上的灰尘, 撒糖于糕上
(2) desert [ di5zE:t ]n.沙漠, 应得的赏罚, 功过adj.沙漠的, 不毛的, 荒凉的vt.放弃, 遗弃, 逃跑vi.逃掉, 逃亡, 开小差
(3) contain [ kEn5tein ]vt.包含, 容纳, 容忍vi.自制v.[军]牵制(敌军)v.[数]可被...除尽
(4) organism [ 5C:^EnizEm ]n.生物体, 有机体
(5) transport [ trAns5pC:t ]n.传送器, 运输, 运输机, 激动, 流放犯, 狂喜vt.传送, 运输, 流放, 放逐
(6) survive [ sE5vaiv ]v.幸免于, 幸存, 生还
(7) ultraviolet [ 5QltrE5vaiElit ]adj.紫外线的, 紫外的n.紫外线辐射
(8) radiation [ 7reidi5eiFEn ]n.发散, 发光, 发热, 辐射, 放射, 放射线, 放射物
(9) bacteria [ bAk5tiEriE ]n.细菌
(10) fungi [‘fQn^ai] n. 真菌类(包括霉菌,食用伞菌,酵母菌等),似真菌的,由真菌引起的
(11) asthma [ 5AsmE ]n.[医]哮喘
(12) allergy [ 5AlEdVi ]n.[医]敏感症, <口>反感
(13) lung [ lQN ]n.肺, 呼吸器, 肺脏
(14) coral [ 5kCrEl ]n.珊瑚, 珊瑚虫
(15) reef [ ri:f ]n.暗礁, 收帆v.收(帆)
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