【趣谈英语】灾难即是不好的开端-A Disaster Was a Bad Star

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

avalanche¹: a sudden rush of snow and ice down a mountain or hill

pilot error: a mistake made by the person operating an aircraft

misalignment: the incorrect position or arrangement of something

 

A Disaster Was a Bad Star

The news today is full of disasters. A disaster is anything bad that happens and causes major suffering or loss. It can refer to something natural, such as an avalanche, or something manmade, such as a plane crash caused by pilot error. The word disaster comes from the Latin words dis (bad) and aster² (star). In the Middle Ages, disasters such as floods or fires were blamed on the misalignment of the planets. Ironically, these days, many environmental disasters are considered to be manmade.

1 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

2 aster   

n.紫菀属植物

参考例句：

• This white aster is magnificent.这棵白色的紫苑是壮丽的。
• Every aster in my hand goes home loaded with a thought.我手中捧着朵朵翠菊，随我归乡带着一片情思。