2006年VOA标准英语-Heat Wave Dangerous To Health

By Melinda Smith
Washington, DC
03 August 2006
 
watch Heat Safety report
  

Tyler Davis collapsed¹ after practicing football in the hot sun for more than an hour  
  
More than 160 heat-related deaths have occurred in the last two weeks, as a searing heat wave has rolled across the United States. The dangerous heat has moved from California, across the Midwest to the East Coast, with temperatures climbing to at least 38 degrees Celsius².  Extreme heat kills more people each year in the U.S. than any other natural disaster. 

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Football practice at this high school in the southern U.S. state of Georgia has been canceled following the heat stroke death of 15-year-old Tyler Davis earlier this week.  Hakeem Stuart was a friend. "It's not every day you figure one of your friends would just die on you like that."

Hakeem Stuart  
  
Tyler Davis and his teammates had been practicing in the hot sun for more than an hour when he collapsed. The temperature had been about 35 degrees Celsius.  Three other young athletes have also died of heat related causes this summer.

A construction worker in the midwestern state of Michigan was working in an elevator shaft³ in 40 degrees Celsius when he had to be rescued.

A young child in the nearby state of Wisconsin was rescued by paramedics after her mother accidentally locked her in the car.  "I opened the doors, it was pretty hot in there, so I felt really terrible."
 

Most vulnerable to the heat are senior citizens   
  
But it is the elderly who are the most vulnerable in hot weather.  Doctors say they often have medical conditions affecting their response to heat. Many are on medications restricting their ability to perspire⁴. To make matters worse, many older people live alone and on a limited income. Some try to save money on the cost of air conditioning.

In August of 2003, 10,000 people died of heat-related causes in France.  Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius.  Many of the unidentified were buried by the French government when no one claimed them.

Heat-related deaths in the United States number as many as 400 a year. 1995 was a disastrous⁵ year in the Midwestern city of Chicago.  A three-day heat wave took the lives of at least 700 people.  Again, many were older people who lived alone.  Since then, Chicago health officials have reached out to the elderly, checking on them to make sure they are comfortable in the heat. 

John Wilhelm   
  
Former Chicago health commissioner⁶ John Wilhelm says the city learned a painful lesson in 1995. "We learned just how insidious⁷ heat can be, how it can, day after day, overpower natural defense⁸ mechanisms⁹."

Chicago and other large cities are what scientists call "heat islands".  Inside these metropolitan¹⁰ areas, the asphalt streets and concrete buildings help make temperatures hotter than in outlying areas. Joseph Romm of the Center for American Progress says that also makes cities less healthy. "Cities that are hotter because of the heat island have more air pollution, more smog, that affects people with asthma¹¹ and cardiovascular diseases."

If you must go out in the midday sun, medical experts advise you to drink lots of water, wear a hat and watch for possible heat exhaustion¹².  That could mean muscle cramps¹³, headache, nausea¹⁴ and dizziness.  The skin may feel cool and sweaty.  But when it becomes dry, red and hot -- that could be a sign of heat stroke -- and victims should seek medical attention.

1 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。

2 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

3 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

4 perspire   

vi.出汗，流汗

参考例句：

• He began to perspire heavily.他开始大量出汗。
• You perspire a lot when you are eating.你在吃饭的时候流汗很多。

5 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

7 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

11 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

12 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

13 cramps   

n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚

参考例句：

• If he cramps again let the line cut him off. 要是它再抽筋，就让这钓索把它勒断吧。
• "I have no cramps." he said. “我没抽筋，"他说。

14 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。