2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Tours Tornado Damage in US Midwest, Southe

By Scott Stearns
White House
03 March 2007

U.S. President George Bush is touring damage from killer² tornadoes⁴ in America's Midwest and Southeast. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the violent weather killed at least 20 people.

 
Scene at school in Enterprise, Alabama after tornado³ struck, 1 Mar¹ 2007
The president's helicopter flew over the path of the deadly storm in the state of Alabama, where eight teenagers were killed Thursday in the collapse⁵ of a high school in the town of Enterprise.

Meeting with state and local officials in Enterprise, President Bush called on Americans to help those affected⁶.

"Some people are going to need your help," he said. "There have been some poor citizens who may or may not qualify for federal help, who are going to need the help of our fellow citizens. And, I would ask you, out of the generosity⁷ of your heart, to help the folks down here. This storm was a tough storm."

The storm killed two other people in Alabama, nine in the neighboring state of Georgia, and a young girl in Missouri.

Fourteen teams of experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are evaluating the damage to assess what federal assistance might be needed in situations that overwhelm state and local capabilities⁸.

 
President Bush tours tornado damage at Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama, 3 Mar 2007 
That agency and President Bush were widely criticized for their poor response to Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people along the Gulf⁹ Coast.

Asked if the president's decision to visit the tornado-stricken areas Saturday was influenced by the political fall-out from Hurricane Katrina, White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino said that was never part of the discussion.

Traveling with the president, FEMA Director David Paulson stressed how much the response system has changed since Hurricane Katrina, telling reporters that federal officials no longer wait for state and local governments to be overwhelmed before stepping in.

Paulson says FEMA quickly supplied food, water, ice, plastic sheeting and communications equipment to help state officials care for people whose homes were damaged.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

3 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

4 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

5 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

8 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 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。