Panama Canal watershed records 5th driest year in 7 decades

湖北宜昌天问国际学校 王 晶

听 力 扫 障

1.watershed /'wɔːtəʃed/ n.分水岭

2.underscore /,ʌndə'skɔː(r)/ v.强调

3.precipitation /prɪ,sɪpɪ'teɪʃn/ n.降水量

4.the Smithsonian Institution's Tropical Research Institute 史密森学会热带研究所

5.the Associated Press 美联社

6.transit /'trænzɪt/ v.通过；运送

7.implement/'ɪmplɪment/v.实施；使生效；贯彻

8.amid /ə'mɪd/ prep.在……中

扫 码 听 测

听下面的文章,完成各个部分的练习。从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。文章读三遍。

Ⅰ.数据梳理

1.Which place did the Panama Canal's driest year in 2019 rank in the last 70 years?

A.Fourth.B.Fifth.C.Sixth.

2.How much less rainfall did the Panama Canal's watershed receive below the historic average?

A.About 20%.B.About 30%.C.About 12%.

3.How many times has the Panama Canal's watershed experienced biggest storms since 2000?

A.Eighteen times.B.Eighty times.C.Eight times.

4.When did authorities implement drafting restrictions on vessels through the Panama Canal?

A.In 2009.B.In 2016.C.In 2019.

Ⅱ.综合理解

1.What is the officials' attitude to the climate challenge in the Panama Canal's watershed？

A.Negative.B.Optimistic.C.Concerned.

2.Where is Steven Paton from？

A.The Canal Authority.

B.The Associated Press.

C.The Smithsonian Institution's Tropical Research Institute.

3.When are various studies on proposals to build new reservoirs expected to be finished？

A.In late August.B.Around midyear.C.By mid-September.

4.In what programme is this report likely to appear？

A.Environment.B.Technology.C.Agriculture.

文 本 解 说

由于全球气候的变化，巴拿马运河经历了过去七十年间第五严重的干旱年，这给经济及生态的发展带来了严峻的挑战。为解决这一问题，有关各方正在采取包括限行船只在内的各项措施，而修建水库及水道的提议也有望在年中左右得以通过。

The Panama Canal'swatershedexperienced its fifth driest year of the last seven decades in 2019, officials said,underscoringwarnings that climate change poses a major challenge to the recently expanded waterway, a major driver of the Central American nations' economy.

The annual report from the Canal Authority said that the watershed received 84.6 inches (2,149 millimeters) ofprecipitationlast year, about 20% below the historic average of 106.1 inches (2,695 millimeters).

Steven Paton ofthe Smithsonian Institution's Tropical Research Institutetoldthe Associated Pressthat since 2000, the watershed has seen the driest three-year stretch on record as well as eight of the ten biggest storms.

That reflects a trend toward more extreme weather events.

The canal underwent a multibillion-dollar expansion with the opening of new locks in 2016 to accommodate larger, New Panamax-class ships capable of carrying far more cargo than the biggest vessels that were previously able totransitthe waterway.

In early 2019 authoritiesimplementeddrafting restrictions for vessels due to low water levelsamida severe dry spell, forcing large ships to cross with less below capacity cargo loads and lowering revenues.

Water levels have fallen again during the current dry season at Gatun Lake, through which ships cross on the interoceanic voyage, though experts say it is too early to tell if drafting restrictions will again be necessary this year.

Canal authorities expect to finish various studies around midyear on proposals to build new reservoirs or channel water from other sources to the lakes.