SectionⅢLesson2&Lesson3[学生用书P11]NatureisturningonusThelastfewyearshaveseen①environmentaldisastersonagrand②scale③,andexpertsarepredictingfarworsetocome.JinLireportsonourEarth’schangeable④weatherpatterns.AInthelastdecade,thunderstorms⑤,floods,earthquakes,typhoons⑥,volcaniceruptions,tsunamis⑦andforestfireshavebecomeincreasingly⑧common.TherehasbeenterriblefloodinginAsia,Africa,AmericaandOceania.EvenEuropehassufferedandlargeareashavebeenunderwater.Stormshavebeengetting⑨worseeverywheretoo,withagrowingnumberofhurricaneshittingtheUS⑩,andCentralAmerica.Reducedrainfall⑪hasaffectedlargeareasofAfricaforyearsleavingirrigation⑫canalsdryandmanyotherzonesarebecomingdrier.Forexample,theYellowRiver,oncefamousforflooding⑬,failedtoreachtheseaatallfor226daysin1997.Anumberof⑭nationshavealreadybeeninarmed⑮conflict⑯overwater,andreducedrainfallinthewestoftheUShasresultedin⑰hugeforestfires.BVolcaniceruptionsandearthquakeshavealwaysbeenathreat⑱incertainpartsoftheworld.Avolcaniceruptionnearlywipedout⑲thesmallislandofMontserratin1997,andtherehavebeenseriousearthquakesinmanypartsofAsia,EuropeandSouthAmerica.Inthelastthreeyears,Indonesiahashadarough⑳time,sufferingseveralkillerquakesanditisstillrecoveringfromtheAsiantsunamicausedbyanoffshoreearthquakeonDecember26th,2004.Thetsunamikilled132,000Indonesiansandanother100,000peopleofothernationalities.Thiscatastropheisstillveryfreshinthemindsofpeopleworldwidewhohavenotyetgotovertheirseparationfromlovedoneslostinthetsunami.CSowhyisnaturebeginningtoturnonus?Oneanswerisoverpopulation.Thepopulationoftheworldisgrowingatthedisturbingrateof10,000peopleanhour,nearly90millionayear,withmostofthegrowthinthedevelopingworld.Peopleinagriculturalareas,withoutanymeanstoearntheirliving,movetothecities,andthenconstructshabbyhomesfromwhatevermaterialstheycanfindonpoorclaysoil.Thesehomes,seldommadeofbricks,caneasilyfalldowninearthquakesorslipandslidedownhillinlandslides,especiallyinmountainousareas.Ontopofthat,addglobalwarming.Thishasmainlybeencausedbythehugeamountsofcarbondioxideproducedbyfactoriesandvehicles,andthedestructionoftheworld’sforests.Asaresult,ahotteroceancausesmorepowerfulwinds.Atlantichurricanes—theirhowlingwindswithspeedsofover300kilometresanhour—are40%strongernowthantheywere30yearsago.DVolcanoesandearthquakesareevenmoredangerousthaninthepastasaroundhalftheworld’spopulationnowlivesincities.Therearemorethan300activevolcanoes,aboutfiftyofwhicherupteachyear,andmorethan500millionpeoplenowlivewithintherangeofavolcaniceruption.Becausethesenaturaldisastersoccuratrandomtimes,itisdifficulttowarnpeopleinadvance.InMay2006,thousandsofIndonesianslivingnearMtMerapi(whichmeansmountainoffire)hadtofleeastheythoughtitwasabouttoerupt.Anevengreaternumberofpeopleliveatrisk,tosomedegree,fromearthquakeswhichhaveclaimedmorethan1.6millionlivesinthelasthundredyears.EMostdisasterexpertsbelievethereisthepotentialthatthingscouldgetalotworse.ProfessorHouMing,ofBeijingUniversitystudiesvolcanoesandhewarnsthattheworldhasnotseentheworstnaturecando.TheworsteruptioninhumanhistorywasprobablyMtTamborain1815,inIndonesia.DustfromthevolcanorolledacrosstheEarth’sskiesandprettymuchcancelledthefollowingsummerinEuropeandAmerica.Butevidenceshowsthat73,000yearsagotherewasamuchgreatereruption....