068慢速英语字幕.docVIP

褪悝模淏婓餅秶粹阨啎惆華倛芞 ENVIRONMENT REPORT September 14, 2001: Weather Maps For Floods ㄗStart at 100 ㄘThis is Bill White with the VOA Special English Environment Report. American scientists are developing maps that can (1)identify areas of future (2)flooding. The maps also may help scientists estimate the possibility of extremely dry weather and (3)severe storms. One such map could have warned of recent flooding along the Mississippi River. The map showed a small area of very wet (4)soil in the northern United States on March twenty-ninth. On April twelfth, parts of the Mississippi River flooded. The scientists say that anyone who knows the areas land and water systems would have been able to recognize the possibility of flooding. Tom Jackson of the United States Department of Agriculture prepared the map after the April flood. He used information provided by (5)satellites in Earth (6)orbit. The Agricultural Research Service reports that news broadcasts ten years from now may include weather reports based on such maps. Those maps will come from (7)instruments on two weather satellites planned by American and European officials. The satellites are to be (8)launched in Two-Thousand-Eight. A similar instrument also will be connected to Aqua, a satellite soon to be launched by the American space agency. Aqua is similar in design to a land observation satellite already in Earth orbit. The maps are produced from dish receivers on the satellites. Each dish receiver measures the wetness of the soil by (9)capturing the natural release of microwave (10)radiation from the soil. The receivers turn rapidly. This provides complete coverage of each area the satellite passes over. Mister Jackson has worked with the American space agency and the National Oceanic and (11)Atmospheric Administration. He and other scientists have tested Aquas equipment in airplanes and satellites flying over several states. The scientists used the tests to develop ways to change the information gathere