VOA标准英语2012--Officials Say New Orleans is Better Protected This Time Around
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(八月)
Officials Say New Orleans is Better Protected This Time Around
Seven years ago, Hurricane Katrina hammered the U.S. Gulf 1 Coast with a storm surge eight and a half meters high and winds that blew apart buildings.
The storm overwhelmed the levees that were supposed to protect the city of New Orleans.
With that experience in mind, residents and officials are focusing on satellite and radar 2 images that show Hurricane Isaac headed for the same area.
Residents of low-lying areas are being urged to flee to higher ground, and everyone has been instructed to board up windows and stock up on food, water and flashlights.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says residents need to heed 3 the lessons of Katrina. He says the city is ready.
“We are staged, battle ready, we are in battle rhythm, we are prepared to handle what comes our way,” Landrieu said.
Since Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps 4 of Engineers has spent billions of dollars to strengthen New Orleans against flooding. While parts of the project are unfinished, the Corps says the city has its strongest-ever defense 5 against floods.
The American Insurance Association says Katrina showed stronger buildings save lives. The industry has been urging states and cities to pass rules requiring strong building materials and techniques that help homes resist wind and water. The AIA’s Jim Whittle 6 says homes built with stronger materials and better construction techniques are more likely to survive.
“The roof stays on, the doors stay in position. The windows stay in position, Any time you have some breech within the envelope of the building, that could create a pressurization issue that can result in destruction of the home,” Whittle said.
In the floods after Katrina, the U.S. Coast Guard struggled to rescue people stranded 7 on rooftops and elsewhere, using aircraft and boats.
Coast Guard Captain Ed Cubanski says the Coast Guard has moved personnel and equipment out of the direct path of the storm.
“We have assets to the West and the East, and, depending on which directions the storm goes, we can mobilize on the backside to assess what needs to be done, and then we will have the assets to follow in and do the rescues,” Cubanski said.
Cubanski says Katrina showed the need for better coordination 8 between national and local officials and drills to prepare for emergencies.
Katrina also reminded politicians in Washington and elsewhere that they need to make emergency services a priority, even in a time of tight budgets.
- 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。
- They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
- Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。
- You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
- For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。
- The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
- When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
- 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。
- They are trying to whittle down our salaries.他们正着手削减我们的薪水。
- He began to whittle away all powers of the government that he did not control.他开始削弱他所未能控制的一切政府权力。
- He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
- I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。
- Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
- The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。