五分鐘學英文-西班牙洪水：氣候變化的影響與人道危機
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全球氣候變化的影響下，極端天氣事件越來越頻繁，西班牙最近遭遇的洪水便是一個明顯的例子。這場洪水不僅造成了數十人的死亡，還對當地社會和經濟造成了巨大的打擊。隨著氣候變化的加劇，極端天氣的出現已經成為全球關注的焦點。
本篇文章將帶你了解西班牙洪水的背景、原因以及它對當地社會造成的人道危機。我們將使用簡單的英文詞彙，幫助你在了解這一嚴峻問題的同時，提升你的英語語言能力。讓我們在五分鐘內，結合學習與了解氣候變化的現實挑戰。
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Spain Floods: The Impact of Climate Change and Humanitarian Crisis
Welcome to TutorABC, where we discuss current events and help you improve your English! I’m Alex, and joining me today is my co-host, Jamie.
Alex: Hey, Jamie! Today, we’re diving into the recent floods in Spain. It’s been a really tragic situation, hasn’t it?
Jamie: Absolutely, Alex. The floods have affected the Valencia region severely. Over 200 people have died, and many are still missing. It’s truly heartbreaking.
Vocabulary Highlight: “Affect” and “Tragic”
Alex: Let’s pause for a moment. The verb “affect” means to have an impact on something. In this case, the floods have affected many lives.
Jamie: Right! And when we say something is “tragic,” we mean it’s very sad or unfortunate. This situation definitely qualifies as tragic.
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Alex: So, what caused all this? Reports say that some areas received nearly 490 millimeters of rain in just eight hours!
Jamie: That’s insane! To put that in perspective, that’s almost the total amount of rain some places get in a whole year!
Alex: Speaking of comparisons, let’s talk about comparatives. When we compare two things, we often use words like “more” or “less.” For example, you could say, “This flood is more severe than last year’s flood.”
Jamie: Exactly! You could also say, “The rainfall this year was less than last year’s total rainfall.” It helps to highlight differences!
Alex: Back to the floods—many families lost their homes, and people are really struggling. The government has faced a lot of criticism for not responding quickly enough.
Jamie: Yes, residents were frustrated because they didn’t get warnings until it was almost too late to evacuate.
Alex: Great point! To evacuate means to leave a dangerous place for safety. And when we say someone is “frustrated,” it means they feel upset because they can’t change a situation.
Jamie: The government has sent soldiers to help with rescue efforts and is providing financial aid to those affected.
Alex: But many people are still without clean water and basic supplies. The damage to the infrastructure is really significant.
Jamie: Speaking of infrastructure, let’s touch on the passive voice for a moment! In sentences like “Aid is being provided,” we focus on the action rather than who is doing it.
Alex: Exactly! The passive voice can be useful when the doer isn’t as important as the action itself.
Jamie: Experts are saying that climate change plays a big role in these extreme weather events. They mention a phenomenon called DANA, which causes heavy rainfall.
Alex: A “phenomenon” is something that can be observed—like this weather pattern.
Jamie: So, as we wrap up today’s discussion, it’s clear that these floods in Spain highlight the need for better disaster preparedness.
Alex: Absolutely! We encourage our listeners to think about how climate change affects our world and what actions can be taken to prepare for future disasters.
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Thanks for joining us on this episode of TutorABC! We hope you learned something new today about the floods in Spain and picked up some useful vocabulary and grammar tips. Until next time!