Florida Hit by Cold Air Mass

　　In January, 2003, the eastern two-thirds of¹ the United States was at the mercy of a bitterly cold air mass² that has endangered Florida’s citrus trees, choked³ northern harbors with ice and left bewildered residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow⁴.
　　The ice chill deepened as temperatures fell to the single digits⁵ in most of the South, with an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark⁶ as far south as parts of interior South Florida. Temperatures in Florida plunged, with West Palm Beach dropping to a record low of 2 degrees⁷.

　　“We couldn’t believe how cold it was,” said Martin King, who arrived this week in Orlando⁸ from England. “we brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another coat. ”
　　The temperature plunge posed a threat⁹ to Florida’s US$9.1 billion-a-year citrus crop, more of which is still on the trees. Growers were hurrying to harvest as much of the fruit as possible before it was damaged by cold.

　　“Time is of the essence¹⁰ in getting fruit to the plant,” said Tom Rogers, a citrus grower who expected to see damage to oranges and grapefruit at that time.

　　In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush signed an emergency order to eliminate the weight limit on trucks so citrus growers could get as much fruit to market as possible.

　　Casey Pace, a spokeswoman for Florida Citrus Mutual, said growers had sprayed trees with sprinklers, which created a layer of ice and helped maintain a temperature near freezing. Citrus trees are considered in danger of damage if the temperature drops below minus 2 degrees Celsius for four hours or more. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 centimeters¹¹ blanketed¹² the Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia.

词汇:

citrus / "sɪtrəs /n.柠檬，柑橘，柑橘属果树    

sprinkler /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ n.洒水器，洒水车

spokeswoman / ˈspəʊkwʊmən /n.女发言人    

Celsius / ˈselsiəs / adj.摄氏的

bewilder / bɪ"wɪldə(r) /v.使迷惑；使为难；把……弄湖涂   

shorts / ʃɔ:rts /n.宽松运动裤，男用短衬裤

注释:

1. at the mercy of：意为“without any protection against；helpless before”(任由……摆布；在……面前无助)。如：They were drifting in an open boat, at the mercy of the storm. 他们在一敞篷船中漂泊，任由暴风雨摆布。

2. air mass：大气团

3. choked：意为“to become blocked up or obstructed”(被堵塞或阻碍)。

4. left bewildered residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow: (冷空气团)让北卡罗来纳州沿岸地区的居民不知所措，不停地铲着尺把深的积雪。leave:意为“cause or allow to be or remain in a specified state”(使处于某一特定状态)。up to: (数目)到……之多，如: up to 100 men可这一百人

5. as temperatures fell to the single digits：当气温下降到个位数

6. an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark: (气温)前所未有地骤降至冰点以下。dip：意为“to drop suddenly”(骤降)：freezing mark：意为“freezing point”(冰点，凝冻点)。

7. dropping to a record low of 2 degrees：创纪录地降至2度之低。record:在此作形容词用，意为“创纪录的”。

8. Orlando：奥兰多，美国佛罗里达州( Florida)中部城市，由于靠近迪斯尼世界而使得该城市成为一个旅游名城。

9. posed a threat：造成威胁。pose：“造成，形成（问题)”。如：to pose an obstacle to (成为……障碍)。

10. of the essence：非常重要的

11. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 centimeters：厚度从薄薄的一层到30厘米的雪。range from … to:在……范围内变化；从……到……范围，如：ages that range from two to fiver(两岁至五岁年龄段)。dusting：少量的、撒于某物表面的东西，如:Sidewalks were covered with a dusting of new snow.人行道上覆盖着一层薄薄的新雪。

Which of the following statements is not meant in the first two paragraphs?

题库:理工B类职称英语 类型:共用题干单选题 时间:2016-08-25 15:43:17 免费下载:《第十三篇》Word试卷

Which of the following statements is not meant in the first two paragraphs?
A.The cold air mass was a threat to Florida’s citrus crop.
B.The temperature in the United States except the South dropped below the freezing mark. 
C.The northern harbors were blocked with ice.
D.The eastern two thirds of the United States was hit by cold air mass.

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