More Powerful Volcano | 更强大的火山

Iceland's Eyjafjallajoekull Could Trigger More Powerful Volcano

冰岛艾雅法拉火山恐引发另一座威力更强大的火山

Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull, whose eruption froze flights around Europe, has somewhat calmed down but could trigger another even more powerful volcano, an Icelandic expert said. The eruption under the Eyjafjallajoekull Glacier in Iceland, which began on April 14, has paralyzed air traffic throughout central and northern Europe, leaving thousands of travelers stranded and forcing more than 20 European countries to close their airspace.

Icelandic volcanologist Niels Oskarsson confirmed British meteorologists' reports that the volcano was now only expelling ash less than 200 meters in the sky. "The eruption has changed. It has now melted its pathway through the glacier and is changing," Oskarsson said. He warned, however, that there could be worse to come from the neighboring Katla volcano. "Last time, in the 19th and 17th centuries, Katla eruptions started after Eyjafjallajoekull eruptions, and they were at least 100 times larger," the expert said.

Meanwhile, a Russian volcanologist, Artur Saltykovsky, said that the ash in the sky from Eyjafjallajoekull could make a full circle around the globe. "It cannot be ruled out that the volcanic ash could travel beyond the Pacific, reach America, and could close the circle near Iceland," he said, also voicing fears that Katla could be triggered. Air traffic in Europe is beginning to return to a more regular schedule, although it is expected to be a lengthy process that would be complicated with another eruption.

1.  What happened after Eyjafjallajoekull erupted?

(A) Many people were left homeless.

(B) 20 countries were forced to go to war with each other.

(C) Air transportation in Europe was disrupted.

(D) A tsunami was triggered.

2.  What are the volcano experts predicting?

(A) Eyjafjallajoekull's eruption will be over soon.

(B) The worst may be yet to come.

(C) Another volcano in the US will erupt soon.

(D) Airlines will go bankrupt sooner or later.

3.  Which sentence summarizes the article the best?

(A) Volcanoes are very dangerous when they erupt.

(B) Although the first eruption caused a lot of trouble, a second one could be even worse.

(C) Volcano experts are optimistic about another eruption.

(D) Air traffic routes should be changed.

　冰岛的艾雅法拉火山爆发，导致欧洲班机停飞，而冰岛一位专家表示，虽然火山运动有稍微减缓的趋势，但可能引发另一座威力更强大的火山爆发。冰岛艾雅法拉冰河下的火山爆发从 4 月 14 日开始，造成中欧和北欧的空中交通瘫痪，有数千名游客滞留，并迫使 20 多个欧洲国家关闭领空。

　　冰岛的火山学家 Niels Oskarsson 证实英国气象学家的报告，报告说火山目前向空中喷出的火山灰低于两百公尺。Oskarsson 说：『火山爆发已有所改变。岩浆把流经的冰河融化，而且还持续改变中。』然而他还警告，邻近的卡特拉火山若是爆发的话，情况将更为严重。这位专家表示：『之前在 19 及 17 世纪时，卡特拉火山在艾雅法拉火山爆发后也开始喷发，威力比艾雅法拉火山至少强上一百倍。』

　　一位俄国火山学家 Artur Saltykovsky 同时也表示，艾雅法拉火山喷发的火山灰可能会在全球上空绕一圈。他说：『不排除火山灰会飘过太平洋到达美洲，然后绕回冰岛附近。』他也担心会引发卡特拉火山爆发。虽然预期会有另一次火山爆发而导致情况变复杂，使得航空要花上很长的时间才能恢复正常，但欧洲的空中交通已经开始慢慢恢复正常航班。

   1.  艾雅法拉火山爆发后发生何事？

(A) 许多人无家可归。

(B) 20 个国家被迫彼此开战。

(C) 欧洲的空中交通中断。

(D) 引发一阵海啸。

   2.  火山专家预期会发生什么事？

(A) 艾雅法拉火山爆发很快就会平息。

(B) 最糟的情况可能尚未到来。

(C) 另一座在美国的火山很快就会爆发。

(D) 航空业迟早会破产。

   3.  哪一句最能总结本文的大意？

(A) 火山爆发时非常危险。

(B) 虽然第一次的火山爆发造成许多麻烦，但第二次的喷发可能情况更糟。

(C) 火山学家对另一次的喷发感到乐观。

(D) 应该要改变空中交通的路线。

答案：1. (C)2. (B)3. (B)

For Your Information

冰岛火山爆发在历史上曾经祸及全球，冰岛南部的拉奇火山（Laki）于 1783 年 6 月喷发，共持续了半年，总共喷出 1.2亿吨的有毒二氧化硫，冰岛和西欧有数千人因此中毒身亡。喷进平流层的火山灰也改变了全球气候，使得西欧农产减少、导致饥荒，甚至引发法国大革命，还在北美洲造成史上最长、最冷的冬天，当时连美国南部的纽奥良河川都冷到结冰。（数据源：苹果日报）