英语学习中，单词无疑是较基础的东西，但也是令许多学生头疼的事情。单词记不下、记了又忘怎么办? 背短文记单词，这么好的方法你该收下的。

　　A Horrible Earthquake!

　　Dirty water rose in wells and canals before the earthquake. But no one judged that an earthquake was coming. Suddenly, everything shook. It seemed as if the world was at an end. Millions of brick houses and a number of dams were destroyed. Railway tracks became useless bars. Pipes in mines burst and let out smelly steam. Huge cracks trapped cyclists everywhere.

　　地震前，水井和运河里的污水都涨涌起来。但是却没人判断出地震即将来临。霎那间，一切都在摇晃，似乎整个世界就要结束。数以百万的砖房和许多水坝遭到破坏;铁路轨道都变成无用的铁条;煤矿管道纷纷爆裂，发出有臭味的蒸汽;到处都有骑车的人被巨大的裂缝陷住。

　　The next day, this event was the headline or main title of all newspapers. With the reporters giving an outline of the disaster, the whole nation was shocked by the damage and the victim’s extreme suffering. People were moved when they read that the survivors comforted each other by saying “Congratulations! You survived!”. So they not only expressed their sympathy sincerely, but also organized together to help the victims right away. The injured were rescued and the dead were buried. The frightened survivors were dug out from under the ruins and were offered shelter, fresh water and electricity. Thanks to people’s help, the loss was minimized.

　　第二天，报纸都纷纷以大字标题或主要标题报道了这一事件。记者们描述了灾难的大概情况，都被地震的破坏和灾民们极度的苦难所震惊。当人们读到幸存者以“恭喜啊，你还活着。”来互相安慰时，都被感动了。人们不仅衷心地表达了他们的同情，而且还立刻组织起来帮助灾民。伤员被救助了，死者被埋葬了，吓坏的幸存者被从废墟中挖出来了，栖身处、净水和电力也很快得到提供。多亏了人们的帮助，灾区的损失被减到了较小。

　　重点词汇：

　　dirty [ˈdɜ:ti]

　　adj.肮脏的;恶劣的;卑劣的;下流的

　　vt.弄脏，污染;使名声受玷污

　　vi.变脏，污染

　　well [wel]

　　n.井;水井;楼梯井;电梯井道

　　earthquake ['ɜː(r)θ.kweɪk]

　　n.地震

　　cyclist ['saɪklɪst] n. 骑自行车的人

　　headline ['hedlaɪn] n. 大字标题;新闻提要 vt. 给…加标题;担任主角

　　dug out 跑掉

　　canal 运河 judge 判断 as if 似乎 at an end 结束

　　millions of 数以万计 brick 砖 a number of 许多

　　dam 水坝 destroy 破坏 track 轨道 useless 无用的 bar 条

　　pipe 管子 mine 矿井 burst 爆裂 smelly 有臭味的 steam 蒸汽

　　crack 破裂 trap 陷入困境 event 事件 title 标题 reporter 记者

　　outline 大概情况 disaster 灾难 nation 国; shock 震惊

　　damage 破坏 extreme 极度的 suffering 遭受苦难 survivors 幸存者

　　congratulation 恭喜 express 表达 sincerely 真诚的 right away 立刻

　　injure 伤害 rescue 营救 buried 埋葬 frighten 使……恐慌、 ruin 废墟

　　shelter 避难所 electricity 电力

　　Practice: Cloze Test

　　Dirty water rose in wells and canals (1) the earthquake. But no one judged that an earthquake (2) (come). Suddenly, everything shook. It seemed as if the world was at an end. Millions of brick houses and a number of dams were destroyed. Railway tracks became useless bars. Pipes in mines burst and let out smelly steam. Huge cracks trapped cyclists everywhere.

　　(3) next day, this event was the headline or main title of all newspapers. With the reporters (4) (give) an outline of the disaster, the whole nation was shocked (5)

　　the damage and the victim’s extreme (6) (suffer) People were moved (7) they read that the survivors comforted each other by saying “Congratulations! You survived!”. So they not only expressed (8) sympathy sincerely, but also organized together (9) (help) the victims right away. The injured were rescued and the dead were buried. The frightened survivors were dug out from under the ruins and (10) (offer) shelter, fresh water and electricity. Thanks to people’s help, the loss was minimized.

　　Answers:

　　1. before 2. was coming 3. The

　　4. giving 5. by 6. suffering

　　7. when 8. their 9. to help

　　10. were offered