Three Gorges Dam alleviates drought

时间：2007-12-07 07:35:21

（单词翻译:单击）

YICHANG, Dec.7 - The Three Gorges1 Dam has increased water discharge to maintain normal shipping2 along China's longest river, the Yangtze, which is suffering its worst drought in 50 years.

 

The discharge speed reached 5,500 cu m per second Thursday, 300 cu m more than Tuesday, when the dam started to alleviate3 the effects of the drought, according to the China Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC), builder of the world's largest hydropower project.

 

Lower rainfall on the river's upper reaches has reduced water levels in the middle reaches by up to 2 m. The average water level has decreased by 1.5 m.

 

In the past month, at least 26 cargo4 ships have been stranded5 in the sections around Yichang, Wuhan and Jingzhou of Hubei Province, and Jiujiang, Hukou of the neighboring Jiangxi Province, according to the Yangtze River Maritime6 Administration.

 

By Thursday afternoon, water levels in the Yichang section, near the start of the middle reaches, had gone up 0.5 m.

 

The discharge program is scheduled to last until Tuesday, when the CTGPC will decide to carry on or reduce water discharge volumes.

 

According to an order issued by the Yichang maritime bureau, every cargo ship must undergo weight checks at eight harbors in the city of Yichang and unload excess goods before continuing.

 

An average of 170 cargo ships use the route every day. More than 1,000 workers, 100 boats and 18 dredgers are digging out silt7 in the river to maintain the route.

 

The Yangtze, which is 6,300 km long, experiences a dry season between November and April. This is often followed by spring flooding.

 
分享到：


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 gorges 5cde0ae7c1a8aab9d4231408f62e6d4d     
n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕
参考例句：
  • The explorers were confronted with gorges(that were)almost impassable and rivers(that were)often unfordable. 探险人员面临着几乎是无路可通的峡谷和常常是无法渡过的河流。 来自辞典例句
  • We visited the Yangtse Gorges last summer. 去年夏天我们游历了长江三峡。 来自辞典例句
2 shipping WESyg     
n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）
参考例句：
  • We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
  • There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。
3 alleviate ZxEzJ     
v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)
参考例句：
  • The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
  • Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
4 cargo 6TcyG     
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物
参考例句：
  • The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
  • A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。
5 stranded thfz18     
a.搁浅的，进退两难的
参考例句：
  • 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。
6 maritime 62yyA     
adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的
参考例句：
  • Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
  • The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。
7 silt tEHyA     
n.淤泥，淤沙，粉砂层，泥沙层；vt.使淤塞；vi.被淤塞
参考例句：
  • The lake was almost solid with silt and vegetation.湖里几乎快被淤泥和植物填满了。
  • During the annual floods the river deposits its silt on the fields.每年河水泛滥时都会在田野上沉积一层淤泥。

©2005-2010英文阅读网