環(huán)球英語—798：Living with Volcanoes

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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid.
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And I'm Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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On March 20, 2010, a natural disaster began on the island of Iceland. A volcano shot clouds of ash into the air. Smoke poured out of the volcano for three days. Then, on March 23, the volcano exploded. The volcano shot out melted rock, called lava.
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There was so much smoke and ash coming out of the volcano that no airplanes could fly around Iceland. On April 14, the volcano exploded again. More ash, smoke, and lava poured out. Wind carried the smoke toward England, France, and Spain. Soon most airplane trips to and from Europe were cancelled. Some people had to live in airports. And it would be almost a week before their trips would start again. This is one recent example of the way that volcanoes have power and influence over human life.
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Today's Spotlight is on volcanoes. Especially on why some people live so close to volcanoes. There are volcanoes all over the world. Volcanoes can destroy homes, farmland, and forests. But there are also around 360 million people who live near volcanoes. This raises one question: Why would they do this?
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A volcano is a hole in the earth's surface. It can explode and send ash and hot lava into the air. The lava can burn trees, crops, houses, and people. The explosion can cause earthquakes and landslides. Volcanoes can also release poisonous gases. Some volcanoes are parts of islands. When these volcanoes explode they can create large ocean waves.
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Volcanoes can kill large numbers of people. In 1792 a Japanese volcano killed 15,000 people. In 1985, a volcano in Colombia buried a town in dirt. The government did little to help and 23,000 people died. And in 1991, a volcano in the Philippines could have been one of the worst events in history. But the Philippine government acted quickly. They moved over 80,000 people away from the volcano. In the end, only 700 people died.
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So clearly, volcanoes are dangerous. Then why would people want to live around them? There are several different reasons. The first is that a volcano can create very good soil. The lava, minerals, and hot ash are good for farming. They help the soil stay wet. They contain minerals that help plants grow. For example, the Indonesian island of Java has three live volcanoes. This permits people to harvest several rice crops every season.
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Another reason people live near volcanoes is geo-thermal energy. People use the heat from the volcano to create electricity. This is very common. Over twenty countries around the world use some geo-thermal energy. The country of Iceland gets around seventeen percent of their electricity this way. Iceland also uses the heat from volcanoes to warm greenhouses. These are buildings where people grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers. People use greenhouses to grow food in cold weather.
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Volcanoes can also be beautiful. The islands of Hawaii are a series of volcanoes. Over seven million people visit Hawaii every year. These people spend money on hotels, boat rides, and food. People even pay to walk and see the volcanoes. It can be exciting to be close to something so powerful. Many people who live near volcanoes make money from these visitors.
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Another reason people live around dangerous volcanoes is because they feel safe. Most volcanoes do not explode that often. People can live their whole life by a volcano and never see it explode. So when scientists warn that a volcano is going to explode, they may dismiss the warning.
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But some people live around volcanoes because they have no other choice. They may want to live somewhere else. But they do not have the money to move. They may not have the education needed to get another job. Farming is their only occupation. Some people live near a volcano because it is the only life they know.
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Living around a volcano has risks. There are ways to reduce the risk. The first thing is to listen to scientists. There are many new devices that can tell when a volcano will explode. Sometimes these warnings come days before an explosion. Sometimes it is only hours.
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The next thing that can be done is to prepare yourself. People who live near volcanoes need to know what to do if a warning is made. They need to know where they will go to be safe. The American Red Cross suggests closing doors and windows. Stay inside your house. If you are caught outside, try to stay covered. Cover your mouth and eyes. This will protect you from falling ash. Try to reach high ground. This is the safest place during landslides or flooding.
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But part of this education is the job of the government. This is because in some areas, thousands of people will need to move away from the volcano. Without a government to help with this move, it can be very difficult to do.
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Governments need to set up a plan of what to do once a volcano has exploded. There need to be health workers, vehicles, and medical care ready to go. They need to have trucks prepared to move dirt. There should be food and water stored in a safe place.
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Volcanoes are very dangerous. In a single day they can kill thousands of people. They can destroy crops. They can burn houses and cause landslides. They can release poison gas and make people very sick.
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But volcanoes can be helpful too. They create good soil for growing food. They can push fresh water out of the ground. They can create electricity. And people come to see them on holiday. And that is what makes volcanoes so amazing: that they can cause both terrible destruction and a lot of good things at the same time.