Reading-- Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986, Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in northern Ukraine, then a part of the Soviet Union, was shut down for an unauthorized safety test. When the nuclear fuel rods hit the cooling water, the fission reaction accelerated out of control due to a sudden power surge. This caused the reactor to overheat and build up pressure until its structure failed and it blew up, releasing large amounts of radiation. It took officials a whole day to comprehend the scale of the disaster and to order an evacuation of the surrounding area. Some 50,000 people had to leave, not knowing that they would never return.
ps: 1986年4月26日，当时是苏联一部分的乌克兰北部切尔诺贝利核反应堆4号机组因未经授权的安全试验而关闭。当核燃料棒撞击冷却水时，由于突然的功率激增，裂变反应加速失控。这导致反应堆过热并产生压力，直到其结构发生故障并爆炸，释放出大量辐射。官员们花了一整天的时间才了解灾难的规模，并下令疏散周边地区。大约50000人不得不离开，不知道他们永远不会回来。
unauthorized英 [ʌnˈɔːθəraɪzd] 美 [ʌnˈɔːθəraɪzd] adj.未经许可(或批准)的
nuclear reactor核反应堆
Soviet Union苏联
safety test安全性检验
nuclear fuel核燃料
rods英 [rɒdz] 美 [rɑdz] n.杆;竿;棒;(责打人用的)棍棒;手枪rod的复数
cooling water冷却水; 缩写词为CW．
fission reaction裂变反应
out of control失去控制; 失去控制;不受控制
surge英 [sɜːdʒ] 美 [sɜːrdʒ] v.涌;汹涌;涌动;使强烈地感到;急剧上升;飞涨;激增n.(强烈感情的)突发;(数量的)急剧上升，激增;大量;一大批;奔涌向前;突然的向上运动
radiation英 [ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn] 美 [ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn] n.辐射;放射线;辐射的热(或能量等);放射疗法复数： radiations
large amounts of大量的…
officials英 [əˈfɪʃəlz] 美 [əˈfɪʃəlz] n.要员;官员;高级职员official的复数
officials要员; 官员; 高级职员; official的复数
comprehend理解; 领悟; 懂
scale规模，范围，程度; 等级; 级别; 等级体系; 攀登; 到达…顶点; 去鳞; 刮除牙石
disaster灾难; 灾祸; 灾害; 不幸; 祸患; 彻底失败的人
order顺序; 次序; 条理; 治安; 秩序; 规矩; 命令; 指挥; 要求; 订购; 订货; 要求提供服务; 点
evacuation疏散；撤离；后撤；抽空；排气；排泄
surrounding周围的; 附近的; 围绕; 环绕; 包围，围住; 与…紧密相关; surround的现在分词; 环境; 周围的事物
area地区，地域; 地方，场地，区; 区，部位
In the following months, massive efforts were made to decontaminate the area while increased radiation levels were detected across much of Europe. Fallout from the disaster continues to this day, decades later, and long-term effects such as cancers are still being investigated. Estimates of the number of deaths that will eventually result from the accident vary enormously.
ps: 在接下来的几个月里，在欧洲大部分地区检测到辐射水平上升的同时，为净化该地区做出了巨大努力。几十年后的今天，灾难的影响仍在继续，癌症等长期影响仍在调查中。对事故最终导致的死亡人数的估计差别很大。
massive巨大的; 大而重的; 结实的; 非常严重的
efforts气力; 努力; 费力的事; 艰难的尝试; 试图; 尽力; 有组织的活动; effort的复数
decontaminate清除有害物质; 排除…的污染
increased增长，增多; 增加; increase的过去分词和过去式
radiation辐射; 放射线; 辐射的热; 放射疗法
levels数量，程度，浓度; 标准; 水平; 质量; 品级; 层次; 级别; 使平坦; 使平整; 摧毁，夷平; 使相等; 使平等; 使相似; level的第三人称单数和复数
detected发现; 查明; 侦察出; detect的过去分词和过去式
across从一边到另一边; 横过; 宽; 从…的一边向…; 在对面; 在对过; 从…一边到另一边; 在…对面; 在…对过; 在上
investigated侦查; 调查; 研究; investigate的过去分词和过去式
result from由于
enormously非常; 极其
Fallout英 [ˈfɔːlaʊt] 美 [ˈfɔːlaʊt] 辐射;异尘余生;火烧摩天楼;荡漾余波;后果
The forest area near the reactor site is one of the most radioactive places on Earth. Named the Red Forest because its trees turned a reddish-brown color as they died, the forest is trying to make a recovery. Animals such as elk and eagles have been seen in the area. And birch trees grow where the radioactive trees of the forest were bulldozed and buried by the Soviet government.
ps: 反应堆附近的林区是地球上放射性最强的地方之一。命名为红色森林是因为它的树木在死亡时变成了红棕色，森林正在努力恢复。在这一地区，人们看到了麋鹿和老鹰等动物。而白桦树生长在被苏联政府铲平掩埋的森林放射性树木的地方。
radioactive放射性的; 有辐射的
such as例如; 像; 象…这样; 诸如…之类
have been来过
bulldozed推倒，铲平; 强行通过; 强迫; bulldoze的过去分词和过去式
elk犭罕，驼鹿，麋鹿(生活于北欧和亚洲，北美洲称moose); 厄尔克思慈善互助会会员
eagles雕; 鹰击; eagle的第三人称单数和复数
birch桦树; 白桦树; 桦木; 用桦木条抽打
bulldozed推倒，铲平; 强行通过; 强迫; bulldoze的过去分词和过去式 英 [ˈbʊldəʊzd] 美 [ˈbʊldoʊzd] v.(用推土机)推倒，铲平;(使)强行通过;强迫(某人做某事)bulldoze的过去分词和过去式
buried埋葬; 安葬; 丧失; 把掩藏在地下; 埋藏; bury的过去分词和过去式
Some people have returned as well, mostly former residents who returned illegally after the evacuation. The old company town of Pripyat, once home to 50,000 plant workers is still deserted, but is slowly being reclaimed by the forest. It seems that nature can recover and even thrive where humans cannot. Let's hope that humans can learn from this experience. Chernobyl, and more recently, Fukushima in Japan, have lessons to teach us.
ps: 一些人也已经返回，大部分是撤离后非法返回的前居民。曾经拥有5万名工厂工人的普里皮亚特（Pripyat）这座老公司镇仍然荒芜，但正在被森林慢慢开垦。在人类无法恢复的地方，自然似乎可以复苏，甚至繁荣昌盛。我们希望人类能从这次经历中吸取教训。切尔诺贝利核电站，以及最近日本的福岛核电站，都给我们上了一课。
company town公司城镇；企业生活区
learn from学习
more recently最近以来
Fukushima福岛，神岛，副岛
plant植物; 发电厂; 工厂; 大型机器，设备; 栽种; 种植; 播种; 在栽种; 立稳; 竖立; 安放
workers工作者; 人员; 雇员; 劳工，工人; 干活…的人; worker的复数
deserted无人居住的; 空寂无人的; 被抛弃的; 被遗弃的; 被舍弃的; 抛弃，离弃，遗弃; 舍弃，离弃; 擅离; 逃走; 开小差; desert的过去分词和过去式
slowly慢速地; 缓慢地; 迟缓地
being存在; 生存; 生物; 思想感情; 身心; are的现在分词; be的现在分词
reclaimed取回; 拿回; 要求归还; 开垦，利用，改造; 重新变为沙漠; 沙化; 荒漠化; 抛荒; reclaim的过去分词和过去式
forest森林; 林区; 一丛，一片
thrive英 [θraɪv] 美 [θraɪv] v.兴旺发达;繁荣;蓬勃发展;旺盛;茁壮成长
Exercise:
1.What is the one lesson we should learn from Chernobyl？
Never underestimate the danger of nuclear technologies.
2.Fallout from a nuclear explosion contains radioactive particles carried into the atmosphere。
ps: 放射性粒子 particles n.颗粒;微粒;粒子;小品词(与动词构成短语动词的副词或介词) particle的复数
3.Something is authorized if it is officially permitted.
4.What is the purpose of this text?
it's to educate.
5.A surge in power means to increase in strength.
6.To reclaim something means to take it back from where it was lost or stolen.
ps: reclaim英 [rɪˈkleɪm] 美 [rɪˈkleɪm] v.取回;拿回;要求归还;开垦，利用，改造(荒地);重新变为沙漠(或森林等);沙化;荒漠化;抛荒
7.From the article, it's clear that officials were unprepared for such an accident.
8.If something is contaminated, it can't be used because it contains harmful substances.
Repeat & Read Sentences:
1.We should never underestimate the danger of nuclear technologies.
2.Let's hope that humans can learn from this experience.
3.It seems that nature can recover and even thrive where humans cannot.
4.Birch trees grow where the radioactive trees of the forest were bulldozed and buried by the Soviet government.
5.Estimates of the number of deaths that will eventually result from the accident vary enormously.
6.The forest area near the reactor site is one of the most radioactive places on Earth.
7.The reactor exploded because too much pressure built up inside.
8.When the nuclear fuel rods hit the cooling water, the fission reaction accelerated out of control due to a sudden power surge.