格陵蘭島東部峽灣的大規模山體滑坡引發瞭持續九天 “震動地球” 的巨浪。去年九月，世界各地的傳感器接收到瞭格陵蘭島的 “地震” 信號，這使科學傢們開始研究這一震動的來源。
When seismic sensors around the planet picked up the unusual signal emanating from Greenland, a group of geologists set out to solve the mystery of what was causing it.
當全球各地的地震感應器接收到格陵蘭島發出的 “地震” 信號後，一群地質學傢開始著手解開有關該情況形成原因的謎團。
They eventually worked out that this vibration, that lasted an unprecedented nine days, came from a massive landslide that triggered a tsunami in a remote fjord in the east of the country. Before and after images revealed that a whole mountain top had collapsed there, sending a volume of rock equivalent to 25 Empire State Buildings slamming into the water. The depth and narrow shape of this 124-mile-long fjord in effect trapped the wave so it sloshed back and forth creating the vibrations.
這群地質學們最終發現這一史無前例地持續瞭九天的震動，來自於格陵蘭島的一場大規模山體滑坡，這場山體滑坡在該島東部的一個遙遠峽灣處引發瞭海嘯。該峽灣在山體滑坡前後的圖片對比顯示，那裡有一整座山峰倒塌，相當於一個體積為 25 個帝國大廈那麼大的巖石猛地墜入水中。這個 124 英裡長的峽灣的深度及其狹長的形狀有效地限制瞭巖石墜入水中形成的巨浪，並使巨浪來回沖刷，形成瞭震動。
Scientists say the landslide was caused by rising temperatures in Greenland melting the glacier that was supporting this mountain. As temperatures in the Arctic rise, the risk of these landslides is increasing – a destructive side effect of climate change.
有關科學傢表示，此次山體滑坡是由於格陵蘭島氣溫升高而使支撐著這座山峰的冰川融化而導致的。隨著北極地區氣溫上升，發生類似山體滑坡的風險也在升高，這也是氣候變化具有破壞性的一個負面影響。
詞匯表
seismic sensors 地震傳感器
picked up 接收到
emanating 發出，顯示出
geologists 地質學傢
set out to 開始，著手做
vibration 震動
unprecedented 前所未有的
triggered 引發，引起
remote 遙遠的
fjord 峽灣
volume 體積
slamming 猛地撞上
sloshed 攪動
side effect 副作用，負面影響
閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。
1. What did geologists set out to do?
2. What made the vibration unprecedented?
3. True or False? The tsunami occurred in a low-populated area.
4. According to scientists, what triggered the landslide?
答案
1. What did geologists set out to do?
They set out to find the cause of the signal emanating from Greenland.
2. What made the vibration unprecedented?
Its length – it lasted nine days.
3. True or False? The tsunami occurred in a low-populated area.
True. The tsunami occurred in a remote fjord in the east of the country.
4. According to scientists, what triggered the landslide?
Scientists says the landslide was caused by rising temperatures in Greenland melting the glacier that was supporting this mountain where the landslide happened.
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