Mount Etna is 'sliding towards the sea' 西西里岛埃特纳火山“正滑向大海”
欧洲著名的埃特纳火山正缓慢向大海滑动。科学家们已证实，位于意大利西西里岛的整个火山结构正以每年14毫米的速度慢慢地向地中海方向挪动。由英国科学家带领的研究小组称，这种情况需要密切监测，因为这可能会增加未来埃特纳火山周围地区的危险。
The Open University geologist John Murray has spent almost half a century studying Europe's premiervolcano.
In that time, he's placed a network of high-precision GPS stations around the mountain to monitor its behaviour. The instrumentation senses tiny changes in the shape of the volcanic cone; and with 11 years of data, it’s now obvious Etna is moving in an east-south-east direction.
The motion is small. But volcanoes that have shown this kind of trend can suffer catastrophic collapses on their leading flank. Dr Murray's team stress there is no evidence that this is about to happen at Etna, but say the slide will need close attention in the years ahead.
来自开放大学的地质学家约翰·穆雷花了近半个世纪的时间研究这座欧洲著名的火山。
期间，他在这座火山周围设置了高精度的GPS定位站网络，从而监测它的动向。该控制仪器可以感知火山锥形状的细微变化；从11年间获取的数据中可以看出，埃特纳火山很显然正在朝东南偏东方向滑动。
它移动的距离很小。但已显示出这种趋势的火山可能会引起火山移动前坡的灾难性坍塌。穆雷博士的团队强调，目前没有证据表明这种情况会在埃特纳火山发生，但说在未来时间里，需密切关注火山滑动的情况。
1. 词汇表 geologist 地质学家
a network of 由…形成的网络
high-precision 高精度的
instrumentation 仪器设备
volcanic cone 火山锥
motion 移动
catastrophic 灾难性的
flank（火山）侧面，坡
slide 滑动
2. 阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题 。 1. What did the geologist place around Mount Etna during his study?
2. How many years of data have the scientists acquired to establish that Mount Etna has slid?
3. True or false? According to the research team, there is no reason to believe that the volcano’s flank is about to collapse.
4. Which verb in the text means ‘regularly check and observe the progress of something’?
3. 答案 1. What did the geologist place around Mount Etna during his study?
The geologist placed a network of high-precision GPS stations around the mountain.
2. How many years of data have the scientists acquired to establish that Mount Etna has slid?
11 years.
3. True or false? According to the research team, there is no reason to believe that the volcano’s flank is about to collapse.
True. Dr Murray's team stress there is no evidence that Etna will suffer a catastrophic collapse on its leading flank.
4. Which verb in the text means ‘regularly check and observe the progress of something’?
Monitor.