Unit 5 The power of nature reading学案

　　Mount Kilauea, the world's most active volcano, is on the

island of Hawaii. It is notfar from Mauna Loa, the largest

volcano in the world. Mauna Loa and Kilauea together form

the Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii.

　　Mount Kilauea has produced lava (熔岩) more than fifty

times in the last one hundred years. At this moment, red hot lava

is pouring out of Kilauea. It has been doing this since 1983.

　　Sometimes the lava moves slowly. At other times it pours

out very fast asa huge amount of pressure (压力) forces it

from the volcano. During these times, it moves almost as

quickly as water moving down the side of a mountain.

Sometimes Kilauea produces a large amount of lava that

seems like rivers of fire. When the lava from Kilauea reaches

the ocean, its fierce (凶猛的) heat produces a great amount

of steam that rises into the air. The lava is so hot it continues

to burn underwater for some time. The lava from Kilauea

continues to addland to the island as the volcanoes of Hawaii

have always done.It was these volcanoesthatformed the

islands of Hawaii. Most of the time the lava of Kilauea

seems to move peacefully toward the ocean. Yet it is not as

peaceful as it seems from a distance.

　　In recent years the lava destroyed one small town on the

island. The liquid (流动的) rock slowly covered the town. It

blocked roads and destroyed them. Nothing can stop the lava

of Kilauea.

　　Experts say the volcanoes of Mauna Loa and Kilauea are a serious threat (威胁) to property on many parts of the island. They also say the volcanoes of the island of Hawaii are proof that the changing environment of Earth is and will always remain beyond human control.