High 1 · Reading series
Lesson 24 · The River in a Satellite Image
Audio track 24
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In geography class, we compared two satellite images of a river. One had been taken ten years earlier. In the newer image, a pale curve appeared beside the water. My first thought was that the river had moved.
Our teacher asked us to check the dates and seasons. The older picture was from a dry month; the newer one followed heavy rain. A wider river after rain might look like a new course, even if the land had not changed much. We searched for more images taken in similar seasons and looked for reports from people living nearby.
The extra evidence suggested that part of the riverbank had changed slowly, while the water level also varied from season to season. Both processes mattered. We could not explain the whole place from two pictures alone.
The satellite view made a large pattern visible. The dates, weather, and local reports helped us understand what that pattern might mean.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
地理课上，我们比较了两张河流的卫星照片。其中一张拍于十年前。在较新的照片里，河水旁出现一道浅色的弯曲地带。我起初以为河道移动了。
老师请我们核对拍摄日期和季节。旧照片拍于干燥的月份；新照片则拍在大雨之后。雨后水面变宽，即使土地变化不大，也可能让人误以为河流改道。我们又查找相近季节拍摄的其他照片，并阅读附近居民的记录。
更多证据表明，部分河岸在缓慢变化，同时水位也随季节起伏。两种过程都不能忽略。仅凭两张照片，我们无法解释这个地方的全部变化。
卫星视角让大范围的形态变得可见。拍摄时间、天气和当地记录，则帮助我们理解这些形态可能意味着什么。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- satellite image
- 卫星照片；用于比较河流的影像。
- pale
- 浅色的；新照片中出现的弯曲地带。
- curve
- 弯曲线条；河边可见的形状。
- course
- 河道；主人公误以为它移动了。
- follow heavy rain
- 发生在大雨之后；新照片的拍摄时机。
- water level
- 水位；可随季节和降雨改变。
- vary
- 变化；水位有季节差异。
- process
- 过程；河岸变化和水位变化同时存在。
- local report
- 当地记录；来自附近居民的资料。
- pattern
- 形态、规律；卫星影像呈现的整体样子。
Background notes (Chinese)
比较不同时期的卫星影像，需考虑季节和降雨。河岸形状与水位都可能变化；增加相近季节的影像和当地资料，才能更稳妥地解释差异。