VOA常速英语:Emergency Meeting Held on Horn of Africa Famine and Drought

词汇讲解：

1. famine n. 饥荒
例句：Many people die of starvation during famines every year.
每年发生饥荒时都有许多人饿死。

2. spread vt. 传开;蔓延
例句：The fire spread from the factory to the warehouse nearby.
火从工厂蔓延到了附近的仓库。

3. reflect vt. 表达; 反映
例句：Does this letter reflect how you really think?
这封信反映你的真实想法吗?

4. spiral vi. (物价等)不断急剧地上升(或下降)
例句：Prices are still spiraling.
物价仍在急剧上涨。

5. grave adj.(指情况)严重的
例句：This heavy rain could have grave consequences.
这场大雨会造成严重后果。

6. starve v. (使)挨饿, 饥饿
例句：Because there is no food, the people are starving.
由于没有食品, 所以人们在挨饿。

7. ravage v. 毁坏;蹂躏
例句：The forest was ravaged by fire.
那片森林被大火毁了。

8. desperation n. 绝望;不顾一切,拼命
例句：At the end of the film, the man becomes a thief out of sheer desperation.
在电影的结尾，这个人由于彻底绝望而成了小偷。

9. stem vt. 堵住(水流等),拦住;阻挡,遏止
例句：Measures have been taken to stem inflation.
已采取措施抑制通货膨胀。

10. remittance n. 汇款;汇款额; 汇寄
例句：He sends regular remittances to his parents.
他定期汇款给他父母。

11. scourge n. 带来灾难的人或东西,祸害
例句：After the scourge of war came the scourge of disease.
战乱之后瘟疫接踵而来。

12. catastrophic adj. 灾难性的
例句：It has been predicted that the Earth will tilt on its axis, causing catastrophic famine and disease.
有人曾预言地球会导致大荒灾和疾病。