進入英語學習論壇下載音頻 去聽寫專區一展身手

After testing New Orleans' flood defenses over the weekend, Tropical Storm Lee moved northeast on Monday after weakening to a tropical depression, and threatened to bring heavy rains and flooding to a large section of the southeastern United States.

Moving slowly inland, the powerful rainmaker was on course to hit Mississippi on Monday and Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky on Wednesday and Thursday, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Even as a tropical depression, the remnants of Lee have the potential to dump 25 to 38 centimeters of rain across the Gulf region, forecasters said. Heavy rains are expected to spread into the Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachians through Tuesday with rainfall of 10 to 20 cm.

"These rains are expected to cause extensive flooding and flash flooding," the hurricane center said. It added that tornadoes were possible on Monday in sections of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle and Southwest Georgia.

The rains could bring to the Tennessee Valley and Appalachian Mountains the same kind of flash flooding seen recently in Vermont after Hurricane Irene.

In Texas, winds from the storm whipped up wildfires that have burned more than 1.4 million hectares of the parched state this season, with 1,000 homes threatened in Bastrop County, just east of Austin.

The National Hurricane Center said the remnants of Lee were 90 km west-southwest of McComb, Mississippi, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph around 11 pm local time on Monday. The storm was moving east-northeast at 11 kph.

The storm has temporarily shut more than 60 percent of offshore oil production.

In New Orleans, flood defenses appeared to pass one of their biggest tests since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005 despite up to 33 cm of rainfall since Lee developed late last week.

Questions:

1. What is the name of the storm?

2. Where will it hit on Monday?

3. What speed was the sustained winds at 11pm Monday?

Answers:

1. Lee.

2. Mississippi.

3. 55 kph.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.