As Heat Waves Loom, Scientists Wonder How Humans Will Adapt
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EN: Compound adjectives are formed by joining two or more words with a hyphen (e.g., 'record-breaking'). They function as a single adjective to modify a noun. 'Record-breaking' combines the noun 'record' and the present participle 'breaking' to describe something that surpasses all previous achievements or limits.
The company announced record-breaking profits for the third quarter.
EN: Time expressions indicating 'when' something happened (like 'in late June this year') are typically placed at the end of the sentence in English, or sometimes at the very beginning for emphasis. 'Late' is used here as an adjective meaning near the end of a period.
EN: In recent years, Europe has experienced increasingly frequent and severe summer heatwaves due to climate change. Because many European homes and public transport systems historically did not require air conditioning, these sudden extreme temperatures pose significant infrastructure challenges and health risks to the population.
EN: When listing multiple items in a series, English uses commas to separate them, with the coordinating conjunction 'and' preceding the final item. This is known as a parallel structure, where all listed items must belong to the same grammatical category (in this case, proper nouns representing countries).
Italy, Greece and Portugal are popular summer destinations.
EN: The word 'all' is used as a pre-determiner or adverb to emphasize that every member of the group experienced the action. In this sentence, 'all' is placed immediately before the main verb 'experienced' to modify the compound subject.
The students all passed the final exam.
EN: In English, country names like 'the United Kingdom' and 'the Netherlands' always require the definite article 'the' because they contain plural nouns or political terms (Kingdom). In contrast, 'France', 'Spain', 'Belgium', 'Switzerland', and 'Germany' do not use articles.
EN: The Past Perfect Tense ('had + past participle') is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. In this sentence, 'had never faced' happened before the reporting ('reported').
She realized that she had lost her keys.
EN: The noun clause starting with 'that' acts as the direct object of the reporting verb 'reported'. It contains a complete sentence structure (subject + verb + object) to show what was reported.
The scientist proved that the theory was correct.
EN: Present Perfect Tense (has + past participle): Used here to describe an action that started in the past and has a direct result or relevance to the present moment.
The heavy rain has already stopped.
EN: Adverb Placement (also): The adverb 'also' is placed after the auxiliary verb 'has' and before the main verb 'reached' to add information to the subject.
She has also visited that museum.
EN: In English, country names that are plural or represent a union of states (like 'the United States' or 'the United Kingdom') must be preceded by the definite article 'the'. Note that 'the' is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence.
EN: The Present Continuous Tense (be + verb-ing) is used here to describe an ongoing state or action happening around the present time. In this context, 'are living' emphasizes the temporary, current situation of experiencing heat warnings.
Many cities are currently experiencing unusually high temperatures this week.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'under heat warnings' uses 'under' to indicate being subject to or affected by a particular condition, rule, or official classification (such as weather alerts or pressure).
The coastal areas are under a hurricane watch until tomorrow morning.
EN: In the United States, 'heat warnings' (specifically Excessive Heat Warnings) are official alerts issued by the National Weather Service when extremely hot temperatures are expected to pose a serious risk to human health. This reflects the growing impact of climate change on North American weather patterns.
EN: The passive voice structure 'be expected to + verb' is used to express what is anticipated or predicted to happen based on current information or schedules.
The train is expected to arrive in ten minutes.
EN: The non-defining relative clause starting with ', which is...' is used to add extra, non-essential information about the preceding noun phrase (the temperature range in Fahrenheit). It is separated from the main clause by a comma.
He bought a new laptop, which is much faster than his old one.
EN: The United States is one of the few countries that still primarily uses Fahrenheit for temperature measurement, whereas most of the world, including Europe, uses Celsius. News reports covering international weather often provide conversions between both scales to ensure clarity for global audiences.
EN: The noun clause (or content clause) introduced by 'that' functions as the direct object of the reporting verb 'say'. The conjunction 'that' is often omitted in informal speech but is kept here for clarity.
Experts believe that climate change is accelerating.
EN: The collocation 'put strain on [something/someone]' means to place worry, difficulty, or pressure on something or someone. The adjective 'enormous' (meaning extremely large) modifies 'strain' to emphasize the intensity of the pressure.
The heavy snow put a strain on the power grid.
EN: Zero Conditional: This structure is used to talk about general truths, scientific facts, or situations that always happen under certain conditions. It uses the pattern 'When/If + present simple, present simple'.
When water reaches 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
EN: The verb 'struggle' followed by an infinitive ('to + verb') means to experience difficulty while trying to do something.
EN: In Europe, many residential buildings historically do not have air conditioning because summers were traditionally mild. Consequently, when temperatures stay above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and do not drop at night, it presents a significant health hazard, as indoor environments remain extremely hot.
EN: Compound Subject: When multiple noun phrases are joined by commas and the conjunction 'and' to form a single subject, they take a plural verb (in this case, 'are').
Apples, bananas, and oranges are rich in vitamins.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'at risk' functions as a subject complement after the linking verb 'be' (are), meaning 'in a situation where something bad or harmful could happen'.
Without proper gear, hikers are at risk in the mountains.
EN: The verb 'adapt' is commonly followed by the preposition 'to' when indicating the thing or environment that someone is adjusting to. The structure is 'adapt to + noun/gerund'.
It takes time to adapt to a new school.
EN: The phrase 'over time' is an adverbial phrase meaning gradually or as time passes. It is used to describe changes that happen slowly rather than all at once.
Her English skills improved over time.
EN: Appositives (同位語) are nouns or noun phrases that follow another noun to explain or identify it. In this sentence, 'a physician at the University of Augsburg in Germany' is an appositive phrase that provides more information about 'Professor Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann'. It is set off by commas.
Mr. Green, a talented musician from London, teaches us piano.
EN: Prepositional phrases (介系詞短語) starting with 'at' and 'in' are used here to indicate location. 'At' is used for a specific institution ('at the University of Augsburg'), while 'in' is used for a larger geographical area ('in Germany').
She works at a hospital in New York.
EN: Noun Clause as Object: The word 'that' introduces a noun clause ('that the human body can adapt') which functions as the direct object of the reporting verb 'said'. In informal English, 'that' is often omitted, but it is kept here for clarity.
He believes that technology can solve many environmental problems.
EN: Relative Clause (Adjective Clause): The relative pronoun 'who' introduces a relative clause ('who are continuously exposed to heat') that modifies the noun 'people'. This clause provides essential information about which people have stronger adaptations.
Students who study regularly usually get better grades.
EN: The adverb 'also' is used to add information. In sentences with the verb 'to be' (am, is, are, was, were), 'also' is placed directly after the 'be' verb.
She is also a talented musician.
EN: The preposition 'of' is used to show belonging, connection, or categorization. In the phrase 'the director of the Institute', 'of' indicates that the director belongs to or leads that specific institute.
He is the manager of the new department.
EN: The 'Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich' is a prominent research institution in Germany. Helmholtz Munich is part of the Helmholtz Association, Germany's largest scientific organization, which focuses on health, energy, and environmental research. This highlights the high academic standing of the expert mentioned in the news.
EN: Present Perfect Continuous Tense (has/have been + V-ing) is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing in the present, emphasizing the duration or ongoing nature of the activity.
They have been living in this city for ten years.
EN: The preposition 'for' followed by a period of time (e.g., 'for many years') is used to indicate the duration of an action or state.
EN: The phrase 'focus on' is a phrasal verb meaning to give all your attention to something. It is followed by a noun or a gerund (verb-ing). In this sentence, 'treating' is a gerund acting as the object of the preposition 'on'.
Our team focuses on developing eco-friendly products.
EN: This sentence uses nested relative clauses (adjective clauses) to modify nouns. 'Who suffer...' is a relative clause modifying 'patients', and 'that are caused...' is another relative clause nested inside, modifying 'illnesses'.
I know a teacher who helps students that have learning difficulties.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A period of unusually hot weather that typically lasts for several days.
To place pressure, stress, or great demand on someone or something.
In a situation where you are in danger of being harmed, damaged, or lost.
To experience physical or mental pain, illness, or loss.
Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, mainly caused by human activities.