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--- Lesson 53 Hot snake |
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--- First listen and then answer the question. |
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--- What caused the fire? |
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At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California. |
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Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began. |
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Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away. |
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Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to find any broken glass. |
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They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire. |
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This morning, however, a firemen accidentally discovered the cause. |
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He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line. |
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In this way, he was able to solve the mystery. |
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The explanation was simple but very unusual. |
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A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires. |
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The snake then wound itself round the wires. |
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When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire. |
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--- end |
