- quake（earthquake）地震
A powerful earthquake has killed at least 1,000 people and injured 1,500 in eastern Afghanistan, an official of the ruling Taliban told the BBC.
- at least 至少
- official 官员
- ruling 统治的
Pictures show landslides and ruined mud-built homes in the province of Paktika, where rescuers have been scrambling to treat the injured.
- landslide 山体滑坡
- ruined 成为废墟的
- mud-built 泥土建成的
- scramble [ˈskræmbl]（迅速而吃力地)爬，攀登；争抢；抢占；争夺；艰难地(或仓促地)完成
The quake struck shortly after 01:30 (21:00 GMT Tuesday) as people slept.
Hundreds of houses were destroyed by the magnitude 6.1 event, which occurred at a depth of 51km (32 miles).
- struck（strike）袭击；突袭
- magnitude [ˈmæɡnɪtuːd] 震级
- occur [əˈkɜːr] 发生
- depth （deep）深度
It is the deadliest earthquake to strike Afghanistan in two decades and a major challenge for the Taliban, the Islamist movement which regained power last year after the Western-backed government collapsed.
- deadliest（deadly）最致命的；死亡人数最多的
- Islamist 伊斯兰教的
- regain 重新获取
- -backed …支持的
- collapse [kəˈlæps] 崩溃；突然失败(如机构、生意或行动的)；(突然的)倒塌；塌陷；垮掉
The earthquake struck about 44km from the city of Khost and tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India. Witnesses reported feeling the quake in both Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
- tremor [ˈtremər]震颤；轻微地震；小震；微震
- witness 目击者
- Kabul 喀布尔
- Islamabad 伊斯兰堡
Taliban officials appealed to foreign aid agencies for help. They asked the UN to "support them in terms of assessing the needs and responding to those affected", Sam Mort from Unicef's Kabul unit told the BBC.
- appeal to sb for help 向…请求援助
- aid agency 救援机构
- in terms of 依据；在…方面;从…角度看;根据…来说
- assess [əˈses] 评估
- respond to 回应；响应
- affected 受影响的
Earthquakes tend to cause significant damage in Afghanistan, where dwellings in many rural areas are unstable or poorly built.
- tend to 容易；倾向于
- significant 巨大的
- dwelling [ˈdwelɪŋ] 住处；住宅；住所
- rural areas 农村地区
