MORE than 30,000 soldiers, emergency workers and residents are on guard at dikes near Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, as the city yesterday braced for floodwaters from two swollen rivers.

According to the Yangtze Water Resources Commission, flood peaks of the mainstream of the Yangtze River and the Hanjiang River, the Yangtze's largest tributary, are expected to converge in Wuhan within 24 hours.

"It is very rare for the two rivers' flood peaks to arrive at Wuhan at the same time," said Hu Xiaohei, an inspector from Wuhan's Bureau of Water Resources.

The city has a population of about 9.1 million and is a major transport and economic hub in central China. It stands at the center of China's latest battle against floods which have left more than 1,250 people dead or missing this year.

"The city's ability to control the huge amount of water is certainly being tested," Hu said.

The level of Hanjiang River, the highest in two decades, rose to nearly 35.4 meters when it passed Xiantao City near Wuhan at middayyesterday.

Workers were on standby as authorities withheld an order to open flood gates to divert water from the swollen Hanjiang River to a walled low-lying area covering 600 square kilometers.

The low-lying area, stretching from Xiantao to southeast parts of Wuhan, comprises farmland and fish ponds. It is designed as an emergencyreservoir during serious floods.

"We will strive to protect people and limit the losses brought by the flood," said Jiang Tiebing, director of Wuhan's water resources bureau.

About 5,000 residents in Xiantao and another 25,000 in southeast Wuhan were evacuated overnight.

The water diversionsystem was last put to use in 2005 when the level of Hanjiang reached 35 meters.

In Hanchuan, closer to Wuhan, tens of thousands of soldiers, Armed Police officers and residents were ordered to guard 161 kilometers of dikes and flood prevention facilities around the clock.

The level of Hanjiang was forecast to peak at 32.05 meters, over the 31.16-meter danger line, when it passed Hanchuan late yesterday, provincial water resources officials said.

In Wuhan, the local flood control authority raised the alert level to the second highest level, triggering the mobilization of emergency workers and the military. But officials were confident that the worst scenario could be avoided as flood control systems, including the Three Gorges Dam, were working well and no major rains are forecast in the near future.

• province [´prɔvins] n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)
• transport [træn´spɔ:t] n.运输；流放 (初中英语单词)
• missing [´misiŋ] a.缺掉的；失踪的 (初中英语单词)
• ability [ə´biliti] n.(办事)能力；才干 (初中英语单词)
• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)
• director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中英语单词)
• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• emergency [i´mə:dʒənsi] n.事变；紧急关头 (高中英语单词)
• commission [kə´miʃən] n.委任(状) vt.委任 (高中英语单词)
• tributary [´tribjutəri] a.进贡的 n.进贡者 (高中英语单词)
• inspector [in´spektə] n.检查员；监察员 (高中英语单词)
• divert [dai´və:t] vt.转移注意力；消遣 (高中英语单词)
• strive [straiv] vi.争取；努力；奋斗 (高中英语单词)
• confident [´kɔnfidənt] a.有信心的，自信的 (高中英语单词)
• swollen [´swəulən] swell的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
• yangtze [´jæŋtsi:] n.长江 (英语四级单词)
• midday [´middei] n.中午 (英语四级单词)
• southeast [,sauθ´i:st] n.&a.东南(方) (英语四级单词)
• reservoir [´rezəvwɑ:] n.水库；蓄水池 (英语四级单词)
• overnight [,əuvə´nait] ad.通宵 a.昨晚的 (英语四级单词)
• diversion [dai´və:ʃən] n.转移；消遣 (英语四级单词)
• prevention [pri´venʃən] n.预防；阻止；妨碍 (英语四级单词)
• provincial [prə´vinʃəl] a.省的 n.外省人 (英语四级单词)
• withheld [wið´held] withhold过去式(分词) (英语六级单词)
• forecast [´fɔ:kɑ:st] vt.&n.预测；预报 (英语六级单词)