eyesore
米国を悩ませるトルネード問題の斬新な解決案が提示されました。その方法とは万里の長城のような巨大な壁を設けて，トルネードの威力を減少させるというものです。この城壁のデザインは”eyesore”であってはならないと書かれておりますが，この単語の意味を調べました。『Wisdom英和辞典（第三版）』（三省堂）によると「見苦しいもの，目障りなモノ」という意味がありました。”sore”は「気に障る，不愉快な」のように消極的な意味があるため，”eyesore”は目で見て不快であるという感じが伝わりました。（Ume）
Great Walls of America 'could stop tornadoes'
Back in the US, he notes that the flat farmlands of Illinois experience wildly varying risks of twisters.
"Washington County is a tornado hotspot. But just 60 miles (100km) away is Gallatin County, where there is almost no risk," he told BBC News.
"Why? Just look at the map - at Gallatin you have the Shawnee Hills."
These act like a barrier 200-250m (820ft) high, protecting Gallatin, he says.
"We may not have east-west mountain ranges - like the Alps in Europe - we can build walls."
Comcast skyscraper in Philadelphia
Prof Tao said the design of the walls could be inspired by the Comcast skyscraper in Philadelphia
"We've already been doing computer simulations and next we aim to build physical models for testing [in wind tunnels]."
Rather than create an eyesore, the walls could be "attractively" designed, says Prof Tao.
