Natural disasters like earthquakes, tornado, tsunami and floods happen more frequently nowadays. There are many reasons why they occur, but the main one is related to human activity on Earth which often has a negative impact on our environment. All kinds of disasters are usually very damaging. Many dwellings, roads and even whole streets and cities are ruined. The number of victims usually terrifies as hundreds or even thousands of people get injured or die in disasters. However, each disaster has a different nature.
For example, an earthquake
is the result of the tectonic plates’ movement which leads to the shaking of a
certain area on land. Earthquakes destroy buildings and people usually become
victims because they get stuck or killed under the rubble. Tornado is also a
natural disaster which looks like an enormous column of the wind which lifts
cars, bicycles, furniture and many other things. It is also called a twister
and it can be very dangerous if touches the surface of the ground or water.
Natural disasters/hazards
| natural disasters/hazards | стихійні лиха / небезпеки | |
| 1 | disaster | лихо |
| 2 | hazard | небезпека |
| 3 | catastrophe | катастрофа |
| 4 | an avalanche | лавина |
| 5 | an earthquake | землетрус |
| 6 | flood | повінь |
| 7 | flood waters | паводковими водами |
| 8 | storm | шторм |
| 9 | hailstorm | злива |
| 10 | heavy shower | злива |
| 11 | tsunami | цунамі |
| 12 | heat wave | теплова хвиля |
| 13 | drought | посуха |
| 14 | tornado | торнадо |
| 15 | lightning | блискавка |
| 16 | sliding | ковзний |
| 17 | volcano eruption | виверження вулкана |
| 18 | under flooded | під затоплені |
| 19 | wash away | змити |
| 20 | cut down | обрізати |
| 21 | lead to changes | призводять до змін |
| 22 | raise | піднімати |
| 23 | safe | безпечний |
| 24 | destroy | знищити |
| 25 | occur | відбуватися |
| 26 | damage | пошкодження |
| 27 | have much trouble | є багато проблем |
| 28 | affect | впливати |
| 29 | effect | ефект |
| 30 | resident | резидент |
| 31 | farmlands | посіви |
| 32 | basement | підвал |
| 33 | level of water | рівень води |
| 34 | dwelling | житло |
| 35 | crop | урожай |
Write down the words
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes show themselves by vibrations and shaking the ground. The vibrations may vary in magnitude.
Some of the most significant earthquakes in recent times include:
- The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the third largest earthquake in recorded history. The huge tsunamis caused by this earthquake cost the lives of 229,000 people.
- The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami brought the death to over 13,000 people and over 12,000 people are still missing.
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expense of water that submerges land.
Some of the most significant floods include:
- The Great Flood of 1993 was one of the most devastating floods in the United States history.
- The 1998 Yangtze River Floods in China left 14 million people homeless.
- The 2012 Flood in Krasnodar region killed 162 people. Up to 43,000 people were affected by the disaster. The speed of the flood was shocking, carrying away not only homes but 16-ton trucks as well.
Tropical cyclones can result in great flooding, as happened with:
- Typhoon Nina, which struck China in 1975,
- Hurricane Katrina, which struck Australia in 2011
Drought
If an area has no rainfall or less rain than normal for a long period of time, it is called a drought. Hot dry winds, very high temperature can also result in conditions of the drought.
Well-known historical droughts include:
- In 2006, some states of Australia had been under drought conditions for 5 to 10 years.
- In 2006, Sichuan Province in China experienced its worst drought in modern times with 8 million people and over 7 million cattle facing water shortages.
- In 2011, the State of Texas lived under a drought emergency declaration for the entire calendar year.
Tasks
- A very large wave. ( Tidal wave)
- A group of people who put out fire (_________)
- A very strong wind (_________)
- A sudden movement of the Earth’s surface (_________)
- A large amount of water, covering a surface that’s usually (_________)
- To save someone from danger (_________)
- It’s erupted and caused a huge cloud of smoke (_________)
Disasters Dialogue
– Have any dangerous natural disasters ever happened in your area, Frank?
– Oh, yes! There was an awful flood last year in our town.
– How did you behave during and after the disaster?
– Emergency workers rescued us from the flood. They helped us to climb on the roofs to escape the high level water. And we had a lot to do after the water had gone away. We repaired our houses and cleared away the rubbish on the roads.
– I’m really shocked to hear that. Could the flood have been predicted?
– Unfortunately nobody warned us of that but it was quite expected for all of us. It didn’t catch us by surprise because the snow had suddenly melted the day before.
– What is the most terrible natural disaster to your mind?
– As
for me volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis are the most
destructive. They cause a lot of damage and kill people and animals.
Please answer the following questions
What caused the flood?
____________________________________________________
When did a natural disaster happen?
____________________________________________________
Who helped Frank get on the roof?
____________________________________________________