Content text UNIT 4.DISASTERS.doc
UNIT 4: DISASTERS LESSON 1 LESSON SUMMARY VOCABULARY Word/Phrase Meaning Example typhoon (n) /taɪˈfuːn/ a tropical storm that often causes huge damage A typhoon is on its way to the city. earthquake (n) /ˈɜːθkweɪk/ a strong, unexpected shaking of the earth's surface There will be an earthquake according to the weather forecast. tsunami (n) /tsuːˈnɑːmi/ also tidal wave /ˈtaɪdl weɪv/ a huge wave that often comes after an earthquake A tsunami can destroy everything on its way. flood (n) /flʌd/ a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry The flood caused serious damage to our house. wildfire (n) /ˈwaɪldfaɪər/ a large fire burning natural areas like woods, forests and grassland A campfire can cause a wildfire. blizzard (n) /ˈblɪzərd/ a snowstorm with powerful wind Many people got stuck in the blizzard for five hours. heat wave (n) /hiːt weɪv/ a period of unusually hot weather A long summer heat wave can cause crops to die. drought (n) /draʊt/ a long period when there is little or no rain A severe drought can cause plants, trees and animals to die. landslide (n) /ˈlændslaɪd/ also landfall /ˈlændfɔːl/ a fall of earth or rocks down a hill or cliff Floods can cause a landslide.
avalanche (n) /ˈævəlæntʃ/ also snowslide /ˈsnəʊslaɪd/ a large amount of snow, ice and rocks that falls down the side of a mountain Yesterday’s avalanche killed a party of skiers. GRAMMAR Wh- questions We can use Wh- questions to ask for detailed information about an action or event. Wh- questions Answers What was the biggest earthquake? It was the Great Chilean Earthquake. Where was the tallest tsunami? It was in Lituya Bay, Alaska, the US. When was the worst flood? It was in 1938. How wide was the wildfire? It was fifty five million acres. How tall was the tidal wave? It was about thirty meters. How long was the drought? It was more than six months. How many people died in the earthquake? More than 830,000 people died. How much damage did the landslide cause? The landslide destroyed everything. PRONUNCIATION Sound change of was "... was ..." often sounds like /wəz/. What was /wəz/ he doing at eight yesterday evening? Pronouncing /ʌ/ and /u:/ /ʌ/ /u:/ • flood /flʌd/ • jurnp /dʒʌmp/ • country /ˈkʌntri/ • another /əˈnʌðər/ • typhoon /taɪˈfuːn/ • who /huː/ • blue /bluː/ • noon/nuːn/ PRACTICE Pronunciation Circle the word that has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others. 1. A. month B. other C. stomach D. move 2. A. flood B. food C. typhoon D. moon 3. A. nut B. mud C. rule D. cut
A. Which B. How C. What D. Why 5. Kim: ___________ was the the biggest wildfire? - Ted: In Western Montana, the US. A. Which B. Where C. What D. How b. Circle ONE mistake in each sentence 6. How much damage did the avalanche caused? A. How B. much C. did D. caused 7. How much people got hurt in the tsunami? A. much B. got C. hurt D. tsunami 8. What was you doing when the earthquake hit the city? A. What B. was C. doing D. hit 9. Ann: "How tall was the wave?" - Ted: "It was over 20 meters long." A. How B. was C. was D. long 10. Andy: "How many did it take to stop the fire?" - Ben: "About 3 hours." A. How B. many C. did D. fire Reading a. Read the text about the weather in the UK. Write T (true), F (false) or DS (doesn't say). Extreme weather in the UK The UK is not only famous for its beauty but also for extreme weather. Strong winds and storms are examples of severe weather. Those conditions can cause damage to buildings and houses. They can also be dangerous to people. Another example of extreme conditions is drought. Droughts are periods of dry weather. They often happen when there is a lack of rainfall over a long period. They can heavily affect the supply of water and can destroy crops. Floods are also an issue in the UK. Too much rainfall often causes floods in a short period of time. Floods cause damage to houses and buildings, washing away roads and vehicles. People sometimes lose their lives in floods. According to scientists, global climate change will cause hotter and wetter weather in the UK in the 21 st century. Heatwave is a problem in the UK due to climate change. The shocking temperature of the heat wave is the result of greenhouse gases. It causes people to work from home and students to study remotely. Trains become dangerous because the railway can expand and bend in the heat. People might see such extreme heat waves every three years if they continue to produce greenhouse gases. 1. The UK is well-known for its extreme weather. ______ 2. Storms in the UK can destroy crops. ______ 3. Floods can happen quickly when there is an excessive amount of rain. ______