At least 20,000 people were confirmed dead following last weekend’s cyclone in Burma. It is estimated that another 41,000 are missing and hundreds of thousands remain homeless and without clean water. Rescue workers are still racing to deliver food and water to the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region, which was submerged by floodwaters, leaving scenes of devastation. "More deaths were caused by the tidal wave than the storm itself,” the Burmese Minister for Relief and Resettlement told reporters. “The wave was up to 3.5m high and it swept away and inundated the houses in low-lying villages,” he added. Many roads are still blocked, and bedraggled survivors are emerging from this catastrophic scene, hungry and thirsty and vulnerable to disease. The death toll is expected to climb as authorities slowly make contact with outlying towns and villages along the coast.
Immediately after this disaster, UN aid planes have landed, while neighbouring India and Thailand have also sent aid flights. Another Chinese plane carrying 60 tons of aid landed in the main city, Rangoon. The US has made $3m available for disaster relief.Australia’s government also is boosting its aid to a total of 25million dollars. Its Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, said, “It’s clear that this tragedy is on a mammoth scale and beyond the capacity of any one nation to deal with”.
(BBC News. Sunday, 11 May 2008)
A. COMPREHENSION
A-Answer the following questions according to the text :
a-How many people died in the cyclone?
b-Why is the death toll expected to climb?
c-Which region was worst-hit?
d-What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
2Say whether this statement is true or false according to the text.
- The United Nations was late to send aid planes.
B Text exploration
1-Find in the text words or phrases that are closet in meaning to the following:
a-destruction=
b-to jump =
c- People whose mission is to help victims in disasters =
2.Complete sentence (b) so that it means the same as sentence (a)
a- A violent cyclone hit Burma last week.
b-Burma………………………………......................................
a-we must help victims in such disasters.
b-Victims in such disasters……………………………………..
a-Australia’s Foreign Affair Minister said, “It’s clear that this tragedy is on a mammoth scale and beyond the capacity of any one nation to deal with.”
b-The Minister said………………………………………………
a-“Have you seen the massive destruction caused by the cyclone?” he asked her.
b-He asked her ………………………………………………….
3.complete the table below :
verb noun adjective
to .... destruction .......
to help ....... ......
4-Classify the following words in a table according to the pronunciation of their final “ed” (/d/, /id/ or /t/)
Flooded – blocked - expected –reached – submerged- devastated -
Written Expression(choose one topic)
Topic one : Write a short passage about the danger of natural disasters and the catastrophic consequences they may cause. In the same vein of thought, show how important is solidarity in post-disaster era.(Help yourself with the information provided in the text)
Topic two:two years ago, a powerful earthquake struck southwestern China .Use the information below to write a short report about it.
Monday May 12, 2008 -earthquake -7.9magnitude - Sichuan province, China – latest reports-nearly 12,000 people -death- school children - thousands -injure- buildings- schools- collapse–rescue services- help –International community – UN – aid flights-solidarity-
Immediately after this disaster, UN aid planes have landed, while neighbouring India and Thailand have also sent aid flights. Another Chinese plane carrying 60 tons of aid landed in the main city, Rangoon. The US has made $3m available for disaster relief.Australia’s government also is boosting its aid to a total of 25million dollars. Its Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, said, “It’s clear that this tragedy is on a mammoth scale and beyond the capacity of any one nation to deal with”.
(BBC News. Sunday, 11 May 2008)
A. COMPREHENSION
A-Answer the following questions according to the text :
a-How many people died in the cyclone?
b-Why is the death toll expected to climb?
c-Which region was worst-hit?
d-What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
2Say whether this statement is true or false according to the text.
- The United Nations was late to send aid planes.
B Text exploration
1-Find in the text words or phrases that are closet in meaning to the following:
a-destruction=
b-to jump =
c- People whose mission is to help victims in disasters =
2.Complete sentence (b) so that it means the same as sentence (a)
a- A violent cyclone hit Burma last week.
b-Burma………………………………......................................
a-we must help victims in such disasters.
b-Victims in such disasters……………………………………..
a-Australia’s Foreign Affair Minister said, “It’s clear that this tragedy is on a mammoth scale and beyond the capacity of any one nation to deal with.”
b-The Minister said………………………………………………
a-“Have you seen the massive destruction caused by the cyclone?” he asked her.
b-He asked her ………………………………………………….
3.complete the table below :
verb noun adjective
to .... destruction .......
to help ....... ......
4-Classify the following words in a table according to the pronunciation of their final “ed” (/d/, /id/ or /t/)
Flooded – blocked - expected –reached – submerged- devastated -
Written Expression(choose one topic)
Topic one : Write a short passage about the danger of natural disasters and the catastrophic consequences they may cause. In the same vein of thought, show how important is solidarity in post-disaster era.(Help yourself with the information provided in the text)
Topic two:two years ago, a powerful earthquake struck southwestern China .Use the information below to write a short report about it.
Monday May 12, 2008 -earthquake -7.9magnitude - Sichuan province, China – latest reports-nearly 12,000 people -death- school children - thousands -injure- buildings- schools- collapse–rescue services- help –International community – UN – aid flights-solidarity-