11.Whatthesonthinkatsunamiis?
12.WhatdoesMomimplybysaying,“Ifwehadatsunami,itwouldbetheotherwayaround”?
13.Whatdoesthesonthinksurfingontsunamiwaveswouldbelike?14.WhichofthefollowingisNOTmentionedasthecauseofatsunami?15.Howhighcantsunamiwavesreach?Keys:1B2.C3.A4.D5.C
ForReference
1.Intheopenoceantheymoveatupto800kmperhour,butwhenitreachesthe
shore,thesystemslowsdownandthewavesgetbigger.
2.Theycanreach30meters.Bigenoughtofinishyouoffinonegulp.
Task2:FloodinginHaitiandtheDominicanRepublicScript
Thedeathtoocontinuesto(S1)climbfromlastweek’sfloodinginHaitiandtheDominicanRepublic.TheU.S.AgencyforInternationalDevelopment(S2)reportsthatatleast1,068peoplearedead,1,600are(S3)missing,and25,000areinneedofemergencyfoodandotherformsof(S4)assistance.InDominicanRepublic,414aredeadand274aremissing,allfromthetownofJimani.
Akey(S5)factorinthewidespreaddestructionistheextensivedeforestationandthe(S6)presenceofsettlementsalongthefloodplainsofrivers.
Thefloodingwasdrivenbyintenserainfall.Alow-pressuresystem(S7)originatinginCentralAmericabroughtexceptionallyheavyrainandthunderstormstoHaitiandtheDominicanRepublicfromMay18to25.(S8)Rainfallexceeded500mm(or19.7inches)alongtheborderareasofHaitiandtheDominicanRepublicduringthatperiod.AtthetownofJimani,DominicanRepublic,250mm(or10inches)ofrainfellinjust24hours,causingtheSolieRivertooverflowitsbanksfromMay24to25.Theheavyrainfallresultedinflashfloodingandextensivedebrisflowedovertheentireregion.Swollenriversanddebriscutoffmanyoftheroadstraversingtheareaalongthebaseofthemountains.(S9)Thismadeitdifficultforhumanitarianreliefworkertorescuestrandedpeopleanddeliverbadly.Nowpeoplewanttoknow:Howoftendofloodsandrelatedlandmassmovementalsocausedlandsidesinafewplaces.
(S10)AnalysisofthepastdateshowsthatmajorfloodsintheDominicanRepublicandHaitiarenowanear-annualevent.Since1986,twelvelethaleventshaveoccurredontheisland.
Task3:ABlizzardScript
Ablizzardisaseverweatherconditioncharacterizedbylowtemperaturesandstrongwinds,greaterthan15milesperhour,bearingagreatamountofsnow.Becausethefactorsforclassifyingwinterstormsarecomplex,therearemanydifferentdefinitionsofwhatablizzardtrulyis.Butitisgenerallyagreedthatinordertobeclassifiedasablizzard,asopposedtomerelyawinterstorm,theweathermustmeetseveralconditions.Thestormmustdecreasevisibilitytoaquarterofamileforthreehoursrunning.Includesnoworiceasprecipitation,andhavewindspeedofatleast32milesperhour,whichmeansForce7ormoreontheWindScale.
Anotherstandard,accordingtoEnvironmentCanada,isthatthewinterstormmusthavewindsof40kilometersperhourormi=ore,plentyofsnow,visibilitylessthan1kilometer,atemperatureoflessthan-25degreesCelsius,andalloftheseconditionsmustlastfor4hoursormore,beforethestormcanproperlybecalledablizzard.
Whenalltheseconditionscontinueaftersnowhasstoppedfalling,thestormisreferredtoasagroundblizzard.
Anextensiveformofblizzardisawhiteout,whenthedowndrafts,togetherwithsnowfall,becomesoseverthatitisimpossibletodistinguishthegroundfromtheair.Peoplecaughtinawhiteoutcanquicklybecomedisoriented,losingtheirsenseofupanddownaswellastheirsenseofdirection.Severeblizzardcanalsooccuralongwitharcticcyclones.
11.Whatisthepassagemainlyabout?
12.Whichofthefollowingistrueofablizzardaccordingtothefirststandard?13.Whichofthefollowingistrueofablizzardaccordingtothesecondstandard?14.Whatisagroundblizzard?
5.Whichofthefollowingisintheorderofincreasingforce?
Keys:1A2.B3.C4.D5.C
ForReference
Theycanquicklybecomedisoriented,losingtheirsenseofupanddownaswellastheirsenseofdirection.
IV.SpeakingOutMODEL1
Itwasastrongearthquake
Amy:Bill,itwasastrongearthquake!Thehousewasshaking,thewindowbreaking!
Terrible.
Bill:Iknow,itwasterrible.Isawyourfaceturnwhitasyouranandgotunderthetable.
Amy:IadmitIpanicked.Butitwasn’tanoccasionforustobecareless.It’s
bettertobecautious.Theremightbeaftershocks.Bill:Oranevenbiggerquake!
Amy:Toplayitsafe,let’sturnoffthegasandelectricity.Bill:Right.Let’sgettheemergencyearthquakekitalready.It’sinthekitchen.
Ithasfood,flashlights,andafirst-aidkit.
Amy:Let’sturnontheradiofornews.Iguessthequakemeasuresatleast5on
theRichterScale.Bill:Whoknowwhatmighthappentomorrow,nextmonthornextyear?Afterall,
thiscityissaidtobelocatedinanearthquakezoneAmy:Therehasn’tbeenmuchactivityfordozensofyearsBill:Butamajorquakemayhitatanytime.Amy:Ithinkwe’dbettermovetoanearthquake-proofhouse.Bill:Smartthinking!
MODEL2Script
Thingsareabitoutofbalance.
John:Theseventhstraightdayofrain.It’stoomuch.Thingsareabitoutofbalance.
Susan:Yeah,toomuchrainhere,toolittlethere.Lastsummerfirestorms
destroyedmanypartsoftheglobe.John:Firestormsareaprettyinterestingphenomenon.Theygeneratesomuch
heatthattheycreatetheirownweather.Nothingyoucandoaboutit.Susan:Onceafiredevelopedintoafirestorm,there’snostoppingit.Some
peoplethinkweshouldn’ttry.
John:Youmean,justlettheforestsburn?Howcanwewatchpeople’shomeson
firewithfoldedarms?Susan:Someexpertsarguethatforestfiresarepartofnature,andthatwe
shouldn’ttrytointerfere,except,ofcourse,tosavehomesandlives.
John:Itseemswrongtoletallgoodtimberburn.Whatawastethatwouldbe!Susan:Butthat’snature’swayofcleaningupthedebristhatcollectsontheforest
floorandcreatingnewkindofgrowth.
John:Maybeso,butitstillseemswrongtojustletfiresburn.
Susan:Afterall,therehavebeenverdantforestsformillionsofyearswithout
man’shelpfightingthefires.
John:Thatmaybetrue,butIstillthinkit’swrongtonotputoutforestfires
MODEL3Script
Thisistheislandthatdisappeared
Susan:Justlookatthatsky.Aren’tthetwilightcolorsbeautiful?
John:Um.EvenheardofthefamoussunsetsthatfollowedtheKrakatoavolcano
eruption?
Susan:DoyoumeanthePacificislandthatblewupintheeighteenhundreds?John:Yeah.Deepredsunsetsappearedonthehorizonforthethreeyearsafter
theexplosion.
Susan:Theywerecausedbythefinedustthatspreadthroughtheearth’satmosphere.John:People5,000kilometersawayfromKrakatoareportedhearingtheenormous
blast.
Susan:AndashesevenfellonSingapore,morethan500kilometerstothenorth.John:AsIremember,twothirdsoftheislandsimplydisappeared,blowntobits.Susan:Andthengiantseawavesfollowed,killingmorethan40,000peoplewholivedthere.John:Apparentlythebiggestofthosewavestraveled4,000kilometersinjust12hours.Susan:Idon’tthinkthere’severbeenanothernaturaldisasterquitelikeit,doyou?
John:AmountaincalledVesuviuserupted,buryingthenearbytownofPompeiiinashes;butthatwasinasmallerscale.NowYourTurnTask1
SAMPLEDIALOG
Josh:Maggie,I’vejustreadafiredestroyedmuchoftheforestonDayMountain
inHongKongtheotherday.
Maggie:I’veheardthattoo.Thelocalgovernmentsentfirefightersandeven
helicopterstotrytoputoutthefire.ButIthinktheyshouldn’thavetried.
Josh:Youmean,theyshouldjustlettheforestsburn?Howcantheystandby
andwatchpeople’shomesgoupinflames?
Maggie:Someexpertsarguethatforestfiresareaphaseinthecycleofnature,
andweshouldn’tinterfere.Except,ofcourse,tosavelives.
Josh:Itseemswrongtoallowfirestoburnupgoodtimber.Whatawastethat
wouldbe!Yousee,thefire-hitareaextendsnearly4,00squaremeters.Maggie:Butthat’snature’swayofcleaningupthedebristhatcollectsontheforest
floorandcreatingspacefornewgrowth.
Josh:Thatmaybetrue,butitstillseemswrongtojustletfiresburn.They
destroyednotonlytimber,butmanyrarebutterflieslivingthere
Maggie:Anyway,therehavebeenverdantforestsformillionsofyearswithoutman’s
helpincombatingfires.
Josh:Youmaybecorrect,butIstillthinkit’swrongtonotputoutforestfires.
Iftoomanytreesaredestroyed,theveryexistenceofhumanbeingsisthreatened
V.Let’sTalkScript
Anaturaldisasteristheconsequenceofahazardousevent,occurringwhenhumanactivitiesareaffectedbyadversenaturalphenomenasuchasflood,drought,hailstorm,heatwave,forestfore,hurricanesortyphoons,tornado,tsunami,landsidesandmudslides,orvolcaniceruption.Theresultingdeathsorpropertydamagesdependonthehumanabilitytoresistthedisasters.
Sometimestwoseeminglydifferentdisastersmayberelatedtoeachother.Forexample,anunderseaearthquakemayresultinatsunami.Whilethereisalongdryspellinonearea,theremaybeagreatfloodinanother.Itisnecessaryforhumanbeingstounderstandandcombatnaturaldisasters.
Adroughtisalong-lastingweatherpatternconsistingofdryconditionswithverylittleornoprecipitation.Duringthisperiod,foodandwatersuppliescanrunlow,andothercondition,suchasfamine,canresult.Droughtcanlastforseveralyearsandareparticularlydamaginginareasinwhichtheresidentsdependonagricultureforsurvival.
Afloodfollowstoomuchrainorwaterinalocation,andcouldbetheresultofmanydifferentconditions.Floodscanbecausedbyheavyrainfallfromastorm,includingthunderstorms,rapidmeltingofalargeamountsofsnow,orriverswhichswellfromtoomuchprecipitationupstream,causingwidespreaddamagetoareasdownstream.Anotherpossiblecauseofafloodistheburstingofman-madedams.