Топик для сдачи устного экзамена: Natural Disasters

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Natural Disasters

Natural disasters are varied and widespread. A few examples of natural disasters are: earthquakes,

floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, heat waves, ice ages,

meteor strikes, drought, wild fires, epidemics, famines, weather disasters and others. What are

some weather disasters that you know? Are you familiar with all of the above natural disasters?

An earthquake occurs due to underground activity such as the movement of tectonic plates. The

underground origin of the earthquake is called the 'focus', and the point directly above the focus on

the surface of the earth is called the 'epicenter'. The Richter scale is most commonly used system of

measurement of earthquakes. It measures the magnitude of an earthquake on a scale of 0-10. An

earthquake of magnitude 10 has ever been recorded. The largest earthquake in recorded history

occurred in Chile in 1960 (9.5). The second most powerful earthquake in recorded history occurred

in 2004 in the Indian Ocean. Although the earthquake itself caused little damage,

the subsequent tsunami wreaked havoc and killed thousands. An earthquake of less than 2.0 on

the Richter scale is known as a microearthquake and is not felt. There are approximately 8,000

microearthquakes every day!

Volcanic eruptions are dangerous because of the hot lava which flows from the volcano after

eruption and the volcanic ash which is

released into the atmosphere. The

ash is dangerous for animals to inhale

and can cause damage to moving

parts in machinery.

A tsunami (also known as a tidal wave)

is a series of water waves caused by

the displacement of a large volume of

a body of water. They are usually

caused by underwater earthquakes.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami,

the DART system (Deep-ocean

Assessment and Reporting of

Tsunamis) was established

internationally. The DART system

consists of a surface buoy and a

seafloor device which measures

pressure. Using these tools, scientists monitor the situation and can help to warn seaside

communities of imminent danger.

An avalanche is the rapid flow of snow down a slope, hill, or mountain. They are often triggered by

human activities, such as constructions or even simply skiing. During World War One, almost

50,000 solders were killed as a result of avalanches during the mountain campaign in the Alps on

the Austrian-Italian front. Most of the avalanches were caused by artillery fire.

Natural disaster movies such as “2012” or “The Day After Tomorrow” are very popular in the United

States. Which natural disaster movies do you remember? Which is your favorite?

Which natural disasters occur in Russia? How often? What type of natural disaster is the scariest to

you? Why? What is the worst natural disaster that you can remember? What do you think is worse

– natural disasters or manmade disasters?

Magnitude = [NOUN] The property of relative size or extent (large or small) of something; the scale

of something. [Psychologists are trying to determine the magnitude of damage done to the small

child by his abusive parents..]

Subsequent = [ADJECTIVE] Occurring or coming later or after; Following in order or succession;

Following close behind [In subsequent years, teaching younger actors became as important to her

as her own acting.]

Displacement = The act of something being moved from its original location due to an external

event. [The displacement of indigenous tribes after the wild fires in Africa numbered in the ten

thousands.]

Imminent = [ADJECTIVE] About to occur; impending. [I tried to warn her of the imminent danger

when I saw the tornado just a few miles away, but she didn't listen.]

To trigger (something) = To set off or initiate something; to cause something. [The hooligan's

fireworks triggered panic in the city square, as people mistook the exploding fireworks for a bomb.]

HURRICANE KATRINA (2005)

Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans,

Louisiana on August 29

, 2005. By August

, 80% of New Orleans was flooded, and

many sections were under 4.5 meters of

water. Luckily, 90% of the residents of

Louisiana were evacuated before the

hurricane hit. However, in the end 1,464

people died. As you know, the most

dangerous aspect of a hurricane is not the

precipitation that it drops, but the dangerous

winds which accompany it. The reason why

Hurricane Katrina was so devastating for

New Orleans is because the strong winds

caused the levees to break, thus flooding

the city. In the days following the hurricane,

there was some looting in the city, but the

military was called in and they halted illegal

action very quickly. The state government was heavily criticized after the tragedy for failing to help

its citizens. On April 9, 2010, Amnesty International accused the United States government of

violating the human rights of hurricane victims by treating them improperly and not giving enough

assistance to poor minority communities. What do you think the government is responsible for in

such situations?

What if you were warned about a flood in St. Petersburg? Would you evacuate or would you stay

put? Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?

Devastating (for/to something/someone) = Extremely effective in a destructive way – physically

and/or emotionally. [Her mother's death was devastating to her, and she would never recover

emotionally from the blow.]

Levees = Structures raised to prevent a river or other water source from overflowing. [Because it is

located below sea level, the city decided to build a levee on the outskirts in order to help prevent

water from Lake Erie from flowing into the city during heavy rains.]

Looting = The act of steal goods and vandalizing property in a time of chaos, especially after natural

disasters or political unrest. [A person who loots is called a looter.] [The looting which occurred in

Kyrgyzstan following the coup has been brought under control by the interim government.]

To evacuate = To withdraw or vacate (leave) a place or area, especially as a protective measure.

[NOTE: This verb can mean both to leave AND to force others to leave a place. (see following

examples) [The police evacuated the scene of the crime so that the investigators could complete

their work without interference. The police evacuated the building after it caught fire and was too

dangerous to continue rescue operations.]

POP QUIZ

There will be a quiz on a secret topic. Don't flunk! [to flunk = to fail (academically) = to receive an F

(1)]

CONVERSATIONS

Kai: Vadim, did you hear about the

earthquakes in Baja Mexico? That's

too bad.....that used to be a really

pretty place to visit, but now it's in

ruins.

Vadim: Yeah, that's a shame. I had

wanted to visit that region of Mexico,

but not anymore....I'm not

into extreme tourism.

Kai: You do realize that earthquakes

happen in many parts of the world, and

are pretty much unpredictable, right?

Vadim: Whatever, Kai – I've never

heard about earthquakes in Bermuda,

Barbados, or St. Lucia......

Kai: Perhaps not, but those are

islands which are often plagued by hurricanes.

Vadim: Well, at least that's better than the tornadoes which often strike the Midwest!

Kai: That's true, but why would you visit the Midwestern United States anyway? It's probably the

least interesting part of the country, unless you're a farmer!

Vadim: I love wheat fields.

Kai: Okay......

Viktor: Vadim, you can vacation in Spain. They never have natural disasters. It's always sunny, the

people are friendly, and there are plenty of interesting sites to see.

Kai: Ummm.....except for in 2007 when there was the earthquake on the Iberian Peninsula. And

don't forget about the 2003 heat wave which led to a drought and 141 deaths.

Vadim: Yeah, no thanks – I can go to the local solarium to get a tan.

Kai: No place is safe from natural disasters. They're part of life, and there's nothing we can do to

prevent them.

Vadim: Not according to Hugo Chavez! He says that the United States military has a secret

weapon which causes natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

Kai: Vadim, if you believe the nonsense that comes out of Hugo Chavez's mouth, I've got some

oceanfront property in Belarus to sell you......

Vadim: Really? For how much?

Kai: Wow. Somebody skipped geography class. Belarus is landlocked, Vadim......

Vadim: Oh well. I guess I'll just stay in St. Petersburg.

Viktor: Yeah, let's go clubbing!

Vadim: Alright! The first round is on me.

Kai: You guys have fun. I'm going to stay in and watch Law & Order . See you later.

(To be [OR] to lie) in ruins = To be destroyed; To be ruined; To be in a very poor

condition. [Following the Balkan War, much of Sarajevo lay in ruins.]

(To be) into (something) = To be interested in something; To enjoy (doing) something. [Max, what

do you want to do this weekend? -Hmmm, well, I'm into sports....let's go play basketball.

-Basketball? Uggh. Let's play soccer instead. -You're not into basketball? Well I'm not into soccer.

Let's just go to the theater. -Okay.]

To be plagued (by something) [To plague (something)] = To be pestered or annoyed persistently

by something; To be inconvenienced over and over by some negative event. [Jessica is a very sick

little girl.....she is plagued with a variety of serious diseases. = A variety of serious diseases plague

Jessica.]

Drought = A long period of abnormally low rainfall, especially one that adversely affects growing or

living conditions.

To skip class = To not attend class, usually for a unauthorized reason. [Although she was not sick,

Olga decided to skip class and go watch Alice in Wonderland at the theater.]

Just Speak!

E R Movies (movies with subs )

Written by Bunny