Unit 12 News (III)

1. Unit 12 News (III) Disasters

3. Part I Warming up • A. Definitions of Some Disaster Names • I. Vocabulary • strain: the force causing the condition of being tightly pulled or stretched • crust: a hard outer covering, as of earth or snow

4. knot: a measure of the speed of a ship, about 1,853 meters (=6,080 feet) per hour • whirl: to cause to move round and round very fast • breadth: width; the distance from one side of sth. to the other • prolong: to make longer, lengthen

5. II. Key • 1.       ice, snow, earth, rock/ the side of a mountain • 2.       a slow-moving mudflow • 3.       the sudden release / waves of shaking • 4.       system of winds / about 30 to 50 kilometers an hour • 5.       64 knots or 74 miles per hour / in the western Atlantic Ocean

6. 6.       a violent destructive whirling wind / of short duration • 7.       74 mph / in the Pacific Ocean • 8.       a period of dryness / prevents their successful growth • 9.       a body of water / normally dry land • 10.   a wildfire or an uncontrolled fire

7. B. News Leads • I. Vocabulary • submarine: a ship esp. a warship, which can stay under water • flare-up: a sudden outbreak of flame or light • Bahrain : Sheikdom and archipelago in the Persian Gulf between Qater and Saudi Arabia 巴林群岛 （西亚国家） • the Gulf Airlines: • Air France: 法国航空公司

8. II. Key • 1.       A bomb explosion in Algiers / in a market area • 2.       ocean storm / the Pacific coast of Mexico • 3.       the cause of a crash of a passenger plane / All 143 people / Wednesday • 4.       Austrians / the 38 people / at ski areas • 5.       The hijacker / released his remaining hostages and surrendered to police.

9. 6.       Japanese / the nuclear reaction / has stopped • 7.       victims of a train accident / 189 / Thursday / 250 • 8.       Russian and Norwegian divers / the sunken Russian nuclear submarine • 9.       12 / heavy rains / homes and bridges / some roads became rivers of flood waters • 10.   deadly storm / Europe / transportation delays / airports to close / more than 115 people

10. 11.   Sunday’s earthquake / Turkey / more than 1,200 / 50 villages • 12.   fires / Sydney / under control / new flare-ups

11. Part II News Items • A.      News Summary • pipeline: a line of connected pipes, often underground, esp. for carrying liquids or gas a long distance • leak: to let a liquid, gas etc. in or out of a hole or crack • blast: the very powerful rush of air caused by an explosion, esp. by a nuclear explosion • rip: to tear or be torn quickly and violently

12. depot: a storehouse for goods • litter: to cover untidily with scattered waste material or something similar • char: to cause to become black by burning • blaze: the sudden sharp shooting up of bright flame • vandal: a person who intentionally damages or destroys public property or things belonging to other people • e.g. The phone boxes are damaged by vandals from time to time • Lagos: capital city of Nigeria

13. B.      Key • Event: a fire from an oil pipeline explosion • Time: Thursday • Casualties: more than 50 people dead • Area: near Lagos • Location: near a fuel-loading area owned by Nigeria’s National Petroleum Corporation • Cause: stealing fuel from leaking pipes / vandal

14. B. • I. Vocabulary • cable car: a vehicle which is supported in the air and pulled by a continuous cable, used esp. for carrying people to the tops of mountains or other steep slopes • plunge: to cause to move or be thrown suddenly forwards and or downwards • dangle: to hang or swing loosely • commander: the officer of any rank who is in charge of a group of soldiers • suspend: to stop or cause to be inactive or ineffective for a period of time

15. II. Key • 1.       The news item is about a cable car accident at a ski resort in northern Italy. • 2.      a. American military plane / cut the wires / low-level flight • b. 20 • c. 60 kilometers away • d.started investigation / suspended low-level missions

16. C. I. Vocabulary • landslide: a sudden fall of earth or rocks down a hill, cliff, etc • shelter: a building or roofed enclosure that gives cover or protection • survivor: a person who has continued to live, esp. in spite of coming close to death • urge: to try very hard to persuade • generous: showing readiness to give money, help, kindness, etc; unselfish • resolution: a formal decision or statement made by the vote of a group

17. assembly: a meeting together of people • e.g. UN general assembly • priority: something that needs attention, consideration, service, etc., before others • barracks: a building or group of buildings that soldiers live in • Venezuela: 委内瑞拉

18. II. Key: • 1.       Event: floods and landslides • Country: Venezuela • Damage: homes of 140,000—150,000 people destroyed • Casualties: 30,000 people killed • Major Cause of the damage: poor city planning • Estimated cost of relief and reconstruction efforts: 15 billion dollars

19. 2.       a. To give quick and generous aid to Venezuela • b. To build new housing for those homeless people • c. In stadiums, car parks, airports and military barracks • d. In plain areas away from the cost

20. Part III Torrential storms in Kenya • I. Vocabulary • 1.       horticulture: the practice or science of growing fruit, flowers, and vegetables • 2.       shiver: to shake slightly, esp. because of cold or fear; tremble • 3.       pea: a large round green seed which is cooked and eaten as a vegetable • 4.       bean: a seed of any of various upright climbing plants, esp. one that can be used as food

21. 5.       associate: to connect in thought, memory, or imagination • 6.       maize: corn • 7.       nightmare: terrible experience or event • 8.       Rift Valley Fever: a disease caused by a mosquito-borne virus found on domestic animals or on African wild game, characterized by fever, headache, sensitivity to light, muscle pain, loss of appetite, and reduction of leukocytes (白细胞) in the blood • 9.       torrential: like torrent • torrential rain暴雨

22. II. Key: • A. • 1.       The topic dealt with for the last two weeks is how heavy rains have contributed to the spread of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya. • 2.       The topic this week is how the continuing torrential storms in Kenya are washing away people’s hopes of a good season. • 3.       January should be one of the best months for growers of fruit, vegetables and flowers in Kenya.