Task 1. 1)Read the text and do the tasks after it. Natural disasters happen all over the world and they can be utterly devastating for
people’s lives and the environments in which they live. Although natural disasters
are caused by nature and there is nothing that we can do to prevent them
happening, there are many different natural causes that lead to natural disasters,
and being aware of these causes enables us to be better prepared when such
disasters do arrive.
One common natural disaster is flooding, which occurs when a river bursts its
banks and the water spills out onto the floodplain. This is far more likely to happen
when there is a great deal of heavy rain, so during very wet periods flood warnings
are often put in place.
Earthquakes are another common natural disaster that can cause many fatalities.
The movements of the plates in the earth’s crust cause them. These plates do not
always move smoothly and can get stuck, causing a build-up of pressure. It is when
this pressure is released that an earthquake occurs. In turn, an earthquake under the
water can also cause a tsunami, as the quake causes great waves by pushing large
volumes of water to the surface.
Tsunamis can also be caused by underwater volcanic eruptions. Volcanic
eruptions are caused by magma escaping from inside the earth. An explosion takes
place, releasing the magma from a confined space, which is why there are often
also huge quantities of gas and dust released during a volcanic eruption. The
magma travels up the inside of the volcano, and pours out over the surrounding
area as lava.
One of the most common natural disasters, but also one of the most commonly
forgotten, is wildfires. These take place in many different countries all over the
world, particularly during the summer months, and can be caused by a range of
different things. Some of the things can be totally natural, while others can be
manmade, but the speed at which they spread is entirely down to nature. The two
natural causes of wildfires are the sun’s heat and lightning strikes, while they can
also be caused by campfires, smoking, fireworks and many other things. The
reasons that they spread so quickly are prolonged hot, dry weather, where the
vegetation dries out, which is why they often take place in woodland.
1) The text is about .
А) earthquakes
B) tsunamis
C) natural disasters
D) environmental protection
2) Choose the right sentence.
А) There are no gas and dust released during a volcanic eruption.
B) Wildfires can be caused by people.
C) Flooding is not a natural disaster.
D) Natural disasters happen only in some parts of the world.
3) Find the wrong statement.
А) Earthquakes can cause many fatalities.
B) Fireworks can be the cause of wildfires.
C) Volcanic eruptions are caused by heavy rain.
D) The speed of wildfires is entirely down to nature.
4) Complete the sentence.
Natural disasters .
А) often take place in woodland
B) are caused by underwater volcanic eruptions
C) can be devastating for people’s lives
D) are commonly forgotten
5) Answer the question.
When does flooding occur?
А) When a river bursts its bank.
B) When magma escapes from inside the earth.
C) When the vegetation dries out.
D) After prolonged hot, dry weather.
6) Choose the best title for the text.
А) What to do after a natural disaster?
B) How to avoid natural disasters
C) The wildlife
D) Natural disasters and their causes
Writing . Complete the text with the past simple passive of the verbs in
brackets.
Q: Who was Greenpeace set up (set up) by?
A: No-one's really sure! Lots of people contributed.
Q: When and where was Greenpeace 1 (start)?
In Canada in 1971, but it 2 (not call) Greenpeace at first. A group of activists
want to protest against an underground nuclear explosion in Alaska.
Their boat 3 ( stop) and the nuclear test 4 (not prevent), but because of the
campaign, a few months later all nuclear activity at the Island 5 (end) by the
US government. That was the beginning of Greenpeace.
Q: When 6 Greenpeace International (create) ?
A: In 1979 Several Greenpeace groups in different countries __ 7 (combine) to
make one worldwide organization. Later an office 8 ( open) in Amsterdam, and
soon Greenpeace activists 9 (find) campaigning all over the world!
1 В
2 Б
3 В
4 В
5 А
6 Г