Vocabulary Study Look at the adjective-noun collocations. Circle the collocation in each group that has a different meaning. 1 natural / terrible / major disaster 2 severe / devastating / controlled flood 3 ambitious / large-scale / long-term project 4 prolonged / seasonal / extreme drought 2 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the collocations from Exercise 1. In some cases , more than one answer may be possible. 1 Due to their complexity, desalination plants are many years to construct. 2 One of the worst that may take in human history was the 1556 earthquake in Shaanxi Province, China. 3 are sometimes used to improve the quality of rivers. such as dams, lood defenses, and early warning 4 systems require huge amounts of investment. 5 In 1931, there was a(n) million people lost their lives to the water, 6 Due to a very hot climate, sub-Saharan Africa suffers from more than many other places in the world. 7 In an increasing number of places, the lack of winter rain makes the chances of 8 Where proper planning has been in place, the chance of a flood or drought turning into a China, where more than a in the summer more likely. are reduced
2) The collocation that has a different meaning is "controlled flood". A controlled flood implies that the flood is purposely managed or regulated to mitigate its negative effects. On the other hand, severe and devastating floods both indicate floods that cause significant damage and destruction, without necessarily implying that they are controlled.
3) The collocation that has a different meaning is "ambitious project". An ambitious project refers to a project that requires a lot of effort, determination, and resources to be completed successfully. On the other hand, a large-scale project and a long-term project both imply projects that are extensive in size or require a considerable amount of time, without necessarily indicating that they are ambitious.
4) The collocation that has a different meaning is "extreme drought". An extreme drought refers to a prolonged period of very dry weather conditions, often leading to a shortage of water resources. On the other hand, prolonged and seasonal droughts both indicate droughts that last for an extended period of time, without necessarily implying that they are extreme.
Now let's move on to completing the sentences using the correct form of the collocations from Exercise 1:
1) Due to their complexity, desalination plants take many years to construct.
- The collocation used here is "desalination plants", which refers to facilities that remove salt and other impurities from seawater to make it suitable for human consumption or irrigation. The sentence states that constructing desalination plants is a time-consuming process due to their complex nature.
2) One of the worst earthquakes that may take place in human history was the 1556 earthquake in Shaanxi Province, China.
- The collocation used here is "1556 earthquake", which refers to the specific earthquake that occurred in the mentioned year and location. The sentence highlights that this particular earthquake is considered one of the most severe in history.
3) Flood defenses, such as dams, are sometimes used to improve the quality of rivers.
- The collocation used here is "flood defenses", which refers to structures or measures implemented to prevent or control flooding. The sentence mentions that flood defenses, such as dams, can be utilized to enhance the overall quality of rivers.
4) Long-term projects require huge amounts of investment.
- The collocation used here is "long-term projects", which refers to projects that extend over a significant period, usually spanning several years. The sentence emphasizes that undertaking long-term projects necessitates substantial financial resources.
5) In 1931, there was a major flood in China, where more than a million people lost their lives to the water.
- The collocation used here is "major flood", which refers to a flood of significant magnitude or impact. The sentence states that in 1931, China experienced a major flood that resulted in the loss of over a million lives.
6) Due to a very hot climate, sub-Saharan Africa suffers from more than seasonal droughts than many other places in the world.
- The collocation used here is "seasonal droughts", which refers to droughts that occur regularly during specific seasons, often due to the lack of rainfall. The sentence states that sub-Saharan Africa experiences more frequent seasonal droughts compared to other regions.
7) In an increasing number of places, the lack of winter rain makes the chances of extreme droughts more likely.
- The collocation used here is "extreme droughts", which refers to severe and prolonged periods of extremely low rainfall and dryness. The sentence suggests that the absence of winter rain increases the probability of extreme droughts occurring.
8) Where proper planning has been in place, the chances of a flood or drought turning into a controlled flood or drought are reduced.
- The collocations used here are "controlled flood" and "controlled drought", which refer to floods and droughts that are intentionally managed or regulated to mitigate their negative impacts. The sentence highlights that with effective planning, the likelihood of floods or droughts escalating into uncontrolled situations is decreased.