Global Warming

The Earth’s climate is changing very quickly because of global warming. There are some of the problems.

Many countries with _____________ have no water and are suffering from ____________. Other places have too much rain and the water causes ___________. Lots of animals are in danger. Giant pandas, blue whales and tigers are just some of the ______________ that are in danger of disappearance. Every year there are violent storms and _____________ which destroy towns and villages. ___________ ice in the North Pole is causing rising ______________.

The world has to do something soon!

Exercise 67 Complete the text withfororsince.

Fighting Hail!

Hail is small balls of ice that falls from the sky. ______ centuries many people have thought that hailstorms happen in winter because the rain turns into ice but that is wrong. Most hailstorms happen in summer when the air near the Earth is warm enough for thunderstorms, but the air higher up is cold enough for ice.

_______ many years hailstorms have destroyed crops and land. ______ 2009 the government of Himachal Pradesh in India has tried to find a solution because they wanted to help local farmers. Now they are looking at a new technology to help protect farmers from the terrible hailstorms in the area. They want to use special guns to destroy the hail.

The idea of anti-hail guns is not new. Scientists have studied the possibilities _______ the 1800s. They have known ______ decades that strong waves of air from a gun in the air crates reassures, that can turn the hail into rain. Farmers in parts of France used them in the 1970s, but they were not successful. Now, scientists have developed a better anti-hail gun. Maybe it can help farmers, not only in India but all over the world.

Exercise 68 Complete the sentences with very or absolutely.

There was a very bad hurricane last month, the winds were ______ terrible and the waves were _______ enormous all along the coast. After the hurricane there were ______ serious floods in some places. The year before it was ______ hot all summer and the high temperatures were _____ awful. I saw a(n) _________ incredible hailstorm – it was ______ frightening.

Exercise 69 Write the nouns from the verbs

1. explain _______________ 5. crash ______________

2. disappear _______________ 6. inspire ______________

3. destroy _______________ 7. smoke ______________

4. explode _______________ 8. erupt ______________

Exercise 70 Find the nouns from exercise 69.

Exercise 71 Complete the sentences with the words below.

1. Many people died in Pompeii when there was a _________________.
2. Natural disasters often _______________ everything around them.
3. Columns of _____________ and smoke explode into the sky when a volcano erupts.
4. Lots of people dream about living on an ______________ but it might be very dangerous.
5. When the volcano exploded, we heard a _______________. It was louder than an _______ or _________. Everyone started to ____________ with fear.
6. They crossed the ocean in a ______________.

Exercise 72 Read the text and match the missing questions in the gaps. There is one extra.

DISASTER!

Every year thousands of people’s lives are affected by disasters. This week, in News Magazine, two disaster survivors, Jamie King and Fiona Jones, tell us their stories.

Jamie King

NM: Jamie, you were in an air disaster. 1) ______

JK: Two months ago. We were flying home after a holiday on a Greek island and then disaster struck.

NM: 2) ______

JK: We were only in the air for a few minutes; we could still see the coast below. Suddenly, there was an explosion and hen two seconds later we heard another explosion. I looked out of the window and I could see a lot of smoke. The engine was on fire! Then the plane started to go down.

NM: 3) _______

JK: I was absolutely terrified! Lots of people started screaming and crying. We were very lucky. The man who was flying the plane was an excellent pilot. We crashed into the water, but the plane didn’t sink. Everyone was able to get out of the plane.

NM: Did you have to wait long to be rescued?

JK: No, because we were so close to land, some ships arrived very quickly and rescued us. We went to hospital and then to a hotel.

NM: 4) _______

JK: Yes, we had to get on a plane to go home the next day. I was a bit worried, but it was fine. The funny thing is that I used to hate flying. Now, I don’t mind it. I think: “The worst has happened. I was in a crash and I survived”.