4.Complete the following text with the correct words derived from the words in bold. The first one has been done as an example.
The island of Madagascar was in a state of total (0) ...devastation... (devastate) yesterday after Hurricane Geralda wrecked millions of dollars worth of land and property over a two-day period.
The island was lashed by (1)________(torrent) rain and winds of up to 350 kilometres per hour (220 miles per hour). Seventy people were killed and 500,000 were left (2) _________ (home). In the city of Toamasina alone, 80,000 people lost their homes.
The main (3) _________(commerce) port of the island was almost destroyed and 70 per cent of the island's farmland was completely (4) ________ (flood). There were (5) _________ (heartbreak) scenes as people returned to the (6) ________(flatten) ruins that were once their homes.
Hurricanes gather speed and strength over water, and Geralda travelled over a large area of water before it hit the island of Madagascar. This is part of the reason why the storm struck so (7) ________(severe).
Experts say that earlier (8) __________(warn) would not have prevented the damage, but steps are now being taken to reinforce many of the (9) ________(damage) areas in order to be better prepared should such a (10) ________(power) storm hit again.
Unit 9 fire fighting equipment reading
Pre-reading activity
Two friends are going on a hike. They have made-up a list of things which they will need in a camp. Look at this list. What tools will they really need? Use your dictionary to check up the words you don’t know.
a floodlight
a ladder
an electric generator
a boat
axes
a carnival mask
helmets
a large hose
a canvas tent
rubber coats and boots
a first aid box
a saw
Work in pairs.
Look at the example and give a definition for any three items on the list.
Example: A first aid box is a box with different medicines and medical materials to be used in an emergency.
Ask each other what items could be used in fighting fires.
3. Now read the text. Write down all the names of the tools and equipment used by fire-fighters. Fireman's Tools and Equipment
Fire fighters need special tools for such tasks as forcing open locked doors or cutting through barred windows. Some every-day tools have been changed to meet the special needs of firemen. For example, fire axes are designed for cutting, prying, digging, and battering in addition to chopping. Firemen wear gas masks to protect them from smoke and fumes, and large, sturdy helmets for protection from falling debris. The helmets have broad brims that keep them from being drenched by water spray. Firemen also wear heavy canvas or rubber coats and rubber boots to keep from getting wet.
Firemen fight small fires with booster lines, or small lines of hose that look like large garden hoses. They use medium-size hose for fires in one or two rooms of a house, in a small store, or in some other limited area. Fire fighters use a large hose about 2 or 3 inches in diameter to battle flames in large buildings. Nozzles vary from small types that a man can hold in one hand to large master-stream nozzles that are mounted on trucks or extension towers. Master-stream nozzles sometimes require several large hose lines to supply enough water for a hard-hitting stream that will put out a big fire.
Ladders rank among the fireman's most important tools. Fire fighters use wood, aluminium, or steel aerial ladders with sections that can be extended as high as 100 feet into the air. Firemen use the ladders in battling flames and rescuing persons trapped on upper floors. The bottoms of these ladders are attached to aerial-ladder trucks. A powerful motor on the trucks raises the ladders. The trucks also carry other ladders of various sizes that can be raised by hand.