The 2008 Flood in Ukraine

Emergency	area	generators	levels	electricity	region
aid	effects	evacuated	cutting	absorb
estimated	caused	devices	funds	heavy

Severe storms and floods in the Carpathian Mountains killed 13 people in Ukraine and another five people in neighboring Romania. Five days of ________ (1) rain near the Prut and Dniestr rivers ________ (2) floods that damaged more than 21,000 houses, Ukraine's ________ (3) Ministry said in a statement.

Ukrainian officials ________ (4) more than 8,000 people and reported that over 300 towns and villages were left without ________ (5). The government said damages are ________ (6) at more than $300 million. "Ukraine has not seen anything like this in 100 years," First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchinov said in televised remarks.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko declared the region a national disaster ________ (7), leaving festivities marking the 1,020th anniversary of the country's adoption of Christianity in Kiev, the capital, to fly to the heaviest-hit ________ (8) of Ivano-Frankivsk in southwestern Ukraine.

The storms will continue for at least another 24 hours and water ________ (9) are expected to rise further, the meteorological service said.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who had already been touring the region, called for a parliament session to allocate disaster relief ________ (10).

On Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered the country's emergencies and foreign ministries to provide humanitarian ________ (11) to flood-hit areas of Ukraine and Moldova. A Russian plane carrying 40 metric tons of food and potable water took off from Moscow on Friday. On August 4, Russian trucks carrying diesel ________ (12), pumps, disinfectants and other items are expected to arrive in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau and the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankovsk.

The Japanese government announced on Friday it would send Ukraine tents, blankets, diesel generators and water purifying ________ (13) worth $110,000. The aid is due to arrive in Kiev on August 4.

A top Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry's official said logging could have exacerbated the ________ (14) of the floods. "I share the opinion that one of the causes of the disastrous flood in Ukraine was the uncontrolled ________ (15) down of trees," Vasyl Dourdynets said at a news conference.

It is widely believed that one of the main reasons for the severe flooding seen in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova in recent years is that deforested regions are less able to ________ (16) water. In addition, nothing prevents water from rushing down the Carpathian Mountains in the event of heavy rains.

The worst drought in 1,000 years

The Guardian, Wednesday 8 November 2006

shortages	experiencing	severe	affect	climate	warming
rainfall	temperature	levels	impact	emergency	decrease

Australia's blistering summer has only just begun but reservoir ________ (1) are dropping fast, crop forecasts have been slashed, and great swaths of the continent are entering what scientists yesterday called a "one in a thousand years drought".

With many regions in their fifth year of drought, the government yesterday called an ________ (2) water summit in Canberra where the Prime Minister John Howard stated that more than half of Australia's farmland was ________ (3) drought.

The drought is likely to ________ (4) drinking water supplies to many areas. Sydney's largest reservoir is now 40% full and many small rural towns in east Australia face ________ (5) within a month.

It is also expected to have a serious ________ (6) on crops. Last week, the government forecast its lowest wheat crop for 12 years, a 62% ________ (7) on last year. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation predicted that ________ (8) in parts of eastern Australia could drop by 40% by 2070, along with a 7°C rise in ________ (9). It said that by 2030 the risk of bush fires would be higher, that droughts would be more ________ (10) and that rainfall and stream run-off would be lower.

Australia's long-term ________ (11) is changing. Environmentalists think that when the drought breaks, the country will not return to cooler, wetter conditions. South Australia's premier, Mike Rann, said yesterday: "What we're seeing with this drought is a frightening glimpse of the future with global ________ (12)."

TASK 24. You will hear an interview with Mark Latell, a scientist who works on volcanoes, talking about his job. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (А, В, С or D) which fits best according to what you hear.

1. According to Mark, predictions about volcanic eruptions can be inaccurate because

   1. the measuring instruments need to be more sophisticated.

   2. reliability is affected by significant variations between volcanoes.

   3. scientists need to know more about the history of individual volcanoes.

   4. the observation and monitoring of volcanoes needs to be constant.

2. When Mark's team successfully predicted an eruption, he felt

1. grateful to the staff in his team.

2. relieved that they had arrived in time.

3. embarrassed by the thanks he received.

4. surprised the local people responded well.

3. Why might Mark's team visit other eruptions?

1. If they are invited by a government.

2. In order to study different volcanoes.

3. If there is a national emergency.

4. In order to liaise with other scientists.

   4. Mark denies that he and his team are 'cowboys' because

      1. they consider the job to be relatively safe.

      2. their families prevent them from taking risks

      3. they plan any expeditions to a volcano very thoroughly.

      4. their training has prepared them for the job they do.

5. What does Mark say about his experience on Mount St. Helens?

1. He was glad that he was with a colleague.

2. Не was excited to have had the experience.

3. Не was lucky to escape from such a big eruption.

4. He was pleased at the knowledge his team gained.

6. According to Mark, the next big eruption

1. may occur in an unexpected location.

2. could significantly alter the earth's climate.

3. is bound to be preceded by some warning signs.

4. may be unlike anything we have experienced before.

TASK 25. Prepare a 3-minute presentation about a real natural disaster. Follow the guidelines given below.

1. When and where did this natural disaster occur and what caused it?

2. Was the destruction the result of a single event or of an ongoing process?

3. In what ways were the environment and the inhabitants affected in the short and in the long term?

4. What help was given to the affected area by international organisations and separate countries.