Floods Prevention

Today, there are many ways to help prevent and control floods. Flood-control dams have been constructed throughout history across rivers. Channels and canals are built along rivers when the water is high. Prevention of soil erosion also helps control flooding, that is why it’s a good idea to plant lots of trees.

Scientists continue to study lowland areas. People have gradually filled in wetlands to create land for roads, houses, and cities. About 200,000 to 400,000 acres of wetlands are lost in the United States each year, but they are very valuable in stopping and controlling floods. The wetlands act like huge sponges that soak up huge amounts of water and let it run off slowly. When these areas are filled in and built over, floods are more likely to occur.

In China, where most flooding occurs when the water level in Yellow or Yangtze River is high, people have tried to control it by building channels and dams. The work has paid off, for progress in the last 50 years seems to have stopped serious flooding from the Yellow River. However, the river, like a sleeping dragon, may cause much destruction.

People cannot control nature. Tropical storms, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and melting snow will cause floods. People with homes in low-lying places, by rivers, or in coastal regions are in danger of being killed by floods. In the past, these disasters have caused millions of dollars’ worth in damage. They have taken numerous lives.

V. Прочтите текст еще раз и расположите следующие предложения в том порядке, в котором они представлены в тексте.

a) Floods are caused by many reasons.

b) Many years ago floods caused a huge amount of death and damages.

c) Channels, canals, dams and even trees help to prevent floods.

d) Unfortunately we can’t control nature.

e) China is one of the countries that successfully uses channels, dams and canals to stop floods.

f) Lowlands play an important role in human activity.

g) Many wetlands are dried out for human purposes.

h) As a rule floods occur when rivers overflow.

VI. Прочтите тексты. Соотнесите текст с основной идеей.

1. Students' Life

2. The advantages of the Net

3. Earthquakes

1. We live in a multi-media society. How does the Internet affect our life? The Internet can increase our knowledge of the outside world; there is much high-quality information that can help us understand many fields of study: science, medicine, the art and so on. And moreover now people can get education through the Internet.

2. Major earthquakes occur along faults. These are cracks in the Earth’s crust along which large blocks of crust move against one another. There is usually no movement along the fault while forces and stresses build up on each side. The rocks on either side of the fault begin to bend. Suddenly, the fault breaks. The blocks jump past one another, and the rocks vibrate like a released spring. While the vibration lasts the ground shakes violently.

3. A vast range of cultural, educational, athletic and social activities are available to Princeton students, faculty and staff. When a person is involved in a campus life he or she quickly becomes a part of the University community. Campus life activities help students to express their talents. Colleges offer students a supportive and enriching environment full of opportunities for personal growth.