UNIT 4:

DISASTERS
LESSON 1
LESSON SUMMARY

VOCABULARY
Word/Phrase Meaning Example
typhoon (n) a tropical storm that often causes huge A typhoon is on its way to the city.
/taɪˈfuːn/ damage
earthquake (n) a strong, unexpected shaking of the There will be an earthquake
/ˈɜːθkweɪk/ earth's surface according to the weather forecast.
tsunami (n) a huge wave that often comes after an A tsunami can destroy everything on
/tsuːˈnɑːmi/ earthquake its way.
also tidal wave
/ˈtaɪdl weɪv/
flood (n) a large amount of water covering an The flood caused serious damage to
/flʌd/ area that is usually dry our house.
wildfire (n) a large fire burning natural areas like A campfire can cause a wildfire.
/ˈwaɪldfaɪər/ woods, forests and grassland
blizzard (n) a snowstorm with powerful wind Many people got stuck in the blizzard
/ˈblɪzərd/ for five hours.
heat wave (n) a period of unusually hot weather A long summer heat wave can cause
/hiːt weɪv/ crops to die.
drought (n) a long period when there is little or no A severe drought can cause plants,
/draʊt/ rain trees and animals to die.
landslide (n) a fall of earth or rocks down a hill or Floods can cause a landslide.
cliff
/ˈlændslaɪd/
also landfall
/ˈlændfɔːl/
avalanche (n) a large amount of snow, ice and rocks Yesterday’s avalanche killed a party
/ˈævəlæntʃ/ that falls down the side of a mountain of skiers.
also snowslide
/ˈsnəʊslaɪd/

GRAMMAR
Wh- questions
We can use Wh- questions to ask for detailed information about an action or event.
Wh- questions Answers
What was the biggest earthquake? It was the Great Chilean Earthquake.
Where was the tallest tsunami? It was in Lituya Bay, Alaska, the US.
When was the worst flood? It was in 1938.
How wide was the wildfire? It was fifty five million acres.
How tall was the tidal wave? It was about thirty meters.
How long was the drought? It was more than six months.
How many people died in the earthquake? More than 830,000 people died.
How much damage did the landslide cause? The landslide destroyed everything.

PRONUNCIATION

 Sound change of was

"... was ..." often sounds like /wəz/.
What was /wəz/ he doing at eight yesterday evening?

 Pronouncing /ʌ/ and /u:/

/ʌ/ /u:/
• flood /flʌd/ • country /ˈkʌntri/ • typhoon /taɪˈfuːn/ • blue /bluː/
• jurnp /dʒʌmp/ • another /əˈnʌðər/ • who /huː/ • noon/nuːn/

PRACTICE
Pronunciation
Circle the word that has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
 1. A. month B. other C. stomach D. move
2. A. flood B. food C. typhoon D. moon
3. A. nut B. mud C. rule D. cut
4. A. boot B. spoon C. good D. zoo
5. A. thunder B. hundred C. sudden D. June

Vocabulary
a. Match the words or phrases to their definitions
A. Heavy rains cause this to happen.
B. This is a typical storm in tropical regions.
C. This is the violent shaking of the earth's surface.
D. This happens when there is unusually hot weather.
E. Plants, trees and animals die because of this long period with no rain.
1. a flood ______
2. a drought ______
3. a typhoon ______
4. a heat wave ______
5. an earthquake ______
b. Complete the text using the words in the boxes.
avalanche typhoon landslide tsunami blizzard
Welcome back to Radio Weather News. There were a lot of natural events yesterday. Cars,
motorbikes and other vehicles got stuck in a (6) ___________ on the west side of the city because of
heavy snowfall and a big storm on the highway. In the mountain range, there was a(n) (7)
___________. A mass of ice fell down a slope and caused three people to be injured. Yesterday there
was also a (8) ___________ on the east side of the city. Its violent winds knocked all the trees down
and caused a(n) (9) ___________ which blocked many roads. Besides, the earthquake in the ocean
caused a (10) ___________ on the east coast. What a day of disaster!

Grammar
a. Circle the correct options.
1. Kate: ___________ did the tsunami destroy? - Jack: The whole village.
A. Where B. Which C. What D. Why
2. Jim: ___________ was the wave? - Ann: About 10 meters tall.
A. How much B. How many C. How long D. How tall
3. Alex: ___________ did the earthquake hit the city? - Tom: At midnight.
A. When B. What C. Where D. How
4. Ben: ___________ did the blizzard cause across the city? - Rosie: A power cut.
A. Which B. How C. What D. Why
5. Kim: ___________ was the the biggest wildfire? - Ted: In Western Montana, the US.
A. Which B. Where C. What D. How
b. Circle ONE mistake in each sentence
6. How much damage did the avalanche caused?
A. How B. much C. did D. caused
7. How much people got hurt in the tsunami?
A. much B. got C. hurt D. tsunami
8. What was you doing when the earthquake hit the city?
A. What B. was C. doing D. hit
9. Ann: "How tall was the wave?" - Ted: "It was over 20 meters long."
A. How B. was C. was D. long
10. Andy: "How many did it take to stop the fire?" - Ben: "About 3 hours."
A. How B. many C. did D. fire

Reading
a. Read the text about the weather in the UK. Write T (true), F (false) or DS (doesn't say).
Extreme weather in the UK
The UK is not only famous for its beauty but also for extreme weather. Strong winds and storms are
examples of severe weather. Those conditions can cause damage to buildings and houses. They can
also be dangerous to people. Another example of extreme conditions is drought. Droughts are periods
of dry weather. They often happen when there is a lack of rainfall over a long period. They can heavily
affect the supply of water and can destroy crops. Floods are also an issue in the UK. Too much rainfall
often causes floods in a short period of time. Floods cause damage to houses and buildings, washing
away roads and vehicles. People sometimes lose their lives in floods.
According to scientists, global climate change will cause hotter and wetter weather in the UK in the
21st century. Heatwave is a problem in the UK due to climate change. The shocking temperature of the
heat wave is the result of greenhouse gases. It causes people to work from home and students to
study remotely. Trains become dangerous because the railway can expand and bend in the heat.
People might see such extreme heat waves every three years if they continue to produce greenhouse
gases.
1. The UK is well-known for its extreme weather. ______
2. Storms in the UK can destroy crops. ______
3. Floods can happen quickly when there is an excessive amount of rain. ______
4. Floods in the UK always take life. ______
5. People in the UK must work from home when there is a heat wave. ______
b. Read the text again. Answer each question with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER.
6. What affects the supply of water? ______
7. What causes floods in a short period of time? ______
8. How will the weather in the UK in the 21st century be? ______
9. What is the result of greenhouse gases? ______
10. How often will the heat waves happen if people keep producing greenhouse gases? ______

Speaking
Read the information about the Great Kanto Earthquake and answer the questions.
The Great Kanto Earthquake
 Japan, 1923
 A total of 1.38 million people in Tokyo became homeless.
 caused a 39-foot high tsunami in the bay
1. Where was the Great Kanto Earthquake?
2. When was the Great Kanto Earthquake?
3. How many people in Tokyo became homeless after the earthquake?
4. What did the Great Kanto Earthquake cause in the bay?
5. How tall was the tsunami caused by the Great Kanto Earthquake?

Writing
a. Put the words in the correct order to make complete sentences.
1. Russia / in / was / The / 2021. / biggest / in / wildfire
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Chile / May 1960. / hit / The / Great Chilean Earthquake / in
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. four / hundred / At least / died / the / flood. / in / people
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. The / 12 meters / high. / tsunami / was
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. This / is / the / worst / typhoons / one / of / in / history. / American
__________________________________________________________________________________
b. Make questions for the underlined words.
6. Thirteen people got injured in the typhoon.
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. The avalanche took place in the early morning.
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. The blizzard destroyed cereal crops in China.
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. The tsunami took place in the northern coast of the US.
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. People avoided going outside because of the heat wave.
__________________________________________________________________________________
 UNIT 4:
DISASTERS
LESSON 2
LESSON SUMMARY

VOCABULARY
Word/Phrase Meaning Example
escape plan (n) a set of decisions about how to get The company needs to make an
/ɪˈskeɪp plæn/ out of a house or building for safety escape plan for a fire.
board up (phr v) to cover doors or windows with People should board up windows
/bɔːrd ʌp/ wooden boards and doors for a typhoon.
emergency services (n) organizations that make sure The emergency services are always
/ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi sɜːrvɪsɪz/ people's safety and health ready to help people.
/ˈfaɪər ɪkstɪŋɡwɪʃər/ (n) a device that helps stop a fire We need to put a fire extinguisher at
also extinguisher an open place.
/ɪkstɪŋɡwɪʃər/
stock up (phr v) to buy a lot of something for future People should stock up on food and
/ stɒk ʌp/ use drinks for bad winters.
battery (n) a small container of power The flashlight needs new batteries.
/ˈbætəri/
plural batteries
/ˈbætəriz/
first aid kit (n) a box with medical equipment for Sarah always carries a first aid kit
/ˌfɜːrst ˈeɪd kɪt/ urgent use with her.
supplies (n) food, equipment and things that are We really don't need to stock up on
/səˈplaɪz/ necessary for survival supplies.

GRAMMAR
Prepositions of place and movement
We can use prepositions of place to show where something or someone is.

The cat is inside the box. The cat is outside the box. The cat is under the coffee
table.
We can use prepositions of movement to show movement from one place to another.

The dog is running into the The rabbit is jumping to is The koala is climbing up the
house. tunnel. tree.

PRONUNCIATION

 Sentence stress with shouldn't

In a sentence to give negative advice with shouldn't, we stress shouldn't.
You shouldn't use the elevator when the fire alarm rings.

 Pronouncing /ə/ and /ɜː/

/ə/ /ɜː/
• fire /'faɪər/ • first /'fɜːrst/
• supply /səˈplaɪ/ • turn /tɜːrn/
• surprise /səˈpraɪz/ • word /wɜːrd/
• mirror /ˈmɪrər/ • service /'sɜːrvis/
• extinguisher /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃər/ • emergency /i'mɜːrdsansi/

PRACTICE
Pronunciation
Circle the word that has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
1. A. extinguisher B. emergency C. disaster D. number
2. A. world B. worst C. work D. doctor
3. A. worse B. visitor C. color D. error
4. A. furniture B. burn C. surprise D. surface
5. A. power B. service C. battery D. under

Vocabulary
a. Circle the correct options.
1. The old firefighter showed us how to use a fire ______________ to stop the fire.
A. extinguisher B. truck C. exit D. alarm
2. Where's the ______________? I need a plaster for her bleeding finger.
A. fire extinguisher B. first aid kit C. battery D. flashlight
3. It's getting dark outside. We should use a ______________.
A. flashlight B. fire extinguisher C. first aid kit D. battery
4. You can call ______________ for urgent problems such as crime, fire or illness.
A. hospitals B. emergency services
C. companies D. schools
5. It is necessary to think about an ______________ for a disaster.
A. first aid kit B. emergency services
C. supplies D. escape plan
b. Complete the weather news using the words in the boxes.
stock up board up supplies batteries typhoon
Another (6) ______________ is going to hit the city. The storm might cause a flood because of heavy
rain. Getting ready for an emergency is essential. (7) ______________ on some food and drinks. (8)
______________ your house because strong winds can break the windows. The storm might also
cause a power cut. Prepare some (9) ______________ for lighting your house. Accidents might
happen during the storm. Buy some medical (10) ______________ when emergency services might
not be available.

Grammar
a. Complete the sentences with inside, under, outside, and up
1. Go ______________ the house! The winds are getting stronger.
2. You shouldn't go ______________ on a stormy day.
3. If your house was on fire, you should get out of the house really fast and move ______________ a
safe place.
4. During an earthquake, try to get ______________ things such as a table, a desk or a bed.
5. People climbed ______________ the hill to avoid the tsunami.
b. Circle the correct options.
6. You should seek shelter ______________ a strong table or desk until the shaking stops.
A. to B. in C. out D. under
7. People should work from home instead of going ______________ work on a stormy day.
A. inside B. outside C. into D. to
8. Run ______________ the hill before the tsunami arrives.
A. in B. outside C. inside D. up
9. Due to the road conditions, the authority warned people not to drive ______________ flood water.
A. out B. into C. up D. outside
10. Stay ______________ your house during a blizzard.
A. inside B. outside C. on D. over

Listening
a. Listen to Dr. Shane's instruction on how to survive a flood. Fill in each gap with ONE WORD.
Before a flood
 Keep a list of (1) ___________ contacts on your phone.
During a flood
 Prepare an emergency (2) ___________
 Move to a (3) ___________ and high area.
 Never (4) ___________ or drive through flood water.
After the flood
 (5) ___________ drinking water
b. Listen again. Write T (true) or F (false).
6. You should check the electrical appliances before using them. ___________
7. You should research your neighborhood for places that might flood. ___________
8. You shouldn't use more canned food and bottled water. ___________
9. You should bring some blankets with you during a flood. ___________
10. You can leave the safe place to return to your house when the water reduces. ___________

Speaking
Complete the presentation using should or shouldn't.
Good morning, everyone. I would like to share what we should and shouldn't do during a fire.
 First, you (1) ___________ shout "Fire" loudly a few times to let everyone know there is a fire.
 Second, you (2) ___________ call the emergency phone number immediately.
 Third, you (3) ___________ open the door if you see smoke under it.
 Then, you (4) ___________ use elevators if you live in an apartment.
 Finally, you (5) ___________ try to carry all things with you. Get out of the fire first.

Writing
a. Circle ONE mistake in each sentence and correct it.
1. We should keep fire extinguishers on a safe place.
A. keep B. extinguishers C. on D. safe
2. Stay inside a building when it is on fire.
A. Stay B. inside C. when D. on
3. You should move up a safe place during a heavy flood.
A. should B. move C. up D. during
4. Stock in on emergency items such as first aid kits and supplies.
A. Stock B. in C. emergency items D. first aid kit
5. Stay on a table to protect yourself when an earthquake happens.
A. on B. protect C. when D. happens
b. Put the words in the correct order to make complete sentences.
6. What / people / should / when / an / earthquake / do / happens?
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. should / starts. / calm / when / People / keep / a / wildfire
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. you / should / What / for / a / typhoon? / prepare
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. stock / up / should / and / first aid kits. / on / supplies / We
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. water. / should / We / or / walk / drive / never / into / flood
__________________________________________________________________________________
 UNIT 4:
disasters
LESSON 3
LESSON SUMMARY

VOCABULARY
Word/Phrase Meaning Example
expect (v) to believe something will happen We didn't expect the flood to hit
/ɪkˈspekt/ the city.
inform (v) to tell somebody about something The reporter was trying to inform
/ɪnˈfɔːrm/ US about the tsunami.
immediately (adv) right now, and without any delay Call the emergency services
/ɪˈmiːdiətlɪ/ immediately if you are in danger.
also at once
/æt wʌns/
task (n) a piece of work that you must It was a difficult task to clean up the
/tæsk/ complete streets when the flood was over.
warning (n) something, such as a message or The local government gave a
/ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/ an announcement, to tell you to warning of floods last Thursday.
prepare for something bad may
happen

WRITING
An emergency announcement about a disaster
1) sent: Time, Month, Date (1) Sent: 17:54 January 11
What: Flood, earthquake,... What: An avalance
 Where: the city, the beach,... Where: Areas near the White Tops Mountain
When: from ... to... When: From 9:30 to 14:30, January 12

2) What might happen: (2) Because of yesterday's sudden snowstorm, an avalanche might

It can cause landslides,... happen shortly. It can travel at a speed of 120 mph and block roads

3) Instruction: and railways. Even worse, there will be a power cut for a few hours.
Stay alert and safe.
What to do
(3) Instructions:
Run to a safe place
• Avoid going near the mountain around the time of the avalanche.
What not to do
Learn the sign of an avalanche and practice using life-saving
Do not use an elevator,...
equipment.
In case someone is buried under the snow, call 911 and then
begin to search for them if it is safe to do so.

PRACTICE
Vocabulary
a. Match each definition or description with the correct word in the box.
A. task
B. expect
C. inform
D. warning
E. Immediately
1. This means without any delay. _______
2. This is a piece of work that you have to do. _______
3. This means believe something will happen. _______
4. This means tell somebody about something. _______
5. This is for telling you to avoid something bad that may happen in the future. _______
b. Complete the conversation using the words in the boxes.
stock up warning expect inform immediately
Phil: There was a (6) ____________ on another typhoon. It will last for a few hours.
Ben: That’s bad! I don’t (7) ____________ it to hit our village.
Phil: I don’t, either. We’ll have to (8) ____________ other people of the news.
Ben: You're right. And we should do that (9) ____________ before it is too late.
Phil: We also need to (10) ____________ on some food and drinks for emergencies.

Listening
a. Listen to an announcement about a typhoon. Fill in each gap with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

AND/OR A NUMBER
BREAKING NEWS
TYPHOON

Sent: 14:03 1) ____________ Instructions:

What: A typhoon Know your 5) ____________ and have an
Where: 2) ____________ City escape plan.
It might take place for 3) ____________ days. Keep contact numbers of the local emergency
There will be a power cut during the storm. The services and board up the doors
flood water can rise up to 4) ____________
meters high.

b. Listen to the conversation between Jessica and Rita. Circle the correct answers.
6. What was the most useful thing Rita learned from Mr. Park's presentation?
A. making an escape plan B. keeping food and drinks
C. boarding up a house D. keeping a lifebuoy
7. What did Jessica think about the workshop when it was over?
A. boring B. fun C. terrible D. informative
8. What idea from the presentation did Jessica like?
A. making an escape plan B. calling emergency services
C. boarding up a house D. stocking up on food and drinks
9. What did Mr. Park advise people to do while waiting for the supplies?
A. to stock up B. to board u
C. to write an escape plan D. to wait for supplies
10. What should people do if the flood was too high?
A. climb up a tree B. walk up a hill C. move upstairs D. climb up a ladder

Reading
a. Read the emergency announcement about a heat wave. Write T (true), F (false) or DS (doesn't
say).
Sent: 21:36 June 3 Instructions:
What: A heat wave  Wear a hat or carry an umbrella with you if
Where: Oakland City you’re outside.
When: From 10:00 June 4 to 16:45 June 9 The  Get enough water and avoid sugary drinks.
heat wave is now going on in the city. The  Exercise gently.
highest temperature may hit 40°C People with  Come and see your family, friends and
weight and alcohol problems may get neighbors, especially older people.
heatstroke. The heat wave might affect other  If someone gets heatstroke or heat exhaustion,
systems across the city. Water and electricity contact the emergency services immediately.
shortage may happen during the heat wave.
1. There are no power supplies and water during the heat wave. ______
2. Heatstroke is dangerous during the heat wave. ______
3. Bring an umbrella with you if you are out during the heat wave. ______
4. Stay away from sugary drinks during the heat wave. ______
5. Call an emergency service if someone suffers from heatstroke. ______
b. Read the text about blizzards in China. Answer each question with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
AND/OR A NUMBER from the text.
China is one of the countries that experiences the most blizzards in the world. Blizzards frequently hit
the central and southern regions of the country. The year 2008 saw one of the worst blizzards in its
history. It happened between January 25 and February 6 and killed 129 people. According to official
records, the country did not experience its worst winter months in more than two decades. Experts in
meteorology said that La Nina, a weather phenomenon, could be the cause of the blizzard. Millions of
crops failed, and livestock died in the snowstorm. Also, it caused enormous damage to the national
electricity grid. The power cut happened in Fuzhou in about three weeks. There was no power or
water supply in Chenzhou for nearly two weeks. According to officials, it took five months to fully fix
the electricity grid.
6. When did the country experience its worst blizzard? ______
7. How many people died from the blizzard? ______
8. What could be the cause of the blizzard. ______
9. What died in the blizzard? ______
10. How long did Fuzhou experience the power cut? ______

Speaking
Complete the conversation using the sentences in the box.
A. Ah, It was a long time ago.
B. Good for you. What exactly did you learn in that class?
C. What is a tsunami, Ben? It sounds strange to me.
D. How tall is a tsunami?
E. Oh really? And when did it happen, Ben?
Mia: How was your science class, Ben?
Ben: It was exciting, and I finished it last week.
Mia: (1) ______________________________________________________________________
Ben: It was about natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, avalanches and many more.
Mia: (2) ______________________________________________________________________
Ben: It is like a very large wave from the sea and often comes after an earthquake.
Mia: (3) ______________________________________________________________________
Ben: I don’t know. But the biggest tsunami in history was over 500 meters tall.
Mia: (4) ______________________________________________________________________
Ben: It was on July 9, 1958.
Mia: (5) ______________________________________________________________________
Ben: Yes, it was.

Writing
a. Read the emergency announcement. Fill in the gaps using the words from the boxes. There is one
extra word.
landslides typhoon inside attention canned outside
Sent: 23:14 May 30 Instructions:
What: A tropical storm Make an emergency plan for your family.
Where: Baytown City Get a first aid kit and some (3) ________ food.
When: From 7:50 June 1 to 23:00 June 4 Always stay (4) ________ during the typhoon.
A tropical storm from the ocean is getting stronger Do not walk or drive into flood waters.
and will soon become a (1) ________. Pay (5) ________ to emergency information and
 We don’t expect any (2) ________. alerts.
b. Write an emergency announcement about a typhoon. Write 80-100 words or more.
In my writing, I use correct ...
 vocabulary 
 grammar 
 spelling 
 punctuation 
 linking words 
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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