III.

VOCABULARY SPECIFIC NEWS

FOREST FIRES
More than one million acres of forests have gone up in flame this year. This represents
the worst loss of timber in Norwood this century. Millions of dollars worth of damage has
been caused, with beautiful woodland areas and natural reserves being reduced to ashes.
Following a severe drought for the third year in succession, a series of lightning storms
ignited a wave of fires which were almost impossible to contain. In just one National Park,
the inferno got out of control and seared 700,000 acres in 5 months. When one raging fire is
put out, firemen move on to another outbreak, often caused by airborne embers.
Fire spreads so quickly, said one firefighter, his eyes swollen, his face covered with
grime, that you can easily be cut off by the flames. Indeed, 20 fire-fighters have died
battling this years forest fires: some were overcome by smoke and flames before they could
reach the safety of fire-resistant shelters, while several were taken to hospital with burns and
injuries from falling trees. One was killed when a water bombing aircraft accidentally emptied
its 1,000 gallon load over him.
At the scene, it is impossible to endure the heat; in some areas the fire reaches 2,000
degrees Fahrenheit hot enough to melt metal traffic signs and vaporize small streams.
Dense smoke cuts visibility by half. The ashes at each smouldering spot have to be checked
to make reignition impossible. In an effort to prevent the fire from spreading further,
helicopters and planes dump fire retardants. At night, an eerie orange glow can be seen in
the sky from many miles away and the conflagration was detected by weather satellites.
Forests, with the exception of some very old and large trees, will regenerate quickly
although it could take 300 years before the worst-burnt areas return to their full majesty.
Match the words with their definitions
timber
ash
ignite
contain
inferno
sear
rage
embers
grime
endure
vaporize
smoulder
retardant
eerie
glow
conflagratio
n

1) burn, scorch the surface

2) strange, unearthly
3) burn fiercely
4) become steam
5) wood suitable for building and carpentry
6) burn slowly without frame
7) chemical which slows burning
8) inflame, set on fire
9) blaze, destructive fire
10) stop, keeping under control
11) radiance
12) powder that remains after burning
13) soot
14) something burning fiercely
15) small pieces of burning wood
16) stand, bear, put up with

Rearrange the words to form the headline of the story

IN FORESTS DESTROYED MORE BLAZES- UNCONTROLLABLE

Phrases to learn:
a arde, a se mistui g................... u.................. i.. f.
a constitui o pierdere r.. a l..
a da foc, a aprinde focul i..................... f......................
imposibil de a fi stpnit i..................... to c..............................
a stinge incendiul p.................. o.................... a f........................
a suporta cldura e..................... the h........................
topit i vaporizat m....................... and v..........................
a limita vizibilitatea la jumtate c...................... v....................... by h....................
a preveni extinderea focului p........................ the f................... f..
s
a verifica locurile fumegnde c. s s..
DROUGHT
A conference was held today in Agundas capital, Barnaros, to discuss possible
measures for averting the major food crisis caused by this years drought. Reports show that
the autumn grain stockpiles will fall to little more than a months supply. Several factors
combined to contribut to the disaster. First, the rainless summer and scorching sun parched
the land damaging wheat, corn, and peanut crops, and killing millions of chickens and
turkeys. Second, last winter, the driest in nearly a century, left areas bare of their normal
snow cover and vulnerable to high winds. Subsoil moisture was depleted and the
insufficient winter rain and snow failed to restore it. Fertile topsoil has thus eroded faster that
it has bee renewed. It cannot be improved even with the heavy use of chemical fertilizers.
These two facts have resulted in the drastically diminished yield of crops.
Drought has brought other problems, too. Water shortages in many areas limit the
amount of land that can be converted to agriculture by irrigation methods. Also, getting rid
of weeds, which suck up the remaining water, poses yet another problem; turning up the soil
causes it to lose even more moisture. To add to the drought damage, uncontrollable fires
swept through coffee plantation bringing massive devastation.
Drought has also seriously cut the countrys hydroelectric potential bringing about cuts
in electricity. It has virtually emptied the smaller reservoirs and produced water emergencies.
Formerly roaring rivers have been turned into trickles. Water restrictions have been imposed
and city residents have been banned from using hosepipes for domestic purposes. In some
areas, low river levels concentrate chemical pollutants to such an extent that the water is
unsafe to drink. According to weather forecasts, there is little prospect of a steady rainfall in
the foreseeable future. As last years rain was also sparse, it looks as if the climatic pattern is
changing for the worse.
Match the words with their definitions
avert

stockpiles
combine
scorch
parch
bare
vulnerable

1) unfertile and unproductive

2) not profuse
3) use up and weaken
4) supplying water
5) production
6) practically
7) hold off, prevent

moisture
deplete
fertile
yield
convert
irrigation
virtually
sparse

8) adapt
9) take life away by heat
10) reserves
11) put together
12) exposed
13) become dry from heat
14) water within another material
15) productive

Rearrange the words to form the headline of the story

WATER DROUGHT REDUCED SEVERE RESERVES DRAMATICALLY BY
Phrases to learn:
a prentmpina criza: a a c
factori care contribuie la catastrof: f................. c.................. to the d.....................
ploi insuficiente: i...................... r..
a rectiga pmntul pentru agricultur: c........................ the l................. to a...............
a provoca distrugeri nsemnate: b.................... m...................... d..........................
a diminua puterea hidrocentralelor: c.................... h........................... p.....................
a impune restricii: i..................... r..........................
ntr-o asemenea msur: t....................... s.............. an e.................... that....
o ans redus de: l.................. p................. of
schimbare n ru: c.................. f. the w..