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

timber1) burn, scorch the surface

ash2) strange, unearthly

ignite3) burn fiercely

contain4) become steam

inferno5) wood suitable for building and carpentry

sear6) burn slowly without frame

rage7) chemical which slows burning

embers8) inflame, set on fire

grime9) blaze, destructive fire

endure10) stop, keeping under control

vaporize11) radiance

smoulder12) powder that remains after burning

retardant13) soot

eerie14) something burning fiercely

glow15) small pieces of burning wood

conflagration16) 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.. sa 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

avert1) unfertile and unproductive

stockpiles2) not profuse

combine3) use up and weaken

scorch4) supplying water

parch5) production

bare6) practically

vulnerable7) hold off, prevent

moisture8) adapt

deplete9) take life away by heat

fertile10) reserves

yield11) put together

convert12) exposed

irrigation13) become dry from heat

virtually14) water within another material

sparse15) 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 cfactori 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................. ofschimbare n ru: c.................. f. the w..