Module 4- Lesson 20: Global issues

Grammar: Third conditional

I. Read the following pieces of news and say, “What would have happened, if they hadn’t done what they did?”
Example: 1. If there had been satellite communication, emergency services could have assessed damage more quickly.

Earthquake and tsunami in 2010

1. Due to the 2010 earthquake the communication systems went down, so it was difficult to assess damage and help
victims. Neither landlines nor cellphones worked in the aftermath of the earthquake.
2. My sister was supposed to go camping to Dichato the day before the earthquake. But she finished packing too
late, so my father didn’t let her go. Luckily, she was at home when the earthquake hit.
3. The firefights checked the gas cylinders of our houses right after the first tremors. Thanks to that there were no
explosions, and everybody felt safe.
4. My father has always been very cautious, and like a boy scout, he always has an emergency kit, groceries stored,
flashlights charged, a portable radio, water saved, and many more things in hand in case of emergencies. All these were
very useful after the earthquake because we could eat, and drink water and listen to the news, it was a relief.

Earthquake in Iquique in 2014

5. Minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami alarm in Iquique was sounded. And shortly afterwards a large-scale
evacuation order was issued for all of Chile's coastal areas, affecting over 900,000 people. Over the course of the night
in Iquique, waves topping six-feet-high crashed into the city causing minor flooding.
Landslides in Chiguayante in 2016 and 2022
6. In 2016, after heavy rain, a warning was released to evacuate people near an unstable slope of the the
Manquimavida hill. Firefighters alerted neighbors and helped them to evacuate but they wanted to save some
belongings, so they went up again when the landslide occurred. 11 people died, including 3 fire fighters that were trying
to help them.
7. On August 16th, this year, there was a huge landslide on highway that connects Chiguayante and Concepcion.
Power lines were affected, and trees blocked the way. Nobody died, but there was a huge traffic jam until the next day.
Only people who took the train and/or biked home could arrive home within half an hour whereas the rest of the
people travelling by car or bus.

Sinkhole in 2022
8. Chile's SMA environmental regulator issued a series of measures against a copper mine owned by Canadian
corporation after a sinkhole opened up near one of the company's mines. The sinkhole that measures 36.5 meters in
diameter is in Tierra Amarilla I located 665 km north of Santiago. After several inspection visits to the area, they
detected that the company was carrying out an over-extraction of material, which could have caused an increase in
outcropping waters that have not been adequately controlled.

Volcano eruption in Chaiten in 2008

9. The eruption cut communications in areas and made access difficult. 90% of Chaitén was flooded due to increased
flows of the Rio Chaitén but casualties were low with just one death caused by stress. Navy warships were deployed to
evacuate nearby residents in the southern region of Patagonia. The major impact was on farming, and many farm
animals were killed by suffocating on the ash. Between 80-90% of the town of Chaitén reported damaged.