NATURAL DISASTERS

Have you ever heard about natural disasters before? Have you seen one of them?
Let’s take a look at the sentences below and circle the natural disaster mentioned in
each sentence!

1. Both Earth and Mars suffer from gale.

2. There is a geyser named “Old Faithful” in Yellowstone National Park.
3. A dust storm usually occurs in the spring and summer, but it is rarely destructive.
4. Within minutes, the sky had darkened and heavy rainstorm was lacing the town.
5. The acid rain last night has caused severe erosion on the hillside
6. An unexpected gust of wind blew Dani’s umbrella inside out.
7. Sandra keeps her flashlights and candles handy in case of a blackout.
8. A hailstorm blasted great drifts of snow across the lake.
9. My uncle got his roof blown off in the blizzard last week.
10. The hail melted when the sun came out.

NATURAL DISASTERS
Exercise 1 Now, take a look at the pictures and match them with the correct
words provided in the box!

A. Drought

B. Wild ire

C. Flood

D. Earthquake

E. Tsunami

F. Eruption

G. Landslide

H. Tornado

I. Avalanche
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COMPREHENSION
Exercise 2 Listen to the recording and ill in the blanks with the correct
words!

A tornado is one of the natural disasters that can cause

a ……………….. in an instant. Tornadoes are actually
formed from ……………….. . In order for tornadoes to
form, warm, ……………….. and cool, dry air has to meet.
When two types of air meet, they make the ………………..
become unstable. With the help of wind that blows at
high speed, the air masses will spin horizontally. This
process happens in the ……………….. atmosphere. After it
starts to spin, the air mass will rise and change the
rotation into ……………….. . Through this process, the
tornado ……………….. wide. The bigger the tornado is, the
stronger and more ……………….. it becomes.
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Exercise 3 Listen more

Farhan: I just received a text from Dad. He said that his Monica: What happens when the area already has all

plane got delayed, so he is ………. his stay. them?

Monica: oh, poor Dad. What’s happening? Farhan: When the cold air blows ………. that source of

Farhan: Apparently, the ………. has hit New York since water vapor, it forms snow. However, it doesn’t actually

yesterday. I sat on the news. form that much snow.

Monica: I didn’t know that. Do you know how a blizzard Monica: Oh really? Then what causes that much snow

occur? in a blizzard?

Farhan: I just learn this in my ………. class earlier this Farhan: It is the ……… of cold and warm air. For a ……….

semester. to form, the warm air must rise over cold air. It happens

Monica: Great. That means you can explain that to me, when the winds pull the cold air toward the ………. from

right? poles and bring warm air toward the ………. from the

Farhan: Of course. First of all, in order for a blizzard to equator. When the warm air meets the cold air upon

occur, the area needs to have enough ……… both up in going to the mountain, the blizzard snow forms in the

the clouds and on the ground, so the snow can form and cloud.
fall. There also has to be enough water ……….. sources, Monica: I see…. So, is dad coming home tomorrow,

such as a lake area or an ocean. then?

Farhan: Hopefully. We’ve got to tell mum about it.

 Look back at the conversation and answer the

following questions!
1. What happened to Farhan’s father’s flight?
. What did Monica say to ask for explanation from Farhan about a
blizzard?
. What did Farhan say to start his explanation?
. Where did Farhan get the information about the blizzard?
5. Please reexplain the process of the blizzard!
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 Read the text and pay attention to the structure of

an explanation text!

Heatwave
A heatwave is a lengthy period of hot weather with a high level of humidity.
Hot days are considered as a heatwave when it lasts more than two
consecutive days during the hottest time of the year. Heatwaves are usually
more common in the northern and southern in hemisphere during the summer.
However, the classi ication of the impacts may vary in different regions of the
world.
Heatwaves happen in summer when the pressure is higher across the area.
The high-pressure systems move very slowly, and they can occur for a long
period of time in an area. In the UK, the location of the jet stream, a core of
strong winds above the earth’s surface, determines the occurrence of a heat
wave, usually in the northern area of the UK. The jet stream allows high-
pressure to develop over the area. Thus it results in persistent hot and dry
weather.
Even though the UK doesn’t experience as many heatwaves as other
countries, in August 00 , a heatwave lasted more than 10 days. It resulted in
000 deaths. The temperature during the 00 heatwave was around 8.5 °C in
Kent.
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 After knowing the structure, now pay attention to
its language features!

Heatwave
A heatwave is a lengthy period of hot weather with a high level of humidity.
Hot days are considered as a heatwave when it lasts more than two
consecutive days during the hottest time of the year. Heatwaves are usually
more common in the northern and southern in hemisphere during the
summer. However, the classi ication of the impacts may vary in different
regions of the world.
Heatwaves happen in summer when the pressure is higher across the area.
The high-pressure systems move very slowly, and they can occur for a long
period of time in an area. In the UK, the location of the jet stream, a core of
strong winds above the earth’s surface, determines the occurrence of a heat
wave, usually in the northern area of the UK. The jet stream allows high-
pressure to develop over the area. Thus it results in persistent hot and dry
weather.
Even though the UK doesn’t experience as many heatwaves as other
countries, in August 00 , a heatwave lasted more than 10 days. It resulted in
000 deaths. The temperature during the 00 heatwave was around 8.5 °C in
Kent.
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After choosing and analyzing the chosen text, you now must ill in the
following table!

Action verbs Conjuntions Adverb (place) Technical words

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 BETTER TO KNOW A special type of vocabulary
used to explain speci ic and
Use of technical unique things. Use of action
words - Magma verbs
Adverbs to describe a location
- Twister
where the action is taking
- Solution A verb that tells what the
place.
- Tremor subject of a sentence is doing.
- There - Etc
- Here - Run
- Nearby - Talk
- Between A word that joins together
- Bring
- Above sentences, clauses, phrases, or
- Move
- Inside words. - For - Call
- Etc. - And - Etc.
- But
- Nor
Use of adverb of - So Use of
place - Yet conjunction
- Etc.

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CONJUNCTION
Pay attention to the following conjunctions!

1. They bought apples, pears, and oranges.

2. You can wait either on the steps or in the car.
3. The paintings are pleasant but bland.
4. The weather was cold, yet bright and sunny.
5. I told her to leave, for I was very tired.
6. They could either continue searching or go to the police.
7. He could neither sing nor dance.
8. Both Clara and Jeanette graduated from Stanford.
9. Not only the money but also the jewelry had been found.

After reading the

text, can you now
answer these
questions?
PAY ATTENTION!
Exercise 4
- Click one out of four following
pictures
- Read the text related to the
picture
- Analyze it
- Answer the questions

TEXT A

AVALANCHE

A lot of people love to play in the snow. They can do many things when it is snowing. You
can play sports like snowboarding, skiing, and bob-sleighing, or you can just simply play with
the snow, such as making snowballs or a snowman. Despite the joy it brings, snow can also be
dangerous. When we go skiing in the mountains, you’ve probably heard the danger of an
avalanche. An avalanche is a situation where a huge pile of snow flows down the slope. In
some cases, an avalanche is so destructive that it could bury a village and kill a lot of people.
Not only that, but an avalanche can also cause damage to the natural environment around it.
The cause of an avalanche can be several things. The most common cause of an avalanche
is nature. The accumulated snow in the lower part can be caused pushed down due to new
snow or rain. Another natural phenomenon that may cause an avalanche is an earthquake or
movement by a group of animals. On the other hand, arti icial triggers, such as skiers,
explosives, or gunshots, can also trigger an avalanche. Avalanches often occur between winter
and spring.

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After choosing and analyzing the chosen text, you now must ill in the
following table!

Action verbs Conjuntions Adverb (place) Technical words

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 Then, answer the questions!

1. What is the purpose of the text?

. What is an avalanche?

. Why does an avalanche occur?

. What might happen if an destructive avalanche occurs?

5. When do avalanches usually occur?

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TEXT B

EROSION

Erosion is a natural geological process in which natural forces, such as water or wind, erode the earthen
material. This process is similar to weathering, in which dissolves or breaks down the rock, but it does not involve
movement.
Mostly, erosion is performed by wind, water, or ice, which usually takes the form of a glacier. It happens when
the wind contains dust particles or when the water contains mud. The bits of rocks and soil are engulfed in the
muddy brown water. Then they are moved from one place to another. These transported bits are called sediments.
These are several natural factors that influence erosion in certain landscape. They include topography, climate,
tectonic activity, and vegetation.
The irst factor is topography or the shape of the surface of an area. It has an important role in determining how
erosion affects an area. The rocky flood channels are less prone to erosion than the earthen floodplain. That is
because it takes the rocks a very long period of time to wear away. However, there are certain types of rocks that
wear away more quickly, such as chalk.
The second factor is climate which is considered the most signi icant force that affects erosion of an area. The
aspects of climate that contribute the occurrence of erosion include precipitation, wind and seasonal variability.
Next, tectonic activity which affects the erosion in a particular area in a way that shapes the landscapes itself. It
can cause one area to be higher than another. As an example, tectonic activity cause the Colorado River to cut into
the Colorado Plateau and eventually formed the Grand Canyon over a period of 5 million years.
Finally, vegetation can slow down the impact of erosion. The roots of plants stick to soil as well as to the
surrounding rock particles. It prevents their movement during events such as rainfall. Threes, bushes, and other
plants landslides. Areas which lack vegetation, such as deserts, are far more prone to erosion.
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After choosing and analyzing the chosen text, you now must ill in the
following table!

Action verbs Conjuntions Adverb (place) Technical words

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 Then, answer the questions!

1. What is erosion?

. What are natural factors that influence an erosion?

. Which natural factor that has the most signi icant impact in

forming an erosion?

. Why are the rocky flood channels less prone than the earthen

floodplain?

5. Why does vegetation become one of the factors that influence the

erosion?
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TEXT C

HAILSTONES

Hailstones are bundles of layered ice that form in air that is rising within thunderstorms, known as
updraughts. The formation of hailstones starts when the water vapor turns into little water droplets in the
updrought. The temperatures around the top of the thunderstorm clouds are usually around -50 to 60 °C,
including in summer. When the droplets are swept into this area and encounter substances like a dote of dust or
dirt, they freeze into small lumps of ice, which are called ‘hail embryos’.
When these small lumps enter the ‘hail growth zone’, in which the air temperature is around -10 to -25 °C, they
became fully developed. These embryos freeze when they bump into chilled water droplets. The more impacts
they receive, the bigger their sizes are. Once they are heavy enough to be pulled down by gravity, they begin to
fall.
It is possible for hailstones to occur at any time of the year. However, in Australia, hailstones usually occur
during spring and early summer due to the temperature di erence. During that time, temperatures are warm
enough to stimulate the occurrence of thunderstorms, and the upper atmosphere’s temperature is cold enough to
encourage the formation and stronger storms.
The size of the hailstones is determined by the strength and size of the updraught. Hailstones are usually
smaller than 25 mm. Nevertheless, it is also possible that the hailstones resemble the size of golf balls or cricket
balls in an intense thunderstorm. It may happen due to updraught’s rapid air movement.
Hailstones can be destructive to some degree. The most destructive hailstorm in Australia occurred in Sydney
on 14 April 1999. Thousands of houses and cars were badly damaged. The cricket balls sized hailstones hit the
city at the speed of 200 km/h. The hailstones also a ected the area of the southeast suburbs of Kensington,
Kingsford, Botany, Mascot, Randwick, and Paddington.

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After choosing and analyzing the chosen text, you now must ill in the
following table!

Action verbs Conjuntions Adverb (place) Technical words

f
 Then, answer the questions!

1. What are hailstones?

. How do hailstones occur?

. What is an updraught?

. What happens when the hail embryos enter the hail growth zone?

5. When did the most destructive hailstorm in Australia occur?

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TEXT D

HOW A TSUNAMI OCCURS

A tsunami is a sequence of waves that are caused by the displacement of a huge amount
of water, usually due to tectonic or volcanic activities. A tsunami begins as tectonic activity
shifts the earth’s tectonic plates. One plate usual descends under the other nearby plate. The
boundary between these plates is known as the subduction zone. When there is a sudden
movement of these plates in that zone, an earthquake occurs.
Before the occurrence of the earthquake, the top plate gets squeezed as it is stuck to the
subducting plate. The front edge of the plate is forcibly dragged down. Meanwhile, the other
edge of the plate bulges upward. This movement may take decades or centuries.
Consequently, it builds up stress on the tectonic plate.
Then the earthquake in the subduction zone occurs as the front edge of the top plate
breaks into the sea. As a consequence, it raises the sea oors as well as the water above it. It
causes the formation of a series of huge waves known as a tsunami. As the bulge on the other
edge begins to collapse, it diminishes and lowers the coastal area.
Finally, the sequence of huge waves ripples across the sea towards the nearby land. Within
hours, their speed decreases and their height increases. The height of the waves can reach up
to 10 meters, depending on the tectonic activities.

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After choosing and analyzing the chosen text, you now must ill in the
following table!

Action verbs Conjuntions Adverb (place) Technical words

f
 Then, answer the questions!

1. What are tsunamis?

. What is the cause of a tsunami?

. What is a subduction zone?

. How does an earthquake occur and lead to a tsunami?

5. What is the determining factor of the height of a tsunami?

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Exercise 5
• Make a group of four
• Choose one out of two pictures and
topics on the next slide and discuss it
• You may also look for information
from google
• Compose an explanation text using
the outline on the last slide

How rain is formed How eruption is formed

Title: EROSION
Erosion is a natural geological process in which natural forces, such as water or wind, erode the earthen
material. This process is similar to weathering, in which dissolves or breaks down the rock, but it does
General statement not involve movement.
There are several natural factors that influence erosion, including typography, climate, tectonic
activity, and vegetation.

The irst factor is topography or the shape of the surface of an area.

- It has an important role in determining how erosion affects an area.
Sequence of event 1 - The rocky flood channels are less prone to erosion than the earthen floodplain. That is
because it takes the rocks a very long period of time to wear away.
- However, there are certain types of rocks that wear away more quickly, such as chalk.
The second factor is climate which is considered the most signi icant force that
affects erosion of an area.
Sequence of event 2 - The aspects of climate that contribute the occurrence of erosion include precipitation,
wind and seasonal variability.

Next, tectonic activity which affects the erosion in a particular area in a way that
shapes the landscapes itself.
Sequence of event 3 - It can cause one area to be higher than another.
- As an example, tectonic activity cause the Colorado River to cut into the Colorado
Plateau and eventually formed the Grand Canyon over a period of 5 million years.

Finally, vegetation can slow down the impact of erosion.

- The roots of plants stick to soil as well as to the surrounding rock particles. It prevents
Closing their movement during events such as rainfall.
- Threes, bushes, and other plants landslides. Areas which lack vegetation, such as deserts,
are far more prone to erosion.
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