Natural and man-made disasters Advanced
Nowadays the humanity suffers from a
great number of natural and man-made disasters. The scientific and
technological progress has changed the life on our planet and, as a result, our
natural resources are exhausted, the ecological balance of the planet is
disturbed, many species of flora and fauna disappeared, pollution threatens
everything alive. Man destroys the environment with arson, oil spills and the
use of chemicals. However, the environmental problems are not the only ones.
Every year thousands of people die because of natural disasters such as floods,
tidal waves, droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, landslides
and volcanic eruptions.
A volcanic eruption is very dangerous as
it causes massive destruction as well as deaths. At first, a mountain is hit by
an earthquake and the top of the mountain is blown off by an explosion. The explosion causes the first
casualties. Then the hot ash starts fires which burn vast areas of forest. The
volcanic cloud might be so large and dark that it seems day turns into night,
forcing airports to close. Mud from the volcano runs down the mountainside and
fills rivers, causing flooding. People are forced to leave their homes as the
water continues to rise.
Volcanic eruptions are usually caused by
earthquakes. The Earth’s surface is actually made up of huge tectonic plates
that are in constant motion. Whenever there is a sudden movement between two
plates we feel an earthquake. The destruction earthquakes cause can be
devastating. They have the ability to make entire cities come crashing down.
What’s worse is that in some parts of the
world, earthquakes are the direct cause of another natural disaster: tsunami. A
tsunami is a series of waves of enormous size and speed. A large tsunami might
reach over a hundred feet in height and can travel more than 1000 feet inland,
destroying everything in its path. People living in low-lying areas are most
vulnerable to this disaster which can take lives and make people homeless.
A
flood is a widely occurring natural disaster that has many causes. Floods can
be the result of hurricanes, tsunamis or heavy rains, but they can also occur
when dams or levees that protect low-lying areas break, letting loose a large
amount of water. Floods not only ruin homes, but can also contaminate the land
by spreading hazardous materials.
Hurricanes are very powerful spiraling
tropical storms that begin in warm sea waters and have wind speeds of at least
74 miles per hour. Hurricanes can cause storm surges, where sea levels rise
dramatically. Tornadoes, or whirlwinds, are similar, but begin over land.
A landslide is another type of natural
disaster that can vary from falling rocks to large portions of land breaking
off of a steep slope. Landslides generally happen as a result of heavy rains or
earthquakes which can weaken soil and make it give way to gravity.
Avalanches are similar to landslides but
they happen in snowy areas. Skiers and hikers are often responsible for
triggering them. Avalanches are most likely to occur just after a snowstorm or when
the weather suddenly warms up making the snowpack weak and likely to collapse.
If a natural disaster strikes some
place, lots of people help survivors. Rescue workers pick up casualties and
survivors by helicopter, move them away from the dangerous area and take them
to hospital if necessary. Sometimes Red Cross doctors treat the injured.
Volunteers build shelters, fire-fighters put out the fires and other countries
send emergency medical supplies. The government gives money to help pay for the
rebuilding of the houses which have been destroyed while survivors are trying
to get over the shock.
I
think the biggest problem with natural disasters is that we can’t predict and
avoid them in time. However, advances in technologies can make us safer as we
develop new methods of prediction and better defenсes. In the decades to come, technology
will play a crucial role in saving lives and reducing the impact of natural
disasters, making mankind more resilient to nature’s forces.
Natural
and man-made disasters (Basic level)
Nowadays the humanity suffers from a great number of
natural and man-made disasters. Man destroys the environment with arson, oil
spills and the use of chemicals. What’s more, every year thousands of people
die because of natural disasters such as floods, tidal waves, droughts,
earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, landslides and volcanic
eruptions.
A volcanic eruption is very dangerous as it causes
massive destruction as well as deaths. The explosion causes the first
casualties. Then the hot ash starts fires which burn vast areas of forest. Mud
from the volcano fills rivers, causing flooding. People are forced to leave
their homes as the water continues to rise.
Volcanic eruptions are usually caused by earthquakes.
The Earth’s surface is actually made up of huge tectonic plates that are in
constant motion. Whenever there is a sudden movement between two plates we feel
an earthquake. The destruction earthquakes cause can be devastating.
What’s more,
earthquakes cause tsunamis. A tsunami is a series of waves of enormous size and
speed. A large tsunami can take lives and make people homeless.
Floods can be the result of hurricanes, tsunamis or
heavy rains, but they can also occur when dams or levees that protect low-lying
areas break. Floods ruin homes and contaminate the land by spreading hazardous
materials.
Hurricanes are very powerful tropical storms that
begin in warm sea waters. Hurricanes can cause storm surges, where sea levels
rise dramatically. Tornadoes are similar, but begin over land.
A landslide is another type of natural disaster that
can vary from falling rocks to large portions of land breaking off of a steep
slope. Avalanches are similar to landslides but they happen in snowy areas.
Skiers and hikers are often responsible for triggering them.
If a natural disaster strikes some place, lots of
people help survivors. Rescue workers pick up casualties and survivors by
helicopter, and take them to hospital if necessary. Sometimes Red Cross doctors
treat the injured. Volunteers build shelters, fire-fighters put out the fires
and other countries send emergency medical supplies. The government gives money
to help pay for the rebuilding of the houses while survivors are trying to get
over the shock.
I think the
biggest problem with natural disasters is that we can’t predict and avoid them
in time. However, advances in technologies can make us safer as we develop new
methods of prediction and better defences.