Calamities & Rescue Unit 4

Natural Disasters

• 地震• 洪水• 干旱• 森林大火• 龙卷风• 台风• 飓风

• Earthquake • Flood• Drought• Forest fire• Tornado• Typhoon• Hurricane

Natural Disasters

• 沙尘暴• 海啸• 暴风雪• 旋风• 酸雨• 火山爆发

• Sandstorm• Tsunami• Snowstorm• Whirlwind• Acid rain • Volcano eruption

Technological Tragedies

• 飞机失事• 交通事故• 海难 / 船只失事• 煤气中毒• 煤气泄露• 核爆炸• 恐怖袭击• 火车相撞

• Plane crash• Traffic accident• Shipwreck• Gas poisoning• Gas leakage• Nuclear explosion• Terrorist attack• Train collision

Questions for discussion

• What are natural disasters? And what are man-made disasters?

Suggested answer:

Natural disasters are caused by forces of nature. Earthquake, floods, volcanic eruptions and droughts are natural disasters that are beyond the control of humans, while plane crashes, traffic accidents, shipwrecks belong to man-made disasters.

• What damage can they cause?

Suggested answer:

Natural disasters may claim hundreds of thousands of lives and leave thousands of people homeless.

Describe an accident or disaster you yourself have experienced or one that you have read or heard about. When, where and how did it happen?

How to describe a disaster

I read in this morning’s newspaper / heard over the radio / saw on TV/ found on the Internet

• a volcano erupted in• an earthquake struck• a plane crashed shortly after takeoff• a strong typhoon hit• a tornado landed on• a heavy snowstorm swept through• a fire broke out in the warehouse of a factory• two vehicles clashedcausing great /serious /severe / huge damage to human lives and prop

erty.

Death of a Dream

Think of the questions before reading and then read the passage to find out the answers:

• What do you think is the passage about? What is the dream? Whose dream?

• When did it happen?• Who were involved?• How did it happen?• Was the damage serious?

Who were Involved?

The 1961 US World Figure Skating Team

Laurence Owen (Ladies champion)

Maribel Y. Owen ( Pairs champions)

Laurie Hickox and William Hickox (Pairs bronze medalists)

Ida Hadley and Ray Hadley, Jr. (Pairs silver medalists)

Patricia Dineen & Robert Dineen (Dance bronze medalists)

What Happened Exactly?

1. take off1. take off

2. near the airport2. near the airport

3. lower the wheels and 3. lower the wheels and

began to landbegan to land

4. pull the plane up4. pull the plane up

5. circle the airport and 5. circle the airport and

prepare to try againprepare to try again

6. come in a second time6. come in a second time

7. increase his speed 7. increase his speed

8. pull the plane into a 8. pull the plane into a

steep climbsteep climb

9. hit the ground9. hit the ground

10. explode10. explode

Find all the verbal phrases used to illustrate flight movement:

Death Of A DreamDeath Of A Dream

All 72 people were killed. (including 49 Americans and 11 member of

the crew) The Prague competition was canceled. The hopes and dreams ended in a flash……

In 1961 the 18 members of the US figure skating team boarded a plane with high hopes to travel to Belgium on their way to the world championships in Czechoslovakia. They were the best of American’s skaters and they were very excited and beamed for the camera. Among them was the brightest star of all, a girl of 16 with dazzling grace and great skill.

As the plane approached Brussels, there was no distress signal of any kind. But something must have gone wrong.

Death Of A Dream - Summary

Twice the pilot lowered the wheels of the jet and appeared to be making a normal approach to land, but twice he pulled the plane up. It was the second time of trying to come in when the plane exploded and crashed to the ground. There was a scene of total destruction. All 72 people on the plane were killed. Debris was scattered over 200 yards.

The competition in Prague was canceled to honor the dead. Never before had such a terrible tragedy occurred in the sport of skating.

Death Of A Dream - Summary

18 U.S. SKATERS AMONG 73

DEAD IN A JET CRASH

A Sabena Airlines Boeing 707 jet crashed near the Brussels Airport early today, killing seventy-three persons, including the eighteen members of the United States figure skating team. The plane, en route [ 法语 : 在途中 ] from New York, plunged to earth after it had twice circled the airport. The American figure skating team was on it's way to a world championship meet in Prague. The crash was the worst ever suffered by Sabena. It also marked the first time any passengers had been killed in a Boeing 707 accident. …

Disasters: The Bright Hope Killed

Of all the eighteen young American skaters who scrambled aboard Sabena Airline's 707 Boeing jet, none had greater prospects of winning fame and glory than did 16-year-old Laurence Owen.  She was bright-eyed, glowing with health and excitement, and she was already near to achieving the dream she had worked for all her life.  Only a month ago, at Colorado Springs, she had won the U.S. figure-skating championship; then, on Feb. 12 she won the North American singles championship at Philadelphia.  The next goal was the world championship at Prague…

Newsweek Magazine, February 27, 1961

In the Nick of Time

In the Nick of Time

Read the passage and answer the questions:

1. How many people are mentioned in the passage? Who are they?

2. When did the story happen?3. Where did the family live?4. What was the mother doing? 5. What were the children doing?6. What was the danger?7. What was the result of the emergency?

The mother

1. Unloaded bags of groceries from the trunk of her car

2. Put the first load3. Returned to her car to get more bags4. Heard the roar of the train5. Went back into the house with another load

of grocery bags6. Heard the air horn and the screech of the

train’s brakes7. Raced outside8. Looked around 9. Knew the truth

The kids

1. Played happily in the driveway2. Were attracted by the sound of the

train3. Walked through the trees4. Knelt down on the tracks5. Looked up

Rich Campana

1. Saw the overhead lights give the “all-clear”

2. Pulled the throttle to resume full speed

3. Noticed the kids4. Slammed on the train’s brake5. Blasted his air horn

Who Is The HERO?

Basic Information: Name: Anthony Falzo Age: 35Job: conductor

Other information: A 17-year veteran of the railroadFormer gymnast

What did he do? –Part one

1.Stood next to Rich and shared some talk2.Noticed the kids on the tracks3.Knew the danger4.Rushed out the engine’s cab door and

onto its narrow running board5.Made his way to the front of the engine6.Climbed down a steel ladder to the last

rung7.Hung at the front of the train8.Waved and shout at the kids, telling

them to get off the tracks

What did he do? –Part two

9.Thought about jumping off the train10.Knew he couldn’t outrun the train11.Formed another plananother plan12.Leaped from the train at the possible

instant13.took too giant strides14.Grabed the children (tucked under

each arm)15.Pressed the children down into the

roadbed gravel

What is the plan?

1.Leap off the train just as it nears the children

2.scoop up the boys3.get them off the track in timeKey to the success: time the jump

exactlyPossible results if he fails1.Leap too soon: train would beat him to

the kids2.Jump too late: train would crush the

boys beneath its wheels

The Train

• Slowly made its way up the incline• Reached the top of the rise• Run at full speed• Slowed down• Stopped • its third car was perched a couple of inches o

ver the heads of Falzo and the children

The Result

• The boys were safe• Scott’s cut was not serious (13 stitches) There’s no word in Webster’s that can e

xpress our deepest, everlasting appreciation to Tony (Falzo) for what he did.

---- Katie