Exercise 2. Read the text. Exercise 1. Learn the following words and word-combinations

Exercise 1. Learn the following words and word-combinations.

Text D Man-made hazard

A solar flare is a phenomenon where the sun suddenly releases a great amount of solar radiation, much more than normal. It is theorized that these releases of radiation could cause a widespread failure of communications technology across the globe. The exact implications of such a failure are unknown. Further studies are being carried out.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions:

1. What is a natural hazard?

2. In what way are many natural hazards related?

3. What is the difference between a hazard and a disaster?

4. What types of geological hazards are mentioned in the text?

5. What is an avalanche? What is it caused by?

6. How are avalanches usually classified?

7. What is an earthquake?

8. How do earthquakes manifest themselves?

9. What is a landslide?

10. What can landslides be caused by?

11. How can you define “a mudslide”?

12. In what way are sinkholes dangerous in populated areas?

13. What is a volcanic eruption?

14. Do you know any examples of volcano eruptions?

Exercise 4. Answer the questions:

1. What are floods caused by?

2. In what way are floods dangerous for people?

3. Is Russia subject to floods?

4. Could you mention any rivers worldwide that are subject to floods?

5. How could you define “a whirlpool”?

6. What are some other words that stand for “a whirlpool”?

7. What is the largest known maelstrom?

8. What speed can some maelstroms reach?

9. How could you define the word “a tsunami”?

10. When and where did the largest known tsunami take place?

Exercise 5. Answer the questions:

1. Can you mention any epidemics which occurred in Russia?

2. How would you define the word “famine”?

3. What is the main cause of famine – natural factors or a result of economic or military policy?

4. What is “a solar flare”?

5. Do you think a solar flare can affect our health?

6. Are further studies concerning a solar flare being carried out?

aggravate – усугублять, ухудшать

arson – поджог

bush fire – кустарниковый пожар

casualties – потери

civil disorder – гражданские вол-нения

hazard – опасность; вредность; риск

long-term – долгосрочный, продолжительный

man-made disaster – бедствие, вызванное деятельностью человека

man-made hazard – техногенная опасность

mine fire – пожар в шахте

mining disaster – бедствие в шахте

non-conventional – необычный, нестандартный

power outage – отключение электроэнергии

racial segregation – расовая изоляция

scatter – рассеиваться

social hazard – социальная опасность

structural collapse – обрушение конструкции

target – цель

tax evasion – уклонение от уплаты налогов

A man-made hazard is a threat having an element of human intent, negligence, error or involving a failure of a system. Man-made disasters are the result of man-made hazards for which adequate emergency management measures have not been adopted.

Social Hazards:

Crime is the breach of a rule or law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a punishment. Crime can be different, for example, against the person (kidnapping, murder, robbery), against property (arson, burglary, vandalism), against the public order (drug possession), against the State (tax evasion, espionage) and some others.

Arson is the criminal intent of setting a fire with intent to cause damage. The definition of arson was originally limited to setting fire to buildings, but was later expanded to include other objects, such as bridges, vehicles, and private property. Arson is the greatest cause of fires in data repositories. Sometimes, human-induced fires can be accidental: failing machinery such as a kitchen stove is a major cause of accidental fires.

Civil disorder is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe forms of disturbance. Although civil disorder does not necessarily escalate to a disaster in all cases, the event may escalate into general chaos. Rioting has many causes, from low minimum wage to racial segregation.

Terrorism is a controversial term with multiple definitions. One definition means a violent action targeting civilians exclusively. Another definition is the use or threatened use of violence for the purpose of creating fear in order to achieve a political, religious, or ideological goal. Under the second definition, the targets of terrorist acts can be anyone, including civilians, government officials, military personnel, or people serving the interests of governments. In the early 21^st century, terrorism has been considered by some a constant threat to all people of the world, after the worst disaster of its kind struck on September 11, 2001 (known primarily as 9/11).

War is conflict between relatively large groups of people, which involves physical force inflicted by the use of weapons. Warfare has destroyed entire cultures, countries, economies and inflicted great suffering on humanity. Other terms for war can include armed conflict, hostilities, and police action. Acts of war are normally excluded from insurance contracts and disaster planning.

Technological Hazards:

Industrial disasters occur in a commercial context, such as mining disasters. They often have an environmental impact.

Structural collapses are often caused by engineering failures. Bridge failures may be caused in several ways, such as under-design (as in the Tay Rail Bridge), by corrosion attack (such as in the Silver Bridge), and by aerodynamic flutter of the deck (as in Galloping Gertie, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge). Failure of dams was not infrequent during the Victorian period, such as the Dale Dyke dam failure in Sheffield, England in the 1860s, causing the Great Sheffield Flood. Other failures include balcony collapses.

A power outage is an interruption of normal sources of electrical power. Short-term power outages (up to a few hours) are common and have minor adverse effect, since most businesses and health facilities are prepared to deal with them. Extended power outages, however, can disrupt personal and business activities as well as medical and rescue services, leading to business losses and medical emergencies. Extended loss of power can lead to civil disorder, as in the New York City blackout of 1977. Only very rarely do power outages escalate to disaster proportions, however, they often accompany other types of disasters, such as hurricanes and floods, which hampers relief efforts.

Bush fires, forest fires and mine fires are generally started by lightning, but also by human negligence or arson. They can burn thousands of square kilometers. If a fire intensifies enough to produce its own winds and “weather”, it will form into a firestorm. A good example of a mine fire is the one near Centralia, Pennsylvania. Started in 1962, it ruined the town and continues to burn today. Some of the biggest city-related fires are The Great Chicago Fire, The Peshtigo Fire (both of 1871) and The Great Fire of London in 1666.

Casualties resulting from fires, regardless of their source or initial cause, can be aggravated by inadequate emergency preparedness. Such hazards as a lack of accessible emergency exits, poorly marked escape routes, or improperly maintained fire extinguishers or sprinkler systems may result in many more deaths and injuries than might occur with such protections.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27