Unit 2

Vocabulary
 Natural disasters

1 Label the pictures.

 volcanic eruption  hurricane  flood  earthquake  avalanche  wildfire  tsunami

1 ……… avalanche 2 ……… wildfire 3 … earthquake 4 … flood …….

………………. ………………. ……….

5 …… tsunami 6 …… volcanic eruption …. 7 ………… hurricane

…………………. …………….

2 Underline the correct item.

1 The walls shook/collapsed/burst slightly 5 Did anybody lose/hurt/recover their life as a

during the earthquake. result of the wildfire?
2 The emergency services saved/helped/ 6 A strong wind wailed/blew/broke through the
rescued many lives that day. open door.
3 Huge waves are erupting/hitting/beating 7 The river rose and flooded/filled/damaged the
against the shore. field.
4 During the hurricane, a fallen tree swayed/ 8 We’re expecting floods this week. Please warn/
shivered/smashed into my car. protect/reach all your neighbours.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 1

 Unit 2
 Weather

3 Complete the crossword.

1F Across
2D 3H
R 4 a violent whirlwind that picks up
4T
O R N A D O objects in its way
6 a long period of dry weather
W I S
7 flashes of lightning happen during
N L T
this
5H
P
E 6D
R O U G H T
Down
A U
1 a layer of white ice that forms on
7T
H U N D E R S T O R M
objects overnight
W
2 very heavy rainfall
A
3 small, round and hard balls of ice
V 5 a period of very hot weather
E

4 Fill in: bitterly cold, thick fog, strong winds, heavy rain, fresh air.

1 Please open a window. We need some …… 4 The street is flooded because of the ……
FRESH AIR…………. in here. HEAVY RAIN…………. last night.
2 Put a scarf on before you go, Harry. It’s ……… 5 Our garden fence always falls over in ………
BITTERLY COLD………. outside. STRONG WIND………. .
3 A ………THICK FOG………. covered the village
and we couldn’t see a thing.

 General revision

5 Underline the correct item.

1 The children were disheartened/disappointed 6 I love looking after my niece, Poppy. She’s such
because it was raining and they couldn’t play a kind/pleasant baby.
outdoors. 7 Gareth was anxious earlier but now he’s feeling
2 Being lost at sea during a storm was an tired/calm again.
astonishing/terrifying experience. 8 All the windows in the building
3 Polly is fascinated/interested by extreme smashed/burned during the fire.
weather conditions. 9 The river is rising/falling quickly. There’s a
4 I took the dog to the beach but it seemed serious risk of flooding.
confused/scared of the water. 10 The crowd of people approached/rushed
5 I’m relieved/excited that Danny is recovering towards higher ground where it was safe.
from his illness.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 2

 Unit 2

6 Fill in the following nouns to complete the text about volcanoes: lava, clouds, flames, risk,
crater, ash, magma, slopes.

A volcano is a mountain with an opening at the top called a 1) ………Crater……………. . Inside the volcano and
underneath the earth’s surface, there is liquid rock called 2) ………magma……………. . During a volcanic
eruption, it comes out in hot streams of 3) ………lava……………. which flow down the volcano’s 4) ………
slopes………. and glow red like 5) ………flames…………. . The area surrounding the volcano gets covered in a
layer of grey 6) ………ash……………. because large 7) ………cloud……………. of it burst out of the volcano at
great speed and force. Living near an active volcano is a big 8) ………risk……………. because when they erupt,
they can be very dangerous.

7 Match the words in the columns to form collocations.

1 close A line
2 safe B bang
3 camp C
4 power encounter
5 D services
emergency E
6 loud overnight
7 high F rain
8 torrential G distance
H
temperatures

 Phrasal verbs

8 Fill in: out (x4), up, down, for.

Last night, a fire broke 1) ……out……… at popular Italian restaurant Mario’s on Grange Street. The fire
completely destroyed the building but fortunately, everyone who was inside escaped before it burned 2) ……
down……… . Restaurant owner, John Little, immediately called 3) …for………… help when he couldn’t put
4) ……out……… what started as a small fire in the kitchen. The lights suddenly went 5) …out………… as
customers were eating but staff quickly guided everyone outdoors to safety. Once the fire service arrived, it didn’t
take long before the last flames died 6) ……out……… . Today, local residents are helping John Little to clean
7) ………up…… the area so that Mario’s can soon serve its delicious food once more.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 3

 Unit 2
 Word formation

9 Form nouns derived from the words in bold.

1 Sally made an excellent …… 4 I felt such ……relief………………… when the

recovery………………… following the accident. firefighter rescued my dog from the flood.
(RECOVER) (RELIEVE)
2 They came to the ……… 5 They called for ……
realzation……………… that the weather was ASSISTANCE………………… after a huge tree
too bad to drive anywhere. (REALISE) blew over onto their car. (ASSIST)
3 To everyone’s …………amazement……………, 6 Let’s make a ………DECISION………………
nothing was damaged in the earthquake. about what to do next. (DECIDE)
(AMAZE) 7 The volcanic ………ERUPTION………………
was so loud that you could hear it kilometres
away. (ERUPT)

Grammar in use
 Past simple/Past simple continuous

10 Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.

1 What ………DID YOU DO…..…………… 5 They …………RAN..…………… (run) from the

(you/do) when the earthquake struck? building and …..…HID………… (hide) under a
2 It …………SNOWED..…………… (snow) tree.
heavily while you ………WERE SLEEPING….. 6 Mum ………PHONED…..…………… (phone)
…………… (sleep). Dad when the ambulance ……WAS
3 A hurricane ………HIT…..…………… (hit) our ARRIVING……..…………… (arrive).
town at 4am this morning. 7 It was a beautiful day. The sun ………WAS
4 ……DID YOU WATCH……..…………… SHINING…..…………… (shine) and the birds
(you/watch) the news last night? There ………WERE SINGING…..…………… (sing).
………….WERE.…………… (be) a big wildfire 8 As I ………….TOOK.…………… (take) a
in California. photograph, I ………….HEARD .……………
(hear) an avalanche in the distance.

 Adverbs

11 Form adverbs from the following adjectives to complete the sentences: similar, ironic,
terrible, lazy, pleasant.

1 We were ………PLEASANTLY………… 3 I knew my friend was joking when he winked at

surprised about the weather because we me ………ỈRONICALLY………… .
expected it to rain that afternoon. 4 The twins always dress …SIMILARLY……… to
2 The boys spent the whole day sunbathing each other.
………….LAZILY……… in the garden. 5 I arrived ………TERRIBLY………… late for my
interview because the roads were so icy.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 4

 Unit 2

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 5

 Unit 2
 Sentence transformations

12 Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use up to three
words.

1 The avalanche occurred while we were walking 3 The hurricane began during our exam.
through the mountains. While we WERE TAKING OUR ......................
We were walking through the mountains ........ ............................ exam, the hurricane began.
WHEN THE AVALANCHE.................occurred. 4 The forest was burning when I woke up.
2 Mary started studying Geology in 2003 and I WOKE UP WHEN...........................................
finished in 2007. ................................... the forest was burning.
Mary WERE STUDYING GEOLOGY............... 5 Polly is a slow driver in bad weather.
........................................................... in 2005. Polly always DRIVE SLOWLY..........................
............................................... in bad weather.

 Prepositions

13 Underline the correct item.

1 The hurricane did a lot of damage to/from my 6 Sadly, the house burned to/up the ground
roof. within minutes.
2 A waterproof jacket protects you from/of the 7 Have you heard from/about Tammy recently?
rain. I’m worried about her.
3 We got in the car and rushed to/at the nearest 8 Three people were saved for/from the burning
hospital. building.
4 We are depending on/with the emergency 9 Look! The old paper factory is in/on flames!
services to arrive quickly. 10 Lauren shouted at/for help and a man soon
5 I hope the situation doesn’t get out/above of appeared.
control.

Everyday English
14 Complete the gaps (1-5) with the sentences (A-E).

Sue: Hi, Luke. It’s good to see you. I heard you have a story about A That sounds really
your recent holiday. 1) ……C………….. frightening!
Luke: Well, we were hiking in the Himalayas last week when
B You were very lucky.
suddenly, a huge block of snow fell off the mountain in front of
us. 2 )………D……….. C What happened?
Sue: Oh, no! 3) ……A………….. I bet you were scared. D It was an avalanche!
Luke: 4) ………E………… But nobody was injured, thankfully.
Sue: What a relief! 5) …………B…….. I’m happy to see you’re safe. E Yes, I was terrified.
Luke: Thanks, Sue! Me, too!

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 6

 Unit 2
Reading
15 Read the diary entries and choose the right answer A, B, C or D.

June 14th
We arrived in Bali, Indonesia early in the morning. As soon as we got to our hotel, we quickly unpacked before
heading straight for the beach to do what we came here to do… surf! Bali’s beaches are incredible. The water is
blue, clear and warm while the sand is soft, white and clean. I was floating on my board, waiting for the next wave
when I noticed a sudden change in my surroundings. The water turned rough and the sky was dark and cloudy.
People were calling to us with panic in their voices. I quickly paddled back to the shore where another tourist told
me that a tsunami was on its way! We followed the locals to the top of a big hill where we watched huge waves
crash past the beach and into the town’s streets. Bicycles and street stalls were floating in the water. It was a
terrifying sight!

June 16th
It’s 48 hours since the tsunami hit. We evacuated the area and spent the night in a rescue shelter with all the
town’s residents. Thankfully, everyone survived the tsunami. I phoned home to let my family know I was safe as
soon as I could. It was such a relief to hear their voices! We decided to use our remaining days in Bali to help
clean up the area. Of course, the tsunami caused lots of damage to many buildings and there was mess
everywhere. Experiencing a tsunami was very scary but it made me realise how important it is to support victims
of natural disasters. I want to raise money for the Balinese people when I return home next week.

1 When they arrived in Bali, the writer was looking 3 The writer spent the rest of their holiday
forward to A volunteering in the community.
A unpacking their luggage. B sleeping in a rescue shelter.
B seeing the natural landscape. C working for a charity.
C seeing their accommodation. D feeling homesick.
D participating in a water sport.
4 The author’s purpose is to
2 The writer realised something was seriously A describe a scary event.
wrong when B explain what to do during a tsunami.
A he saw damage to the town’s streets. C request financial support from readers.
B somebody gave them a warning. D warn people about travelling in disaster
C the weather seemed different. zones.
D everyone else ran away.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 7

 Unit 2
Listening
16 Listen to the diary entries and put the events (A-I) in the order they happened (1-9).

A We went to a hotel.
B We went to Australia.
C I put my clothes on.
D We drove home.
E We ate dinner.
F The wildfire caused a lot of damage.
G My cousins came into the room.
H I got into the car.
I We phoned the emergency services.

Writing
17 Read the rubric, then do the task.

Your teacher has asked you write a short story (50-100 words) entitled The Disaster. In your story you should
include:
 a vehicle
 a volcano

............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 8

 Unit 2
Pairwork Activities Student A
Work with Student B. Ask questions to find out about a job vacancy for a weather reporter.
Then answer Student B’s questions about a rescue worker training course.

Rescue Worker Training Course

6 month course
Only €500!

Learn how to: treat injuries & rebuild homes

Where: at training centres across Europe

Send your applications to: [Link]@[Link]

Weather Reporter Job Vacancy

 who/employer?
 when/job/start?
 what/duties?
 where/job?
 what/phone number?

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 9

 Unit 2
Pairwork Activities Student B
Work with Student A. Answer Student A’s questions about a job vacancy for a weather
reporter. Then ask Student A questions to find out about a rescue worker training course.

Weather Reporter Job Vacancy

with BCC International

Start date: July 14th

Duties: reporting extreme weather events,

travelling to disaster areas
Where: locations around the world

To apply please phone 01792 435889

Rescue Worker Training Course

 how long/courses/last?
 what/price?
 what/learn ?
 where/course?
 what/email address?

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 10

 Unit 2
Portfolio Activities
Name: ………………………………………………… Date: ………………………. Class: ...................

Find a story in a newspaper or on the Internet about a natural disaster e.g. earthquake or a
volcanic eruption. Write about it in your own words. Say what it was, when it happened,
where it happened, how long it lasted, what the result of the event was. You can include
any other interesting information.

.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................

Draw or stick a picture related to the natural disaster.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 11

 Unit 2
Game
Play in teams. The teacher gives each team a story starter and a list of ten verbs,
adjectives and adverbs. Each student uses one of the verbs (in the past simple or past
continues tense), adjectives or adverbs to continue the story by creating a new sentence.
Students have a minute each to form their sentence and cannot use a word from the list
that has already been used. Students continue to make sentences until all of the words are
used. Each grammatically correct sentence is worth one point. If a student makes a
mistake or cannot continue, one point is deducted and the student loses a turn. The team
with the most points wins.

Sample story starters:

I was walking to school … It was a cold winter night …

Jenny was home watching TV … I was lying on the beach and enjoying the sun…

Sample verbs, adjectives & adverbs:

hear surprised luckily

trip scared suddenly
ring shocked loudly
call bored happily
scream excited carefully
rain unable thankfully
cry tired slowly
look happy fortunately
realise confused quickly
decide nice badly

► Teacher: I was walking to school …

Team A S1: and I was very happy because it was my birthday that day.
Team A S2: As I was walking, I heard someone crying loudly.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 12