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海门市三厂中学高一英语课外阅读After the floodAs the residents of Boscastle began returning to their homes and cleaning up the damage caused by last weeks flood, most were simply relieved that nobody had been killed. This small picturesque village in the west of England has been devastated, with many houses severely damaged. Some, according to emergency workers, may have to be demolished completely. And although eight people were injured as a wave of flood water swept through the village on Monday, everyone is breathing a sigh of relief. Now what most of them want to know is why their village was the only one to be flooded, and at the height of the tourist season when the area was crowded with visitors. And they also wonder why there was no warning.Floods, you might think, are quite easy to understand. If too much rain falls, then rivers burst their banks and water covers whatever happens to be in the way. But it turns out to be a little more complicated. According to the Environment Agency, which is responsible for flood warnings, the Boscastle flood was caused by both the “ freak weather conditions” and the geography of the area surrounding the village. Astonishingly, up to 100 mm of rain fell in the area between midday and 11p.m., with most of this falling in a two-hour period. But this is not the whole story. A similar amount of rain fell in London at the beginning of August, but without any serious flooding. It was the position of the village that made the difference.Boscastle stands in a deep valley where two rivers meet. A third river also flows through the village. To make matters worse, the surrounding hills are rocky and there was nowhere for the water to go, other than down the hillsides. Thus, when the rain came down, water levels rose so suddenly that many were taken by surprise.Visitors were caught in the flood, like Arthur and Julie Mason from Manchester, all tell a similar story. The water came up very, very quickly. To begin with, it was just a couple of inches, then it was up to our knees. We ran into a house and up the stairs and then we climbed out onto the roof. Frankly, we were absolutely terrified. We could see cars, trees and all kinds of things just floating down the road. The Masons were eventually lifted to safety by a rescue helicopter.As far as warnings are concerned, the Environment Agency operates three levels of warning: flood watch, when there is a possibility of flooding; flood warning, when flooding is expected; and severe flood warning, when there is an imminent danger to life and property. The Agency considers weather data and river levels, makes an assessment of the risk, and then sends out warnings through local media or, if necessary, by phone. However, in the Boscastle area the weather conditions were unusual and changed very rapidly. It was impossible, says the Agency , to predict exactly where flooding might take place.The residents of Boscastle are still surprised by the force of the flood. Trees were torn down and piled against the sides of houses. Shop fronts were ripped put and some buildings partly destroyed. Dozens of cars and vans were swept through the village by a wave of water, and ended up in the area. Everyone has praised the emergency services, which saved dozens of people. Rescue helicopters were on the scene in a matter of minutes. But the fact is, anyone in Britain who lives near a river or stream has to now consider the possibility that they too may be in danger. What happened in Boscastle is a reminder that it is better to plan for the unthinkable, than to wait until it is too late.Tasks for readingTask 1 Questions for understanding1) What do the residents want to know after the flood?2) What caused the flood? 3) How did the visitors manage to escape the flood?4) How many levels of warning does the Environment Agency operate? What are they?5) Why did the Agency fail to predict the flood?6) Why do the people think highly of the emergency services?Task 2 Find the words or phrases from the passage according to the definitions (Para1 Line3) cause severe destruction or ruin completely (Para2 Line4) unusual (Para4 Line4) thrown into a state of fear or desperation (Para5 Line3) close in time; about to occur; (Para5 Line6) with rapid movements, quickly (Para6 Line2) tear or be torn violently Task 3 Understanding the following sentences 1) If too much rain falls, then rivers burst their banks and water covers whatever happens to be in the way. 2) water levels rose so suddenly that many were taken by surprise. 3) It was impossible, says the Agency , to predict exactly where flooding might take place. 4) Rescue helicopters were on the scene in a matter of minutes. 5) What happened in Boscastle is a reminder that it is better to plan for the unthinkable, than to wait until it is too late. Task 4 SummaryA severe flood hit Boscastle last week. As a result of the flood, the village was seriously 1 . To peoples 2 , nobody was killed. Most of the people wonder why their village was the only one to be flooded and why there was no 3 .The 4 of the flood are very clear according to the Environment Agency. Firstly, with too much rain 5 , a flood might happen ; secondly, freak weather conditions 6 it ; thirdly, the village is located in a deep valley where two rivers 7 together ; last but not least , the surrounding hills are rocky and there was nowhere for water to go , other than down the hillsides. Two visitors told us their experience, saying the water rose so quickly that they were absolutely 8 and that a rescue helicopter 9 them to a safe place at last. The 10 people should learn from the flood is that it is better to plan for the unthinkable, than to wait until it is too late.Task 5 Discussion What can we do when facing these disasters? 第 2 页 共 2 页