Reading
6 Read the article from which some sentences have been taken out. Choose the correct sentences A–F to fill the gaps. There is one sentence you do not need.
Areas in certain parts of the world have recently been hit by disastrous floods, and others by a sequence of earthquakes. (1) ___ Away from earthquake zones, one of most worrying problems these days is flooding, and it is predicted that as a result of the changes in climate, this type of disaster will occur with more and more frequency in the future, affecting the lives of millions of people.
There are many victims of flooding. (2) ___ Every time it rains for longer than a day or two, they are asking, ‘Will it be us this time? Will it be our house, our road, our town that is flooded?’ After the fear, comes the reality; tons of water spilling over the river banks, into roads, houses and over fields. People become trapped in their own homes when the road becomes a river and need to be rescued by ill-prepared or too widely stretched rescue services. And people die in floods. (3) ___ Then we have the emotional and financial cost of flooding. Lifelong possessions are lost, security disappears, and there is the worry over restoration. How will it be paid for? Some insurance companies refuse to cover properties in certain areas because of the high risk of flooding. Therefore, some people may not have sufficient insurance to carry out the repairs to their flood damaged houses; others may have none.
Rescue services regularly carry out flood simulation emergency practice where they get vital, realistic practice of what to do if the real thing should happen. (4) ___ However, this is like a doctor treating the symptoms and not the cause of a problem. What we really need to deal with is preventing the flooding in the first place. It is accepted that we cannot reverse climate change, but we can certainly spend money on strengthening sea and river walls. (5) ___ The problem is that, as always, these things cost a lot of money. However, surely it is worth investing this money now, if it will prevent even greater monetary loss later. It is something that the government needs to take seriously because it’s a problem that is not going to go away.

A They drown, trapped in cars or swept away by fast-moving rivers.
B There are also many ways people can improve defences to their own homes.
C Unscrupulous builders develop low-lying land that is in great danger of flooding.
D Firstly, there are those (one in five people in Britain) who live in constant fear of heavy rainfall.
E This is welcome and will no doubt mean that they will be able to evacuate and save more people in the event of a massive flood.
F Most of us know someone who has been caught up in the devastation caused by these events.

danmirlav    2   22.04.2020 08:18    38