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Date: May 6, 2008
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1,000 IDEAS FOR ESL CLASSES: Breaking News English.com's e-Book

THE ARTICLE

Burma cyclone death toll may reach 80,000

The death toll in the Burmese cyclone may reach 80,000. There are 22,000 confirmed deaths and up to 60,000 people still missing. The killer storm struck the country on Saturday and caused widespread destruction. Millions of people are without electricity, food or clean drinking water. Reporters say the capital, Rangoon, looks like a war zone. Hundreds of homes have been flattened by the winds, and uprooted trees are blocking the streets. This is making it difficult for emergency supplies to reach people in need. Residents say it is the worst storm to hit their city in living memory. United Nations disaster experts say it will take many days to find out exactly how many people died in the deadly winds. The current fear is that diseases such as cholera will break out as people drink dirty water.

The normally secretive Burmese government is allowing aid agencies to help with relief efforts. It seems the damage to cities, towns and rural communities is too great for the government to cope with alone. A UN spokesperson said Burma’s military rulers were, "having as much trouble as anyone else in getting a full overview of the destruction”. Naing Aung from the Forum for Democracy in Burma said: “International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently required….The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone.” There are now fears that the cyclone will further push up world rice prices. Rice has already increased in price by 75 per cent in the past year. Burma is a key exporter of the food staple to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

WARM-UPS

1. NATURAL DISASTERS: Walk around the class and talk to other students about natural disasters. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your original partner(s) and share what you found out.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

 

death toll / killer storms / destruction / drinking water / war zone / in living memory / being secretive / relief efforts / coping / aftermath / rice prices / food staples

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION: What would you do if a natural disaster caused widespread disaster in your town? Complete this table. Talk with your partners about your answers. Change partners and share your findings.

Disaster

How would you feel?

What would you do?

flattened home

no electricity

no water

no communications

no roads

disease spreading

4. DISASTERS: Which disasters are you most afraid of? Rank these disasters in order of which would frighten and shock you most. Talk about your rankings. Change partners and share your ideas.

_____  cyclone / hurricane / typhoon

_____  earthquake

_____  war

_____  flood

_____  famine

_____  drought

_____  bird flu epidemic

_____  tsunami / tidal wave

5. HEADLINE PREDICTION: With your partner(s), use the words in the “Chat” activity above to predict what the news article will be about. Once you have your story, change partners and share them. Who was closest to the real story?

6. STORM: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘storm’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.

Everyone affected by the Burma cyclone has been found.

T / F

b.

Luckily, the cyclone did not damage the electricity supply.

T / F

c.

Rangoon residents say it is the worst storm they can remember.

T / F

d.

People are afraid that dirty drinking water will spread deadly diseases.

T / F

e.

Burma’s government is keeping many secrets about the cyclone.

T / F

f.

The government has a very clear idea about how big the damage is.

T / F

g.

The government is not equipped to help Burma’s people on its own.

T / F

h.

The price of rice has increased by 75 per cent in the past 12 months.

T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.

death toll

a.

crushed

2

destruction

b.

important

3.

flattened

c.

countryside

4.

deadly

d.

number of dead

5.

break out

e.

general idea

6.

normally

f.

lethal

7.

rural

g.

needed

8.

overview

h.

usually

9.

required

i.

start

10.

key

j.

damage

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

1.

The killer storm struck

a.

without electricity

2

Millions of people are

b.

with natural disasters

3.

Hundreds of homes have been flattened

c.

will break out

4.

the worst storm to hit their city in

d.

Burmese government

5.

diseases such as cholera

e.

by the winds

6.

The normally secretive

f.

with alone

7.

too great for the government to cope

g.

the country on Saturday

8.

getting a full overview

h.

rice prices

9.

International expertise in dealing

i.

living memory

10.

push up world

j.

of the destruction

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

The death __________ in the Burmese cyclone may reach 80,000. There are 22,000 confirmed deaths and up to 60,000 people still missing. The killer storm __________ the country on Saturday and caused widespread destruction. Millions of people are __________ electricity, food or clean drinking water. Reporters say the capital, Rangoon, looks like a war __________. Hundreds of homes have been flattened by the winds, and __________ trees are blocking the streets. This is making it difficult for emergency supplies to reach people in __________. Residents say it is the worst storm to hit their city in living memory. United Nations disaster experts say it will take many days to find out __________ how many people died in the deadly winds. The current fear is that diseases such as cholera will break out as people drink __________ water.

 

need
zone
struck
dirty
uprooted
toll
exactly
without

The normally __________ Burmese government is allowing aid agencies to help with __________ efforts. It seems the damage to cities, towns and rural communities is too great for the government to __________ with alone. A UN spokesperson said Burma’s military rulers were, "having as much trouble as anyone else in getting a full __________ of the destruction”. Naing Aung from the Forum for Democracy in Burma said: “International expertise in __________ with natural disasters is urgently required….The military regime is ill-prepared to deal __________ the aftermath of the cyclone.” There are now fears that the cyclone will further push up world rice prices. Rice has already increased in price by 75 per cent in the past year. Burma is a __________ exporter of the food __________ to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

 

dealing
 cope
key
overview
secretive
staple
with
relief

LISTENING:  Listen and fill in the spaces.

The death toll in the Burmese cyclone may reach 80,000. There are 22,000 confirmed ___________________________ 60,000 people still missing. The killer storm ________________ on Saturday and caused widespread destruction. Millions of ________________ electricity, food or clean drinking water. Reporters say the capital, Rangoon, looks like a war zone. Hundreds of homes have ________________ the winds, and uprooted trees are blocking the streets. This is making it difficult for emergency supplies to reach ________________. Residents say it is the worst storm to hit their city ________________. United Nations disaster experts say it will take many days to find out exactly how many people died in the deadly winds. The current fear is that diseases such as cholera ________________ people drink dirty water.

____________________ Burmese government is allowing aid agencies to help ________________. It seems the damage to cities, towns and rural communities is too great for the government ________________. A UN spokesperson said Burma’s military rulers were, "having as much trouble ________________ getting a full overview of the destruction”. Naing Aung from the Forum for Democracy in Burma said: “International expertise ________________ natural disasters is urgently required….The military regime is ill-prepared ________________ aftermath of the cyclone.” There are now fears that the cyclone will ________________ world rice prices. Rice has already increased in price by 75 per cent in the past year. Burma is a key exporter ________________ to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘war’ and ‘zone’.

war

zone

 

 

 
  • Share your findings with your partners.
  • Make questions using the words you found.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

  • Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

  • toll
  • caused
  • homes
  • reach
  • memory
  • fear
  • normally
  • alone
  • overview
  • expertise
  • push up
  • staple

STUDENT DISASTER SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about disasters in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

Q.2.

Q.3.

Q.4.

Q.5.
  • Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
  • Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

NATURAL DISASTERS DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)

What did you think when you read the headline?

b)

What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘disaster’?

c)

Why do you think these disasters always affect poor countries?

d)

Have you been following this story on TV / on the radio / on the Internet / in newspapers?

e)

What can you do to help those in need in Burma?

f)

When was the last time a natural disaster hit your country?

g)

What do you think it’s like to be without food, water, electricity, roads, communications, etc?

h)

What’s the worst thing to happen to your country in your living memory?

i)

How can authorities act to prevent the outbreak of disease?

j)

Do you fear the power of nature?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)

Did you like reading this article?

b)

Are you surprised that Burma’s government is accepting international help?

c)

What do you think it’s like to work for a relief or aid agency?

d)

Are you surprised the government still doesn’t have a clear picture of the damage done to the country?

e)

What things would you worry about after a disaster?

f)

What would you like your government to do to help the Burmese people?

g)

Are you worried about rising food prices?

h)

What three adjectives describe your feelings about this disaster?

i)

What questions would you like to ask Burma’s leaders about the cyclone?

j)

Did you like this discussion?

LANGUAGE

The death toll in the Burmese cyclone may reach 80,000. There are 22,000 confirmed (1) ____ and up to 60,000 people still missing. The killer storm (2) ____ the country on Saturday and caused widespread destruction. Millions of people are (3) ____ electricity, food or clean drinking water. Reporters say the capital, Rangoon, looks like a war zone. Hundreds of homes have been flattened (4) ____ the winds, and uprooted trees are blocking the streets. This is making it difficult for emergency supplies to reach people in    (5) ____. Residents say it is the worst storm to hit their city in living memory. United Nations disaster experts say it will take many days to find out exactly how many people died in the deadly winds. The (6) ____ fear is that diseases such as cholera will break out as people drink dirty water.

The normally secretive Burmese government is allowing aid agencies to help with (7) ____ efforts. It seems the damage to cities, towns and rural communities is too great for the government to cope (8) ____ alone. A UN spokesperson said Burma’s military rulers were, "having as much trouble as anyone (9) ____ in getting a full overview of the destruction”. Naing Aung from the Forum for Democracy in Burma said: “International expertise (10) ____ dealing with natural disasters is urgently required….The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone.” There are now fears that the cyclone will further (11) ____ up world rice prices. Rice has already increased in price by 75 per cent in the past year. Burma is a (12) ____ exporter of the food staple to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.

(a)

dies

(b)

die

(c)

dying

(d)

deaths

2.

(a)

struck

(b)

strike

(c)

stricken

(d)

strikes

3.

(a)

less

(b)

without

(c)

no

(d)

nothing

4.

(a)

with

(b)

for

(c)

by

(d)

to

5.

(a)

needed

(b)

necessary

(c)

need

(d)

needs

6.

(a)

currently

(b)

current

(c)

currency

(d)

currant

7.

(a)

relieved

(b)

relive

(c)

relieve

(d)

relief

8.

(a)

with

(b)

for

(c)

in

(d)

on

9.

(a)

other

(b)

else

(c)

who

(d)

another

10.

(a)

for

(b)

at

(c)

on

(d)

in

11.

(a)

pushes

(b)

pushed

(c)

push

(d)

pushing

12.

(a)

key

(b)

lock

(c)

chain

(d)

entry

WRITING: 

Write about natural disasters  for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out about the Burma Cyclone. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. DISASTER: Make a poster about all the things you can do to cope after a disaster destroys your town. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. FLATTENED: Write a magazine article about someone whose home was flattened in a storm. Include imaginary interviews with the person and relief workers trying to help.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Burma’s military rulers. Give them three pieces of advice on what they should do to help their country recover quickly. Ask them three questions about the cyclone. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

6. DIARY / JOURNAL: You experienced a cyclone. Write your diary entry for the day after the storm struck. Include your thoughts on how you felt during the cyclone. Read your entry to your classmates in the next lesson.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. F

c. T

d. T

e. F

f. F

g. T

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.

death toll

a.

number of dead

2

destruction

b.

damage

3.

flattened

c.

crushed

4.

deadly

d.

lethal

5.

break out

e.

start

6.

normally

f.

usually

7.

rural

g.

countryside

8.

overview

h.

general idea

9.

required

i.

needed

10.

key

j.

important

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

The killer storm struck

a.

the country on Saturday

2

Millions of people are

b.

without electricity

3.

Hundreds of homes have been flattened

c.

by the winds

4.

the worst storm to hit their city in

d.

living memory

5.

diseases such as cholera

e.

will break out

6.

The normally secretive

f.

Burmese government

7.

too great for the government to cope

g.

with alone

8.

getting a full overview

h.

of the destruction

9.

International expertise in dealing

i.

with natural disasters

10.

push up world

j.

rice prices

GAP FILL:

Burma cyclone death toll may reach 80,000

The death toll in the Burmese cyclone may reach 80,000. There are 22,000 confirmed deaths and up to 60,000 people still missing. The killer storm struck the country on Saturday and caused widespread destruction. Millions of people are without electricity, food or clean drinking water. Reporters say the capital, Rangoon, looks like a war zone. Hundreds of homes have been flattened by the winds, and uprooted trees are blocking the streets. This is making it difficult for emergency supplies to reach people in need. Residents say it is the worst storm to hit their city in living memory. United Nations disaster experts say it will take many days to find out exactly how many people died in the deadly winds. The current fear is that diseases such as cholera will break out as people drink dirty water.

The normally secretive Burmese government is allowing aid agencies to help with relief efforts. It seems the damage to cities, towns and rural communities is too great for the government to cope with alone. A UN spokesperson said Burma’s military rulers were, "having as much trouble as anyone else in getting a full overview of the destruction”. Naing Aung from the Forum for Democracy in Burma said: “International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently required….The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone.” There are now fears that the cyclone will further push up world rice prices. Rice has already increased in price by 75 per cent in the past year. Burma is a key exporter of the food staple to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - d

2 - a

3 - b

4 - c

5 - c

6 - b

7 - d

8 - a

9 - b

10 - d

11 - c

12 - a

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