Northern California Wildfires Become Larger

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

wildfire

Noun

ˈwaɪldˌfaɪə(r)

a big fire that spreads uncontrollably

The firefighters fought several wildfires in the area.

disaster

Noun

dɪˈzæstər

an event that causes great damage or loss

A tornado is one type of natural disaster.

Dinner was a disaster.

A tornado is one form of natural disaster.

Dinner was a complete disaster.

If this continues to happen, it could lead to a major disaster for us.

The disaster of the hurricane was made worse by the floods that followed.

The food supply in the country has been rapidly decreasing since the flood disaster last autumn.

contain

Verb

kənˈteɪn

to limit the negative effect of something and prevent it from spreading further

They are hard at work trying to contain the outbreak of the virus.

backfire

Verb

ˌbækˈfaɪə(r)

to make a loud noise, similar to an explosion (usually of a car)

Just as we were about to leave, the car backfired and we had to stay at the hotel.

powerline

Noun

ˈpaʊə(r)laɪn

a thick wire that is used to carry electricity over long distances

There were many pigeons sitting on the powerlines.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Northern California Wildfires Become Larger

Wildfires continue to spread in northern California.

The fires are blamed for at least 23 deaths. About 300 other people are listed as missing. California officials say at least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed.

President Donald Trump declared part of northern California a disaster area.

The state's forestry department fire chief, Ken Pimlott, is helping to direct the 8,000 firefighters struggling to contain the wildfires. He called the fires "a serious, critical, catastrophic event."

Police blocked many roads and prevented residents from going to neighborhoods destroyed by the fires.

Gordon O'Brien is a fire captain from Alameda, California. He said when a fire is coming fast, there is little people can do except save themselves.

O'Brien and his crew were working on protecting buildings instead of fighting the fire.

Northern California has experienced many large fires in the past - although the current wildfires are the deadliest in recent memory.

State officials said they do not know the exact cause of the current fires. They say anything from a backfiring car to a burning cigarette can start a fire.

In the past, people, lightning, and even powerlines have caused wildfires in northern California.

It will be weeks before the exact amount of the damage is known. But for now, residents are just trying to make it through this fire safely.

Exercise 3

Questions

How many people died in the California wildfires so far?

Who is Ken Pimlott?

Is the cause of the fires known?

What are some of the things that caused wildfires in California in the past?

Exercise 4

Discussion

What do you think about the situation in California?

Why do you think wildfires are so difficult to contain?

Why do you think Gordon O’Brien and his crew are working on protecting buildings instead of fighting the fire?

What challenges do you imagine firefighters often face when trying to contain wildfires? Please explain your answer.

Why do you think wildfires are a yearly occurrence in California?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

Are wildfires a common occurrence in your country? Why do you think this is the case?

Have you ever witnessed firefighters battling a blaze? If so, please describe the experience.

Do you consider firefighters to be heroes? Why? Why not?

Would you ever consider becoming a firefighter? Why? Why not?

Is there anything that you think could be done to prevent wildfires from starting? If so, what? If not, why not?

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.