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Words
in the News |
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INTRO
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On
Monday 25th January an earthquake struck central Colombia. The cities
of Pereira and Armenia were serverely damaged. Quill Lawrence and
James Reynolds reported. |
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IN
FULL
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Listen
to the report in full |
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28th January 1999
Earthquake in central Colombia
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| NEWS
1 |
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The
full extent of the damage is still unknown but heavy casualties
are counted in the cities of Armenia and Pereira, the heart of
Colombia’s coffee-growing region. Many outlying towns
within the quake’s one-hundred and fifty kilometre span have
yet to be assessed. Authorities plan to demolish many buildings
left weakened by the quake which are threatening to fall. In Armenia,
hundreds were crushed to death under fallen buildings. The slums in
the south of the city were hardest hit, where homes made of weak ceramic
brick crumbled, leaving entire neighbourhoods flattened. (Quill
Lawrence)
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WORDS
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the full extent of
: this is a set phrase in English. The extent of a situation
or difficulty is its size or scale.
heavy casualties:
notice that we often use the adjective 'heavy' to describe a large
number of casualties
the heart of :
the heart of somewhere is the most central part of it
coffee-growing:
compound words like this are a typical feature of news reports because
they convey a lot of information in a concise style of writing
demolish: to destroy.
Notice that we use the verb 'demolish' to describe the destruction
of old or dangerous buildings
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| NEWS
2 |
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The region’s medical
emergency has now eased. Many of those injured in the earthquake
have been sent to hospitals in neighbouring areas. For the
moment, the Colombian armed forces are to continue their airlift
of supplies to the region. Aid workers have asked for more
food, clothes and medicine, and say they are in desperate need of
safe drinking water. Communication is now slowly being re-established
across the region. Roads have been re-opened, electricity and telephone
lines have been restored to many areas. (James Reynolds)
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| WORDS |
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have been sent to
hospitals: notice we often use the construction 'to be sent
to hospital' meaning to be taken to hospital
Aid workers: this
is a general term often used in news stories to refer to people
who administer aid of all kinds
safe drinking water:
notice we describe water which causes harm and should not be drunk
as 'unsafe'
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Read
about earthquakes in BBC News Online |
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