Listening practice - environmental problems and disasters - Higher
It's important to be able to understand about environmental problems and disasters. Here is some vocabulary that will help.
| el agujero en la capa de ozono | hole in the ozone layer |
| el calentamiento global | global warming |
| la contaminación | pollution |
| la deforestación | deforestation |
| el desastre ecológico | ecological disaster |
| la destrucción de las selvas (tropicales) | destruction of the (tropical) rainforest |
| el efecto invernadero | greenhouse effect |
| la escasez (de agua) | lack/shortage (of water) |
| el hambre (f.) | famine |
| el incendio forestal | forest fire |
| la inundación | flood |
| la lluvia ácida | acid rain |
| la marea negra | oil slick |
| los recursos naturales | natural resources |
| la sequía | drought |
| el agujero en la capa de ozono |
| hole in the ozone layer |
| el calentamiento global |
| global warming |
| la contaminación |
| pollution |
| la deforestación |
| deforestation |
| el desastre ecológico |
| ecological disaster |
| la destrucción de las selvas (tropicales) |
| destruction of the (tropical) rainforest |
| el efecto invernadero |
| greenhouse effect |
| la escasez (de agua) |
| lack/shortage (of water) |
| el hambre (f.) |
| famine |
| el incendio forestal |
| forest fire |
| la inundación |
| flood |
| la lluvia ácida |
| acid rain |
| la marea negra |
| oil slick |
| los recursos naturales |
| natural resources |
| la sequía |
| drought |
Listen to this Spanish news broadcast and answer the questions.
Question
What type of environmental incident is being referred to?
A forest fire. The word forestal in conjunction with incendio should have given you the correct answer. The word bomberos (fire fighters) was also a clue.
Transcript:
Según un portavoz del cuerpo de bomberos peruano, el incendio forestal que sigue activo en la provincia de Arequipa ya ha provocado dos muertes.
Translation:
According to a spokesman from the Peruvian fire brigade, the forest fire which is still burning in the province of Arequipa has already caused two deaths.
Question
What type of problem is being referred to?
A drought.Sequía was the word which gave the answer. Llover (to rain) is used negatively (no ha llovido). Agricultura (agriculture) might also have been a pointer.
Transcript:
Hace ya más de dos meses que no ha llovido en la región de Almería y las autoridades han confirmado hoy que la sequía empieza a tener consecuencias graves para la agricultura.
Translation:
It hasn't rained for more than two months now in the Almeria region and the authorities have confirmed today that the drought is beginning to have serious consequences for agriculture.
Question
What disaster is being reported?
An oil slick.La marea negra was the term that indicated the correct answer. Words such as barco (boat) and costa (coast) should also have pointed you in the right direction.
Transcript:
En México, el Ministerio de Comunicaciones y Transportes ha declarado que el barco estadounidense, que sufrió daños graves como consecuencia del huracán de anoche en el Golfo de México, ya ha perdido 3.000 toneladas de combustible y la marea negra ya está amenazando la costa de Veracruz.
Translation:
In Mexico, the Ministry of Communications and Transport has declared that the American ship, which suffered serious damage as a result of last night's hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, has already lost 3,000 tons of fuel and the oil slick is now threatening the coast of Veracruz.