10.3

Listening

10 .3

Read and listen to the text

Floods occur when rivers or streams

overflow and cover the land with water.

Heavy rains, storms and hurricanes

cause floods. Most floods

develop in hours or days. This gives people

enough time to escape. Others form quickly

and with no sign. These are flash floods

and are more destructive. Floods can pick up

and carry off trees, houses, cars and even

bridges. They make houses and buildings

collapse too. Drought is a very long

period of dry weather when there is not

enough rain. Dry weather causes damage to

crops and a shortage of drinking water.

These cause economic and social disasters

like hunger and famine. People become ill

because they can't find any food. Some

leave their homes and go to other places.

Drought can have long -term effects on plants and animals too.

An earthquake is a sudden movement

of the ground. Earthquakes can make buildings

collapse and cause fires. Some earthquakes

are very destructive. They can injure and kill

thousands of people or leave them homeless.

Earthquakes often have aftershocks. They are usually weak

but they can sometimes be destructive too.