solar flare; oil spill; volcano eruption; flood; nuclear accident;
meteor strike; hurricane; space junk collision; global warming:

Natural disasters – volcano eruption, flood, hurricane

Disasters from space – solar flare, meteor strike,

Manmade disasters – oil spill; nuclear accident, space junk collision, ; global warming

1. The damage caused by the Russian meteorite _.
   a. could have been much worse
   b. was huge
   c. was greatly reduced by the early warning system
   d. was much worse than the one in Siberia one hundred years ago
2. The Siberian meteorite _.
   a. hit a forest
   b. hit a big city
   c. caused glass to shower over people
   d. damaged trees when it exploded
3. On the same day as the meteorite exploded over Chelyabinsk, _.
   a. there was another, related, asteroid event
   b. there was another, unrelated, asteroid event
   c. scientists realized that an even bigger asteroid could hit Earth
   d. scientists issued a warning for 2046
4. The Russian meteorite _.
   a. had been predicted by scientists
   b. came as a surprise
   c. was too small to worry about
   d. will come close to Earth again in the future
5. Experts say that comets and asteroids could _.
   a. wipe out all animal life, leaving only plants
   b. kill a significant proportion of the Earth’s human population
   c. put an end to all plant and animal life on Earth
   d. cause as much damage as the Hiroshima bomb
6. A small asteroid _.
   a. can still cause a lot of damage
   b. is not a problem if it is spotted early
   c. cannot cause any significant harm
   d. is actually more dangerous than a larger one
7. Earth has been relatively safe thanks to _.
   a. pure luck
   b. luck and the protective force of another planet from our solar system
   c. early warning systems set up by NASA
   d. luck and our position in relation to the sun
8. Scientists say _.
   a. it is impossible to monitor all the potential hazards
   b. we are not in any danger for the moment
   c. a meteorite is likely to hit Earth sooner or later
   d. their early warning systems will protect us

How much do you use your phone when you’re with your friends? What do you think are the pros and cons of mobile phones?

I don’t hang out with my friends because I don’t have friends, life has shown that you shouldn’t trust anyone except your relatives. My best friend is my sister, she is always by my side in times of happiness and sadness. When I am with my sister, we are almost always on the phone, our favorite singers and actors are the same people, we sing songs together, watch movies, talk. My sister studies at the American university and she helps me with every question (related to studies). Life seems easier and simpler with her.

Phones have no downsides for me, they only bring people closer together. My cell phone plays a very big role in my life, it is always with me, I can’t imagine my life without it, I mostly communicate with people on the Internet, time passes there much better than in real life.

Match the vocabulary with the definitions and write a–f next to the numbers 1–6.

1…….. constantly            a. doing many different things at the same time

2…….. freedom               b. to decide not to listen or pay attention to something

3…….. to ignore something   c. all the time; non-stop

4…….. multitasking          d. to be unable to focus because something is taking your
 attention away

5…….. weird    e. the state of not being limited or controlled by anything

6…….. to be distracted      f. strange; not normal

1 — c



2 — e



3 — b



4 — a 



5 — f



6 — d

1. Check your understanding: multiple choice

Circle the best answer to these questions.

1. Why did Gemma and Sam meet up?

a. to have something to eat

b. for a coffee and a chat

c. to do their homework together

2. Why did Gemma get a bit annoyed with Sam?

a. because he was checking Facebook instead of listening to her

b. because he was playing a game instead of listening to her

c. because he was sending a message instead of listening to her

3. What did Gemma say was the biggest disadvantage of having a mobile phone?

a. It distracts you from things happening around you in the real world.

b. It’s dangerous to use it while doing activities such as driving or crossing the street.

c. You need to recharge it quite often.

4. For Sam, what was one good thing about having a mobile phone?

a. You can use it to call for help in an emergency.

b. It allows you to stay in contact with friends while you are doing another activity.

c. You can use it to go online and find information for school work.

5. How long did Gemma plan to leave the phones switched off?

a. all day

b. for an hour

c. until they finish their drinks

6. How did Sam feel after switching off his phone?

a. frustrated

b. anxious

c. free

Are you scared of asteroids? Why or not?

Asteroids don’t scare me, because I believe scientists, if they said that nothing can happen to us, it will just pass by the bisphere, then we have nothing to fear.

Have you ever experienced any type of natural disaster?

Yes, I experienced a five-level earthquake a few years ago, it left its mark on me, I am very afraid that it may happen again. When the earthquake started, I was helping my mother in the kitchen, when I felt that the floor was moving, I closed my eyes, put my hands over my ears and started shouting loudly. that day was the thirteenth of February, after a year, when the thirteenth of February came again, I was very tense and anxious that it would start again, and in the evening, when I was about to sleep, I felt that my bed was shaking, as if I was in a cradle. When it started rocking, I quickly got up, sat on the ground on my bed and started crying. After that, I pray every night that there will be no earthquake. But my fear often appears in my dreams. I could see how the student was reduced to rubble, and how the students ran away crying and shouting.

So the earthquake really left a big mark on me.

I. Complete the sentences with a word from the box.lack, distracts, storage, peers, revise, process, rota, siblings, improve, efficient:

He distracts me by playing music when I’m studying.

I need to revise for my end-of-year exams.

I have two siblings – one sister and one brother.

We have a storage system for housework and it’s my turn to do the washing-up today.

I need to find rota space for my things while I am travelling.

Some plants may die when there is a lack of rain.

Slow down! I can’t process all the information if you speak too quickly.

If the weather doesn’t improve, we won’t be able to have a picnic.

My peers at school are quite competitive at exam time.

Sharing a car is a more efficient way of travelling to work every day.

E-TUTOR
RE: WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO MY SISTER?
Hi, Meg. That’s a common complaint between siblings. Why don’t you discuss a rota system so that you use the desk at different times? Or maybe you could study at the local library, cultural centre or community centre a few days a week. Make sure you’ve got storage space for everything on your desk: folders and containers for your paper and stationery. If everything has its own place, it will be easier to keep orderly. It might even be enjoyable to do this together. If it’s easier to write instead of talking face to face, try messaging her and explain how awful you feel

– RUDY
AGAINST THE CLOCK
My problem is time – or lack of it! Next month I’ve got 12 exams in three weeks. How can I possibly study for all of them? It’s complicated. I think it’s impossible.

– E-TUTOR
RE: AGAINST THE CLOCK
Hi, Rudy. It isn’t impossible but you DO have to get started NOW. Make a study plan and highlight periods of study time for each subject. Make a detailed plan for this week and then do the same for the weeks ahead. It’s better to study for an hour or so a day than just once a week, all day. Your brain needs time to process information.

– HAYLEY
DISASTER
My problem is silly and a bit embarrassing. I just find it hard to study. I always stop and start and I keep getting the impression that I’m learning the wrong things. I’m a disaster. I don’t think you can really help me.

E-TUTORRE: DISASTERHayley, your problem isn’t silly at all! It’s very real and lots of people experience the same thing as you. Sometimes things improve if they join a study group. Set up a group and meet a couple of days a week after school to study together. Take turns to give presentations and teach other what you know. It’s called ‘peer teaching’ and is an effective and efficient practice for lots of students.

II. Circle True or False for these sentences.

Meg doesn’t respect her sister. False

Meg finds it difficult to talk to her sister. True

E-tutor thinks Meg’s problem is unusual. False

Rudy believes he has an impossible task. True

E-tutor thinks Rudy needs to start studying immediately. True

Rudy needs to study a little and often. True

Hayley is confident that her problem can be solved. False

E-tutor recommends that Hayley studies with a teacher. False