Learning English - Words in the News - Forest fires hit the US

Last updated at 14:40 BST, Wednesday, 03 July 2013

Forest fires hit the US

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Transcript:: Fire eats up the forest in Arizona.

This is the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the US for 30 years.

The blaze spread rapidly amid high heat, low humidity and windy conditions.

Helicopters and planes tried to douse flames from above. Thousands of people have been evacuated.

As some American states experience extreme temperatures and drought, meteorologists have warned that more forest fires may hit California and New Mexico.
wildfire: fire that spreads rapidly and uncontrollably
amid: surrounded by
douse: extinguish (a fire)
evacuated: taken away (from a difficult or dangerous situation or place)
meteorologists: professionals who analyse weather conditions

Exercise

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports.

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.

wildfire / amid / douse / evacuated / meteorologists

1.
TV pictures showed chaotic scenes as crowds swarmed the crash site, some helping pass along hoses to __________ the smoking wreckage.

2.
A smaller area is ablaze on Tenerife. On the mainland, two firefighters died while helping to extinguish a __________ in Torremanzanas, a village north of the eastern coastal town of Alicante.

3.
The severe weather is also affecting neighbouring Bulgaria and Romania, where six people have reportedly died. __________ warn that the cold snap in the region could continue and temperatures may drop even further.

4.
The manufacturing and export sectors have been key drivers of China's economic growth in recent years. However, they have been under pressure lately __________ a slowdown in key export markets as well as China's own economic growth.

5.
The quake caused buildings to sway in Tijuana, where Easter celebrations were interrupted as families rushed for open ground. There were power cuts and hospitals and public buildings were __________ in Mexico's Baja California state.