2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION
- Earthquake
- Bushfire
- Famine
- Tsunami
- Hurricane/Typhoon
- Flood
2.2 AID FOR HAITI: What do Haitians need most right now? Rank these and add any other needs you think necessary:
- your personal help
- blankets
- electricity generators
- Internet access
- strong leaders
- good weather
- water
- doctors
2.3 HAITI EARTHQUAKE DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:
a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word 'earthquake'?
c) Have you had any personal experience with earthquakes?
d) What do you imagine it´s like to experience an earthquake?
e) What should Haiti´s president be doing right now to help his people?
f) What should you be doing right now to help Haiti´s people?
g) Do you think international help is efficient?
h) If you lived in an area hit by earthquakes, would you move?
i) Have you been watching pictures of the Haiti earthquake on the news?
j) What are your thoughts when you see pictures of the victims?
k) Do you blame people for looting and stealing after an earthquake?
l) Why in the 21st century are there countries like Haiti where half their population live in such terrible poverty?
m) Are the governments in the rest of the world doing all they can to help Haiti?
n) Do you think Haiti will recover from this catastrophe? Is the world acting quickly enough?
PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:
THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:
FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.
FINAL TASK:
HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.
- Express your opinion: International aids are fundamental for Haiti now
- Why are the poorest countries always hit bu such terrible natural disasters?
Why are the poorest countries always hit by such terrible natural disasters?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is a contradiction but we can find in just one hundred kilometres the most horrible reality close to the most luxury one, but human being can do their best without any effort. So while thousand people have died and other millions have injured, a cruise ship called ‘Independence of the Seas’ sail with three thousand tourists on board enjoying themselves over Caribbean Sea. I am no trying to blame these tourists but to show how different the countries are in this world. Passengers in this ship are probably from West Europe and North America where an earthquake like this would cause a few damage and a handful of victims.
Haiti has to be grateful for the good work that colonialist, over-exploiter and corrupt politicians have done for more than 500 years and now Haiti’s people are so lucky even God has gave them this special prize, the earthquake. At least they are like famous and important people because they are on the media now.
A big earthquake is probably one of the most devastating natural phenomena in the world that people can suffer, as we have been able to see in Haiti. Your whole live, as you have known it, will vanish in a few seconds. Maybe because you might die or be injured, but in case you live, nothing of your things will exist anymore, because you will probably loose your home, your job, lots of members of your family and lots of friends.
ReplyDeleteObviously, international aids are fundamental for Haiti now. Firs of all, survivors need to satisfy their hunger and they also need to feel safe at least in a short-term. In addition to that and above all else, they need to rebuild their lives, physically and psychologically, trying to assimilate a cruel and unfair reality.
Unfortunately, Haiti needed international aids a long time before the quake because of low level of life. But nobody was interested in that until the disaster has picked on its inhabitants.