• huge forest fires cause bad health problems and spread to other countries (October 15, 026)

Huge wildfires are burning across Indonesia today. The fires are very big, and the situation is serious. The worst conditions are on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. In these areas, thick smoke fills the air completely. The smoke is so thick that the sky turns a bright orange color. Entire cities are covered in this dark haze.

Reports show that this is the worst wildfire season in eleven years. Many fires start because people burn land to prepare fields for planting crops. Dry weather makes the fires spread very fast through the dry trees and dry grass.

This disaster creates big health problems for local families. Many illnesses increase because the air is full of toxic haze. Thousands of people suffer from bad coughs, eye pain, and breathing problems every day. Many children must stay inside the house, and some schools are closed today.

To stop the disaster, the military and emergency workers are working hard. More than sixty thousand personnel are deployed on the ground to fight the flames and protect towns. Large planes drop water on the hot ground.

The smoke does not stay in Indonesia. It spreads across borders to neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore. People living in those countries can also see the orange haze and breathe the dirty air.

Everyone hopes that rain will fall soon to help put out the fires. Clean air and safe forests are very important for humans, animals, and the whole planet.

______________________________

ma

Word or phrase	Simple A1 definition
to cause health problems	to make people ill
to spread	to move to more places
to turn bright orange	to become a strong orange colour
entire cities	all parts of cities
haze	air that is not clear because of smoke or dust
a season	one of the parts of the year
to plant crops	to put seeds or small plants in the ground to grow food
to be dry	to have little or no water
a disaster	a very bad event that causes great problems
an illness	a health problem
to increase	to become more or bigger
to be toxic	to be very bad for your health
to suffer from a cough	to have a cough and feel bad
an emergency worker	a person who helps people in danger
to be deployed	to be sent somewhere to do a job
to protect	to keep someone or something safe
a border	the line between two countries

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Match the words with the definitions

1. to cause health problems
2. to spread
3. to turn bright orange
4. entire cities
5. haze
6. a season
7. to plant crops
8. to be dry
9. a disaster
10. an illness
11. to increase
12. to be toxic
13. to suffer from a cough
14. an emergency worker
15. to be deployed
16. to protect
17. a border

Definitions

A. To become a strong orange colour

B. A person who helps people in danger

C. To become more or bigger

D. The line between two countries

E. To keep someone or something safe

F. To have a cough and feel bad

G. To put seeds or small plants in the ground to grow food

H. Air that is not clear because of smoke or dust

I. To be sent somewhere to do a job

J. A very bad event that causes great problems

K. To move to more places

L. To have little or no water

M. One of the parts of the year

N. To make people ill

O. A health problem

P. All parts of cities

Q. To be very bad for your health

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Answer key:
1–N, 2–K, 3–A, 4–P, 5–H, 6–M, 7–G, 8–L, 9–J, 10–O,
11–C, 12–Q, 13–F, 14–B, 15–I, 16–E, 17–D

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Match the definitions with the words

Defintions

1. To become a strong orange colour
2. A person who helps people in danger
3. To become more or bigger
4. The line between two countries
5. To keep someone or something safe
6. To have a cough and feel bad
7. To put seeds or small plants in the ground to grow food
8. Air that is not clear because of smoke or dust
9. To be sent somewhere to do a job
10. A very bad event that causes great problems
11. To move to more places
12. To have little or no water
13. One of the parts of the year
14. To make people ill
15. A health problem
16. All parts of cities
17. To be very bad for your health

Words

A. a border

B. to increase

C. an emergency worker

D. to spread

E. to be dry

F. to protect

G. a disaster

H. to turn bright orange

I. to be deployed

J. to be toxic

K. entire cities

L. an illness

M. to cause health problems

N. to plant crops

O. haze

P. a season

Q. to suffer from a cough

____________________________

Answer key:
1–H, 2–C, 3–B, 4–A, 5–F, 6–Q, 7–N,
8–O, 9–I, 10–G, 11–D, 12–E, 13–P,
14–M, 15–L, 16–K, 17–J

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Multiple-choice exercise

1. Which two Indonesian islands have the worst wildfire conditions in the text?
a) Java and Bali b) Lombok and Flores c) Sumatra and Kalimantan

2. What colour is the sky because of the thick smoke?
a) Bright orange b) Light blue c) Dark green

3. How does the text describe the current wildfire season?
a) It is the shortest in eleven years. b) It is the worst in eleven years. c) It is the first in eleven years.

4. Why do many fires start?
a) People want to build new roads. b) People burn land to prepare fields for crops. c) People want to make the forests bigger.

5. What helps the fires spread quickly?
a) Heavy rain b) Cold weather c) Dry weather

6. What problems do many people have because of the smoke?
a) Coughs, eye pain, and breathing problems b) Headaches and stomach pain c) Back pain and sore legs

7. Why do many children stay inside?
a) They have too much homework. b) They want to watch television. c) The air is dirty and unhealthy.

8. What happens to some schools during the fires?
a) They move to other countries. b) They are closed. c) They become hospitals.

9. Who is working to fight the fires?
a) Teachers and shop workers b) Farmers and tourists c) The military and emergency workers

10. How many personnel are working to fight the flames?
a) More than sixty thousand b) More than six thousand c) More than six hundred thousand

11. What do large planes drop on the ground?
a) Sand b) Water c) Food

12. Which countries also have problems with the smoke?
a) Japan and South Korea b) Australia and New Zealand c) Malaysia and Singapore

13. Does the smoke stay only in Indonesia?
a) No, it also spreads to other countries. b) Yes, it stays in the forests. c) Yes, it stays on Sumatra.

14. What do people hope will happen soon?
a) The weather will become hotter. b) Rain will fall. c) More people will burn land.

15. Why is clean air important?
a) It makes forests grow without water. b) It stops all bad weather. c) It helps people and animals stay healthy.

16. What is the main problem in the text?
a) A lack of schools b) Large wildfires and thick smoke c) A shortage of drinking water

17. What makes the situation especially dangerous for families?
a) The dirty air can make people ill. b) All families must leave Indonesia. c) The fires destroy every city.

18. Which statement about the smoke is correct?
a) It only affects people near the sea. b) It makes the air clean. c) It can affect people in neighbouring countries.

19. What is one way people are fighting the fires?
a) They are planting more trees. b) They are using large planes to drop water. c) They are moving all the forests.

20. What does the text say about forests and the planet?
a) Forests are not important for animals. b) Wildfires are good for every country. c) Safe forests and clean air are important.

__________________________

Answer key:
1c, 2a, 3b, 4b, 5c, 6a, 7c, 8b, 9c,
10a, 11b, 12c, 13a, 14b, 15c,
16b, 17a, 18c, 19b, 20c

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True or false

1. The worst wildfire conditions are on Sumatra and Kalimantan.
2. The smoke makes the sky look bright blue.
3. Many fires start because people burn land to prepare fields for crops.
4. Dry weather helps the fires spread quickly.
5. The text says that this is the worst wildfire season in five years.
6. Many people have coughs, eye pain, and breathing problems.
7. All schools in Indonesia are closed because of the fires.
8. Some children must stay inside because of the dirty air.
9. More than sixty thousand personnel are working to fight the fires.
10. Large planes drop sand on the hot ground.
11. The military and emergency workers are helping to fight the fires.
12. The smoke stays only inside Indonesia.
13. People in Malaysia and Singapore can also breathe the dirty air.
14. The text says that rain has already stopped all the fires.
15. Dry trees and grass help the fires spread.
16. The smoke causes no health problems for local families.
17. People hope that rain will fall soon.
18. Clean air and safe forests are not important for people and animals.

_____________________________

Answer key:
1 T, 2 F, 3 T, 4 T, 5 F, 6 T, 7 F, 8 T, 9 T, 10 F,
11 T, 12 F, 13 T, 14 F, 15 T, 16 F, 17 T, 18 F

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Wildfires in Indonesia – match the sentence halves

Sentence beginnings

1. Huge wildfires are burning
2. The worst conditions are
3. Thick smoke fills
4. Many fires start because people
5. Dry weather makes the fires
6. Many children must stay
7. More than sixty thousand personnel
8. Large planes drop water
9. The smoke spreads to
10. Everyone hopes that rain

Sentence endings

A. inside because the air is dirty.

B. across Indonesia today.

C. will fall soon.

D. on the hot ground.

E. burn land to prepare fields for crops.

F. the air in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

G. other countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore.

H. are working to fight the flames.

I. spread very fast through dry trees and grass.

J. on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

___________________________

Answer key:
1–B, 2–J, 3–F, 4–E, 5–I, 6–A, 7–H, 8–D, 9–G, 10–C

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Match the questions and answers

Questions

1. Where do the worst wildfires happen in Indonesia?
2. What colour does the sky become because of the smoke?
3. Why do many fires start?
4. What helps the flames move quickly through forests?
5. Which health problems do people experience because of the smoke?
6. Why do some children stay inside their homes?
7. Who helps to fight the fires?
8. How many personnel take part in the fight against the fires?
9. What do large planes carry to the fires?
10. Which countries also have problems with the smoke?
11. What kind of weather do people hope for?
12. Why do people need safe forests?

Answers

A. They want rain to help stop the fires.

B. More than sixty thousand people help on the ground.

C. The air outside is dirty and bad for their health.

D. People burn land to prepare fields for crops.

E. Forests give animals a place to live and help keep our planet healthy.

F. They drop water on the hot ground.

G. The islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan have the worst fires.

H. Dry weather makes the fires spread fast through dry trees and grass.

I. People in Malaysia and Singapore also breathe dirty air.

J. It turns bright orange.

K. The military and emergency workers work hard to stop the flames.

L. Many people have bad coughs, sore eyes, and breathing problems.

_________________________

Answer key:
1–G, 2–J, 3–D, 4–H, 5–L, 6–C, 7–K,
8–B, 9–F, 10–I, 11–A, 12–E

_________________________
Full dialogue:

1. Expert: Where do the worst wildfires happen in Indonesia?

Expert: The islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan have the worst fires.

2. Expert: What colour does the sky become because of the smoke?

Expert: It turns bright orange.

3. Expert: Why do many fires start?

Expert: People burn land to prepare fields for crops.

4. Expert: What helps the flames move quickly through forests?

Expert: Dry weather makes the fires spread fast through dry trees and grass.

5. Expert: Which health problems do people experience because of the smoke?

Expert: Many people have bad coughs, sore eyes, and breathing problems.

6. Expert: Why do some children stay inside their homes?

Expert: The air outside is dirty and bad for their health.

7. Expert: Who helps to fight the fires?

Expert: The military and emergency workers work hard to stop the flames.

8. Expert: How many personnel take part in the fight against the fires?

Expert: More than sixty thousand people help on the ground.

9. Expert: What do large planes carry to the fires?

Expert: They drop water on the hot ground.

10. Expert: Which countries also have problems with the smoke?

Expert: People in Malaysia and Singapore also breathe dirty air.

11. Expert: What kind of weather do people hope for?

Expert: They want rain to help stop the fires.

12. Expert: Why do people need safe forests?

Expert: Forests give animals a place to live and help keep our planet healthy.

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learn a language:

Babies learn a language by listening.
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