At the top of the list of the costliest natural disasters in the history of the United States is Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest hurricane ever to hit theU.S. It affected 90,000 square miles in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. The hurricane formed over the Bahamas and turned into a Category 1 hurricane by the time it hit the southeastern tip of Florida. It got stronger as it traveled across the Gulf of Mexico. It had become a category 4 hurricane when it reached Louisiana. The storm surge that followed caused destruction from central Florida to Texas. Louisiana, experienced even more damage because its levees were breeched, letting water flood a large portion of the city. The National Weather Service warned people of the tropical monster that was heading towards the southern coast. Residents were told to expect power outages.

They were told they might lose their rooftops and to expect water shortages. About 4/5 of the population evacuated. The estimate was that around 100,000 people remained in the metro area. Some were stranded tourists; others did not own a car and had no way out.

Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1.Katrina is the most economically damaging hurricane to the US.                                         ....

2.Katrina was the strongest hurricane in the US‟s history.                                                            ...

3.Louisiana suffered the most in the hurricane.                                                                          ....

4.The US residents had no information about the hurricane.                                                     ....

5.Those who got stuck in the metro area were all local resident                                                 

Read the following passage and choose the option (A, B, C or D) that best answers each of the questions below.

At the top of the list of the costliest natural disasters in the history of the United States is Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest hurricane ever to hit the U. S. It affected 90,000 square miles in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama.

The hurricane formed over the Bahamas and turned into a Category 1 hurricane by the time it hit the southeastern tip of Florida. It got stronger as it traveled across the Gulf of Mexico. It made its second landfall off the coast of southeast Louisiana on Monday, August 29, 2005. It had become a category 4 hurricane by then. The storm surge that followed caused destruction from central Florida to Texas. New Orleans, Louisiana, experienced even more damage because its levees were breeched, letting water flood a large portion of the city.

The National Weather Service warned people of the tropical monster that was heading towards the southern coast. Residents were told to expect power outages. They were told they might lose their rooftops and to expect water shortages. The National Hurricane Director was very concerned. He personally called the governors of Louisiana and Mississippi. He even called President Bush at his ranch in Texas. He spoke directly with New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin. Nagin issued an evacuation order for his city. Most people left. About eighty percent of the population evacuated. The estimate was that around 100,000 people remained in

the metro area. Some were stranded tourists; others did not own a car and had no way out. Those who were not able to leave were instructed to go to the New Orleans Convention Center and the Superdome.

41.     What is the passage mainly about?

A. The history of the United States hurricanes.

B. A hurricane in the history of the United States.

C. Hurricanes in the world, especially in the United States.

D. What the United States does to prevent hurricanes.

42.     According to the passage, what is NOT true about Hurricane Katrina?

A. It is the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States.

B. It is the third strongest hurricane ever to hit the US.

C. It affected 90,000 square miles in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama.

D. It formed over the Bahamas.

43. What can be true from the passage about Hurricane Katrina when it hit the southeastern tip of Florida?

A. It was very weak.                                            B. It was very strong.

C. It was not as weak as it started.                      D. It was not as strong as it started.

44.What is NOT true about the National Hurricane Director?

A. He called the governors of Mississippi.

B. He called President Bush at his ranch in Texas.

C. He spoke directly with the New Orleans mayor.

D. He was very unconcerned.

45. According to the passage, how many people were evacuated?

A. About 80,000 people.                                     B. About 80% of the population.

C. Around 100,000 people.                                 D. Around 20% of the population.

VI. Choose the words with OPPOSITE meanings

31. Hurricane Katrina made the most tremendous loss in the history of new Orleans, the United States.

         A. puzzling                          B. tiny              C. unique                   D. legendary

32. You should prepare food, water, medications, copies of personal documentary and some money.

         A. interpersonal                    B. public                    C. personality           D. publicity

33. There are posters in public places to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do.

         A. personal                            B. person                   C. common                D. in common

34. The polluted toxic chemical waste is dumped into the river.

         A. harmless                           B. harm                                  C. poison                   D. poisonous

35. Radioactive pollution is very dangerous to human beings.

         A. security                             B. safety                     C. insecure                D. safe

HURRICANE KATRINA

New Orleans, in Louisiana, is known as the most unique city in the United States with distinctive architecture, cross-cultural heritage and annual music festivals. However, due to its location along the Mississippi River with lakes on the other side, and nearly half of the city below sea level, the city faces the danger of flooding. So, a levee system and drainage canals were built to protect the city.

Early in the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in the history of New Orleans, struck the city. The storm brought strong winds and heavy rains for several days. As a result, water from the river and lakes rose, breaking the levees and poured directly into the city. Soon 80 percent of the city was under the water. People scrambled to roof tops for safety, desperate for food and drinking water. The winds were so strong that even beds in Hyatt Hotel were seen flying out of the hotel windows. The loss was tremendous. Most of the major roads and bridges were destroyed, and houses collapsed. Nearly 2,000 people were killed. After the storm, several natural grounds for the breeding and migrating of different species of animals and birds were permanently lost.

1. New Orleans is famous for ______.
A. its modern architecture          B. its cross-cultural heritage       

 C. its Mississippi River             D. its location
2. Which statement is NOT correct about New Orleans?
A. It lies between the Mississippi River and lakes.   

B. One of its attractions is its annual music festivals.
C. The city is surrounded by water.                           

D. Most of the city is below sea level.
3. Which one is NOT mentioned as being damaged by Hurricane Katrina?
A. Distinctive architecture         B. The levee system             C. Major roads                     D. Houses
4. The word ‘tremendous’ means ______.
A. puzzling                   B. huge               C. unique          D. legendary
5.  The word ‘permanently’ is similar to ______.
A. temporarily               B. partially           C. forever         D. rarely

One of the most devastating forces on Earth is a hurricane. A hurricane begins as a tropical
storm. The storm winds blow in circles around a center, called the "eye." Gradually, the winds get
stronger and stronger. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when the winds are 120 kilometers
per hour or more.
The word "hurricane" comes from Huracan, an evil god of a Central American Indian tribe.
In other parts of the world, hurricanes are known by different names. In East Asia, they are usually
called typhoons, from the Chinese tai-feng, meaning "great wind." In Bangladesh, Pakistan, India,
and Australia, they are known as cyclones. Finally, in the Philippines, they are called baguios.
Few things in nature have as much power as hurricanes. They can destroy coastal areas
with heavy rains and winds of 250 kilometers per hour or more. Sometimes a hurricane causes the
ocean to flood onto land in an event called a storm surge. The total power of a hurricane may be
equal to 10,000 nuclear bombs.
Câu 1: According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Hurricanes always cause a storm surge.
B. All tropical storms become hurricanes.
C. Hurricanes are most common in Central America.
D. The wind speed of hurricanes is at least 120 kilometers per hour.
Câu 2: The word “hurricane” in the second paragraph comes from …………..
A. the Philippines
B. Central America
C. China
D. Bangladesh
Câu 3: The dangers of a hurricane include the following EXCEPT
A. flood B. landslide C. heavy rain D. strong winds
Câu 4: Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. How To Prepare For A Hurricane
B. The Biggest Hurricanes In History
C. Some Facts About Hurricanes
D. The Difference Between Tropical Storms And Hurricanes

III. Read the following  passage and do the tasks below :  

HURRICANE KATRINA

New Orleans, in Louisiana, is known as the most unique city in the United States with distinctive architecture, cross-cultural heritage and annual music festivals.

However, due to its location along the Mississippi River with lakes on the other side, and nearly half of the city below sea level, the city faces the danger of flooding. So, a levee system and drainage canals were built to protect the city.

Early in the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in the history of New Orleands, struck the city. The storm brought strong winds and heavy rains for several days. As a result water from the river and lakes rose, breaking the levees and poured directly into the city. Soon 80 percent of the city was under water. People scrambled to rooftops for safety, desperate for food and drinking water. The winds were so strong that even beds in Hyatt Hotel were seen flying out of the hotel windows. The loss was ‘tremendous’. Most of the major roads and bridges were destroyed and houses collapsed. Nearly 2,000 people were killed. After the storm, several natural grounds for the breeding and migrating of different species of animals and birds were permanently lost.

1. When did Hurricane Katrina strick the city ?

____________________________________________________________________________

2. What did people scramble to rooftops for  ?

____________________________________________________________________________

3. How many people were killed ?

____________________________________________________________________________

b. Listen and circle True or False.

(Lắng nghe và chọn True hoặc False.)

1. A natural disaster can cause_________ of life or property damage. (lose)

2. Human greenhouse gas emissions are causing_________ warming. (globe)

3. Kangaroos and koalas are only_________ to Australia. (nation)

4. Hurricane Katrina was one of the_________ hurricanes ever to hit the United States. (dead)

5. Filters do not remove all_________ from water. (contaminate)

6. Freak tornado leaves trail of in its wake. (destroy)

7. _________ appeal to the government to enact laws to stop factories from discharging toxic Chemicals into the sea. (environment)

8. Toxic pollution is contaminated water, soil, and air that is_________. (poison)

9. Pollution kills more people than both war and_________. (violent)

10. English is the most widely_________ language worldwide, with 1.5 billion speakers. (speak)