Time: 40 minutes Word Count: Minimum 250 words
Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive in many parts of the world.
What are the main causes of this increased severity, and what measures can be taken by governments and individuals to tackle this problem?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Essential Vocabulary List (Natural Disasters)
Category 1: Types of Disasters & Phenomena
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 1 | Natural disaster | /ˌnætʃ.ər.əl dɪˈzɑː.stər/ | Thảm họa thiên nhiên | The earthquake was the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. |
| 2 | Catastrophe | /kəˈtæs.trə.fi/ | Thảm họa lớn, tai ương | The flood was a major environmental catastrophe. |
| 3 | Avalanche | /ˈæv.əl.ɑːntʃ/ | Tuyết lở | Skiers should be aware of the risk of an avalanche. |
| 4 | Drought | /draʊt/ | Hạn hán | The crops failed due to the prolonged drought. |
| 5 | Famine | /ˈfæm.ɪn/ | Nạn đói | War and drought often lead to severe famine. |
| 6 | Tsunami | /tsuːˈnɑː.mi/ | Sóng thần | A massive tsunami struck the coast after the earthquake. |
| 7 | Hurricane / Typhoon | /ˈhʌr.ɪ.kən/ – /taɪˈfuːn/ | Bão lớn (Cuồng phong) | The roof was blown off during the hurricane. |
| 8 | Volcanic eruption | /vɒlˈkæn.ɪk ɪˈrʌp.ʃən/ | Phun trào núi lửa | The volcanic eruption forced thousands to evacuate. |
| 9 | Epidemic | /ˌep.ɪˈdem.ɪk/ | Dịch bệnh | Doctors are struggling to contain the flu epidemic. |
| 10 | Aftershock | /ˈɑːf.tə.ʃɒk/ | Dư chấn |
Several strong aftershocks followed the main earthquake. |
Category 2: Causes & Impact
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 11 | Global warming | /ˌɡləʊ.bəl ˈwɔː.mɪŋ/ | Sự nóng lên toàn cầu | Global warming is contributing to rising sea levels. |
| 12 | Deforestation | /diːˌfɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/ | Nạn phá rừng | Deforestation increases the risk of landslides. |
| 13 | Devastating | /ˈdev.ə.steɪ.tɪŋ/ | Tàn phá khủng khiếp | The hurricane had a devastating effect on the island. |
| 14 | Casualty | /ˈkæʒ.ju.əl.ti/ | Thương vong (người chết/bị thương) | Fortunately, there were no casualties in the fire. |
| 15 | Death toll | /ˈdeθ ˌtəʊl/ | Số người tử vong | The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers clear the debris. |
| 16 | Property damage | /ˈprɒp.ə.ti ˈdæm.ɪdʒ/ | Thiệt hại tài sản | The storm caused millions of dollars in property damage. |
| 17 | Displacement | /dɪsˈpleɪs.mənt/ | Sự di dời (do mất nhà cửa) | The war caused the displacement of thousands of people. |
| 18 | Vulnerable | /ˈvʌl.nər.ə.bəl/ | Dễ bị tổn thương | Coastal cities are vulnerable to rising sea levels. |
| 19 | Unprecedented | /ʌnˈpres.ɪ.den.tɪd/ | Chưa từng có | We are witnessing an unprecedented number of storms this year. |
| 20 | Severity | /sɪˈver.ə.ti/ | Mức độ nghiêm trọng | The severity of the floods surprised the authorities. |
Category 3: Actions & Responses (Verbs)
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 21 | Evacuate | /ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/ | Sơ tán | Residents were told to evacuate immediately. |
| 22 | Mitigate | /ˈmɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ | Giảm nhẹ, làm dịu bớt | Planting trees can help mitigate soil erosion. |
| 23 | Strike / Hit | /straɪk/ – /hɪt/ | Tấn công, ập đến | The earthquake struck the city at midnight. |
| 24 | Demolish | /dɪˈmɒl.ɪʃ/ | Phá hủy hoàn toàn | The tornado demolished the entire neighborhood. |
| 25 | Predict | /prɪˈdɪkt/ | Dự đoán | Scientists are trying to predict when the volcano will erupt. |
| 26 | Rescue | /ˈres.kjuː/ | Giải cứu | Helicopters were used to rescue people from the rooftops. |
| 27 | Reconstruct | /ˌriː.kənˈstrʌkt/ | Tái thiết, xây dựng lại | It will take years to reconstruct the city. |
| 28 | Cope with | /kəʊp wɪð/ | Đối phó với | Victims are struggling to cope with the trauma. |
| 29 | Distribute | /dɪˈstrɪb.juːt/ | Phân phát | The Red Cross helps distribute food to victims. |
| 30 | Prepare | /prɪˈpeər/ | Chuẩn bị | Governments must prepare for future climate emergencies. |
Category 4: Solutions & Management (Nouns)
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 31 | Early warning system | /ˈɜː.li ˈwɔː.nɪŋ ˈsɪs.təm/ | Hệ thống cảnh báo sớm | The early warning system saved thousands of lives. |
| 32 | Emergency kit | /ɪˈmɜː.dʒən.si kɪt/ | Bộ dụng cụ khẩn cấp | Every household should possess a basic emergency kit. |
| 33 | Evacuation drill | /ɪˌvæk.juˈeɪ.ʃən drɪl/ | Diễn tập sơ tán | Schools regularly hold evacuation drills. |
| 34 | Humanitarian aid | /hjuːˌmæn.ɪˈteə.ri.ən eɪd/ | Viện trợ nhân đạo | The country requested international humanitarian aid. |
| 35 | Infrastructure | /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ | Cơ sở hạ tầng | Stronger infrastructure can withstand earthquakes better. |
| 36 | Precautionary measure | /prɪˈkɔː.ʃən.ər.i ˈmeʒ.ər/ | Biện pháp phòng ngừa | Taking precautionary measures minimizes risk. |
| 37 | Relief effort | /rɪˈliːf ˈef.ət/ | Nỗ lực cứu trợ | Everyone contributed to the relief effort. |
| 38 | Survivor | /səˈvaɪ.vər/ | Người sống sót | Rescuers found a survivor under the rubble. |
| 39 | Shelter | /ˈʃel.tər/ | Nơi trú ẩn | People sought shelter in the local stadium. |
| 40 | Non-perishable food | /ˌnɒnˈper.ɪ.ʃə.bəl fuːd/ | Thực phẩm không dễ hỏng (đồ hộp, đồ khô) | Stockpile non-perishable food in case of power outages. |
Category 5: Advanced Collocations & Descriptive Phrases
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 41 | Force of nature | /fɔːs əv ˈneɪ.tʃər/ | Sức mạnh thiên nhiên | We cannot control the sheer force of nature. |
| 42 | In the aftermath of | /ɪn ðə ˈɑːf.tə.mæθ əv/ | Trong giai đoạn hậu quả của… | Disease often spreads in the aftermath of a flood. |
| 43 | Wreak havoc | /riːk ˈhæv.ək/ | Gây tàn phá nặng nề | The storm is expected to wreak havoc on the coast. |
| 44 | Claim lives | /kleɪm laɪvz/ | Cướp đi sinh mạng | The disaster claimed the lives of over 200 people. |
| 45 | State of emergency | /steɪt əv ɪˈmɜː.dʒən.si/ | Tình trạng khẩn cấp | The government declared a state of emergency. |
| 46 | Irreparable damage | /ɪˈrep.ər.ə.bəl ˈdæm.ɪdʒ/ | Thiệt hại không thể khắc phục | The historic building suffered irreparable damage. |
| 47 | Adverse weather conditions | /ˈæd.vɜːs ˈweð.ər kənˈdɪʃ.ənz/ | Điều kiện thời tiết khắc nghiệt | Flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. |
| 48 | Seismic activity | /ˈsaɪz.mɪk ækˈtɪv.ə.ti/ | Hoạt động địa chấn | Japan experiences frequent seismic activity. |
| 49 | Human-induced | /ˈhjuː.mən ɪnˈdjuːst/ | Do con người gây ra | Some argue that climate change is largely human-induced. |
| 50 | Disaster preparedness | /dɪˈzɑː.stər prɪˈpeə.rɪd.nəs/ | Sự chuẩn bị cho thảm họa | Education is key to effective disaster preparedness. |
