Monday Newspaper Final (Report #3)

Medical workers wash themselves Thursday after disinfecting a refugee camp in Leigu, near the town of Beichuan, in China's Sichuan province.

Did dams play a role in China's deadly quake?

Author: Barbara Demick

Date: 05/30/2008. (Seattle Times-Nation and World)

Link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004447106_chinadams30.html

SUMMARY:

The earthquake May 12 as a huge disaster made people think about more cautious approach. China has many dams; at the present, so many near the epicenter in Sichuan province has been a huge problem. After two weeks of downplaying the complication, the Water Resources Ministry has admitted 69 reservoirs and dams were on the verge of collapse, while nearly 3,000 were damaged. The threat of flash floods has forced tens of thousands of traumatized quake survivors to relocate.

China's $30 billion Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric-power project that is nearly complete. In 2003, Sichuan province's environmentalists stopped a project in Dujiangyan because it would destroy a 2,000-year-old irrigation system that is a World Heritage Site. Especially, the Zipingpu Dam, they could not block and the area's Taipingyi and Tongzhong dams also were seriously damaged. Thus, did dams crack during the quake and it is a serious threat with people.

MY OPINION:

At the present, China has a big problem with dams. I think this problem is not only in China, but also in the world, humans destroyed nature and all disaster as the revenge from nature to people. People need to have method to protect nature, also prevent floods, quake, etc…Man must conquer nature but it does not mean that man destroys nature. For best thing, man should learn experiences from all things what happened as a lesson; man and nature need to be moderate, not too drastic…our life and nature are friend!!! Do not destroy to each other…

VOCABULARY:

1/ declare (v): to state officially and publicly that something is happening or that something is true

2/ reservoir (n): a special lake where water is stored to be used by people in a city

3/ agenda (n): a list of the subjects to be discussed at a meeting

4/ unscathed (adj): not hurt by a bad or dangerous situation

5/ seismologist (n): the scientific study of earthquakes

6/ magnitude (n): how large or important something is