Read the article again and choose the best answers, A, B or C

Read the article about flooding. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–G the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence.

Flooding: the new danger

Areas in certain parts of the world have recently been hit by disastrous floods and others by a sequence of earthquakes. (1) …………… Away from earthquake zones, one worrying problem these days is flooding and it is predicted that as a result of the changes in climate, this type of disaster will occur with greater frequency in the future, affecting millions of people.

There are many victims of flooding. (2) …………… Every time it rains for longer than a day or two, they ask, ‘Will it be us this time? Will it be our house that is flooded?’ After the fear, comes the reality; tons of water spilling over the river banks, into roads, houses and over fields. People become trapped in their own homes when the road becomes a river and need to be rescued by ill-prepared rescue services. And people die in floods. (3) ……………………… Then we have the emotional and financial cost of flooding. Lifelong possessions are lost, security disappears and there is the worry over restoration. How will we pay for it? Some insurance companies refuse to cover properties in certain areas because of the high risk of flooding. (4) ……………

Rescue services regularly carry out flood simulation emergency practice where they get vital, realistic practice of what to do if the real thing should happen. (5) …………… However, this is like a doctor treating the symptoms and not the cause of a problem. We need to prevent the flooding in the first place. It is accepted that we cannot reverse climate change, but we can certainly spend money on strengthening sea and river walls. (6) …………… The problem is that, as always, these things cost a lot of money. However, surely it is worth investing this money now, if it will prevent even greater monetary loss later. It is something that the government needs to take seriously because it’s a problem that is not going to go away.

Indeed, if anything, the situation is likely to get worse. Many experts believe that those responsible will need to look at a range of measures, not just flood defences, but also land management schemes and even how we design our homes so that floods do less damage to property when they do occur and houses can be lived in again soon after the waters recede. It seems that our approach to flooding needs a complete rethink.

A They drown, trapped in cars or swept away by fast-moving rivers.

B There are also many ways in which people can improve defences to their own homes.

C Unscrupulous builders develop low-lying land that is in great danger of flooding.

D Firstly, there are those (one in five people in Britain) who live in constant fear of heavy rainfall.

E This is welcome and will no doubt mean that they will be able to evacuate and save more people in the event of a massive flood.

F Most of us know someone who has been caught up in the devastation caused by these events.

G Therefore, some people may not have sufficient insurance to carry out the repairs to their flood damaged houses; others may have none.

Read the article again and choose the best answers, A, B or C.

1 Incidences of flooding are

A likely to increase.

B responsible for climate change.

C unpredictable.