Flood photos | Bangkok Post: learning

Easy English news

News photos bring a news event alive and, as you will see, their captions are a great source of easily understood and remembered vocabulary.

Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard

Over the past week, three of the Bangkok Post's photographers have been hard at work bringing us dramatic photos of the flood situation in the South. Today's we are going to use their photos to learn and remember flood-related vocabulary.

We will do this by looking carefully at the photos and reading the captions (explanations) beneath them.

Let's start with the vocabulary. Read through the list and make sure you understand each word. Then look at the photos and read the captions as you listen to the mp3 audio file. Finally, go back through the list again and trying to picture each word in your mind.

dramatic – exciting and impressive ตื่นเต้นเร้าใจ
situation – all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place  สถานการณ์
aerial – (of a photograph) from a plane ภาพถ่ายทางอากาศ
landslide – a mass of rock and earth moving suddenly and quickly down a steep slope แผ่นดินถล่ม
trail – long line or series of marks that is left by somebody/something ร่องรอย
mudslide – a large amount of mud sliding down a mountain, often destroying buildings and injuring or killing people below ทะเลโคลนที่มาจากภูเขาทำลายบ้านเรือนและผู้คน
massive - very large in size, amount or numberใหญ่โต
log – a thick piece of tree trunk or branch โค่นต้นไม้
debris – the broken pieces that are left when something large has been destroyed ซากปรักหักพัง
reservoir – a natural or artificial lake where water is stored อ่างเก็บน้ำ
irrigation – the process of bringing water to land through a system of pipes, ditches, etc. in order to make crops grow ระบบชลประทาน
perilous – very dangerous เต็มไปด้วยอันตราย, ซึ่งไม่น่าปลอดภัย
severely – very seriously อย่างรุนแรง
damaged – harmed physically making something less attractive, useful or valuable เสียหาย, ชำรุด
cavity – a hole or empty space inside something solid  หลุม, ช่อง
evacuate – to cause to leave a place because it is not safe เคลื่อนย้ายออกจาก
disaster – something very bad that happens and causes a lot of damage or kills a lot of people  ความหายนะ  ภัยพิบัติ
shelter – a place where people are protected from danger or bad weather; a temporary place to stay ที่หลบภัย  ที่พักชั่วคราว
elderly – (of people) old สูงวัย, อาวุโส, อายุมาก
stretcher – a type of bed used for carrying someone who is injured, ill, or dead เปลพยาบาล
airlift – to carry out an operation to take people, soldiers, food, etc. to or from an area by aircraft, especially in an emergency or when roads are closed or dangerous ขนส่ง (คนหรือสินค้า)ทางเครื่องบิน
volunteer – someone who is not paid for the work that they do อาสาสมัคร
distribution – the process of giving something out การแจกจ่าย
-stricken – affected by serious problems ได้รับผลกระทบจากปัญหาหนักหน่วง
transport – to move people or things from one place to another   ขนส่ง
band together – to gather; to come together in a group รวมกลุ่ม, รวมตัวกันimprovised – invented or made at the time when it is needed without already having planned it กระทำหรือประพันธ์อย่างไม่ได้มีการตระเตรียมมาก่อน หรืออย่างทันทีทันควัน
sweep away – to destroy or to completely remove something พัดพาไป (ตามลมหรือน้ำ)
link – to connect เชื่อม
relief – help; assistance การช่วยให้พ้นภัย
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
gather – to find and collect things that you need or want รวบรวม
belongings – the things you own ข้าวของเครื่องใช้
means – methods; ways วิธี, วิธีการ
submerge – to cause to be under water  ทำให้จมน้ำ ทำให้อยู่ใต้น้ำ
ravaged – destroyed damaged very badly  ถูกทำลาย, เสียหาย, ถูกล้างผลาญ
survivor – someone or something that still exists after and event that could have killed or destroyed them ผู้รอดชีวิต
mangled – badly damaged through being crushed or twisted  ซึ่งเสียโฉม, ซึ่งแหลกเหลว
wreckage – the parts of a vehicle or building that remain after it has been severely damaged ซากตึกบ้านเรือนที่ถูกทำลาย
distraught – extremely upset, worried or confused  จิตว้าวุ่น, ว้าวุ่นใจ, สับสน
search – to look somewhere carefully in order to find something ค้นหา
handkerchief – a small piece of material or paper that you use for blowing your nose, etc. ผ้าเช็ดหน้า
uproot – to pull a whole tree or plant from the ground, including all the roots that grow in the soil ถอนต้นไม้, ถอนราก

Click button to listen to Flood photos and rightclick to download

The flooded South in photos

An aerial view taken from a helicopter shows landslide trails down mountainsides in Sichon district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. NUCHAREEE RAKREUN

Mudslides have washed massive logs and debris down the side of the mountains and into lakes, reservoirs and rivers. The walls of a reservoir at the Tha Thon irrigation office in Ban Phua in Sichon district shows how perilous the situation has become. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

The Nakhon Si Thammarat-Sichon-Surat Thani road is severely damaged, leaving a one-metre deep cavity on one side in Sichon district. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Soldiers evacuate villagers by helicopter from disaster-hit tambon Krung Ching to a shelter in Nop Phi Tham district of Nakhon Si Thammarat. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Soldiers take an elderly person by stretcher to a helicopter, which airlifts the sick and the elderly from tambon Krung Ching. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Volunteers help with the distribution of dried food brought to landslide-stricken areas of Ban Krung Ching aboard an army transport helicopter.TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Villagers band together to put up an improvised bridge after the concrete bridge which was in its place was swept away in floods and a mudslide.The bridge crosses Khlong Long, linking villages in tambon Krung Ching with the downtown area in Nop Phi Tham district. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hands out relief supplies to flood-affected residents in Phunphin district of Surat Thani. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

People gather their belongings and use whatever means possible to move them to higher ground in Phunphin district. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

A Buddha image is half-submerged in a flood-ravaged temple in Phunphin district.

Flood survivor, Jinda Thaitae, 39, looks at the mangled wreckage of his house in Khao Phanom district of Krabi. The distraught father is searching for his missing daughter. He found only her handkerchief among the debris. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Villagers look through uprooted trees for any signs of survivors. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

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