Floods in the Democratic Republic of Congo have caused a lot of trouble in the capital city of Kinshasa. The River Congo, which goes through the country, has reached its highest level in 60 years. This means that water has been pouring into people's homes and covering the roads. Other areas outside of the capital have also been affected by the flooding. Sadly, over 300 people have lost their lives in the floods over the past few months. People in Kinshasa have reported that schools, hospitals, and churches have been destroyed, and many have lost their homes and belongings.
The situation in Kinshasa is really bad. People say that their houses are filled with water and important places have been destroyed. The city has a lot of small rivers and streams that are usually used as open sewers, and now many of them are overflowing. People are using canoes to get around the flooded streets, and trucks are driving carefully through the water. The River Congo has risen to a level just below the worst flooding in 1961, which has caused more damage in other cities like Kisangani.
The flooding has not only affected the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also the neighboring country of Congo-Brazzaville. More than 336,000 people and 34 health facilities have been impacted by the floods in Congo-Brazzaville. People think that climate change is one of the reasons why there has been so much heavy rain, which has caused the flooding. This is not the first time that Kinshasa has had such terrible floods. Something similar happened just over a year ago and more than 120 people died.
The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo shows how much damage climate change can do to communities that are already vulnerable. It reminds us that we need to take action to address climate change and reduce its effects.
Original news source: DR Congo floods: Chaos in Kinshasa as river rises to near-record level (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct the students to read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. After they have finished, have each group share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: "Do you think enough is being done to address climate change? Why or why not?" Instruct the students to individually write down their opinions and reasons. Then, divide the class into small groups and have them discuss their opinions and reasons. After the discussion, have each group share their thoughts with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. floods, capital city, pouring, destroyed, vulnerable, etc.). Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a set of drawing materials. Instruct the students to take turns selecting a word and drawing a picture to represent it. The other students in the group must guess the word based on the drawing. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Instruct the students to take turns summarizing the article to their partner within the given time limit. After 2 minutes, have the pairs switch roles and summarize the article again. After both students have had a chance to summarize, bring the class together and have a few volunteers share their summaries with the class.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a sheet of paper and instruct them to write down three predictions about the future impact of climate change on vulnerable communities. They can base their predictions on the information in the article or their own knowledge and opinions. After they have finished, have each group share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood of each prediction coming true.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The floods have been causing trouble in Kinshasa.
The River Congo has reached its highest level in 60 years.
The floods have also affected other areas outside of the capital.
Over 300 people have lost their lives in the floods over the past few months.
People in Kinshasa have reported that schools, hospitals, and churches have been destroyed, and many have lost their homes and belongings.
People are using canoes and trucks to navigate the flooded streets because the water has filled their houses and important places have been destroyed.
Congo-Brazzaville, the neighboring country, has also been affected by the flooding.
People think climate change is one of the reasons for the heavy rain and flooding because it has caused a lot of rain, leading to the flooding.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Floods in the Democratic Republic of have caused a lot of trouble in the city of . The River Congo, which goes through the , has reached its highest level in 60 years. This means that water has been pouring into people's homes and covering the roads. Other areas outside of the capital have also been affected by the flooding. Sadly, over 300 people have lost their lives in the floods over the past few months. People in Kinshasa have reported that schools, hospitals, and churches have been , and many have lost their homes and belongings. The situation in Kinshasa is really bad. People say that their houses are filled with water and places have been destroyed. The city has a lot of small rivers and streams that are usually used as open , and now many of them are overflowing. People are using canoes to get around the streets, and trucks are driving carefully through the water. The Congo has risen to a just below the worst flooding in 1961, which has caused more damage in other like Kisangani. The flooding has not only affected the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also the neighboring country of Congo-Brazzaville. More than 336,000 people and 34 health have been impacted by the floods in Congo-Brazzaville. People think that climate change is one of the reasons why there has been so much heavy rain, which has caused the flooding. This is not the time that Kinshasa has had such terrible . Something similar happened just over a year ago and more than 120 people died. The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo how much damage change can do to communities that are already vulnerable. It reminds us that we need to take action to address climate change and reduce its effects.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. How would you feel if your house was filled with water and important places in your city were destroyed?
2. Do you think climate change is causing more heavy rain and flooding? Why or why not?
3. What do you think can be done to address climate change and reduce its effects?
4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster in your country? If so, how did it affect you and your community?
5. What are some ways that people can help those affected by flooding and other natural disasters?
6. How do you think the flooding in the Democratic Republic of Congo has impacted the lives of the people there?
7. Do you think the government should provide assistance to those affected by the floods? Why or why not?
8. What are some ways that communities can prepare for and respond to natural disasters like flooding?
9. How do you think the flooding has affected the economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo?
10. What are some ways that individuals can contribute to reducing the effects of climate change in their daily lives?
11. How do you think the flooding has affected the mental health of the people in the affected areas?
12. What are some long-term solutions that could help prevent or minimize the impact of future floods in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
13. How would you feel if you had to use a canoe to get around your city because of flooding?
14. Do you think the international community should provide aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville? Why or why not?
15. What is the role of education in raising awareness about climate change and its effects?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!












