Chernobyl "poses more risk than Fukushima" - PAU C.Valenciana 2011

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The recent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan has been described as "the next Chernobyl" but Chernobyl itself poses an even greater threat, according to campaigners. Twenty-five years on from the accident, the sarcophagus hastily put in place to prevent further poisons seeping into the atmosphere is now crumbling. And this poses a great danger to the people of the region, according to Adi Roche, Chief Executive of Chernobyl Children International (CCI).

A quarter of the region is now unoccupiable and already 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes, but the nightmare may not be over for the people of Belarus.

In the aftermath of the explosion in 1986, emergency teams covered the stricken reactor with a massive steel and concrete structure to seal in the lethal mix of radioactive fuel and materials like concrete and sand that fused together in the 1986 blast. That has come to the end of its lifespan and must be replaced but, to date, nothing has been done.

"It is a crumbling sarcophagus", and "The next Chernobyl could be Chernobyl", said Ms Roche of the structure of nearly 700,000 tons of steel and 400,000 tons of concrete. She estimates that just three per cent of the radiation escaped in the original explosion -leaving 97% of the material "still rumbling away". She was "heartbroken" when the catastrophe struck at the Fukushima plant in Japan. She also pointed out immediately after the Japanese disaster, experts had said: "This is not Chernobyl". But now, weeks later: "It is Chernobyl".

Irish Independent, 22nd April, 2011, p. 13

RESPUESTAS

READING COMPREHENSION

I.  Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account the information in the text.

• a. What is the main problem in Chernobyl nowadays? PAR. 1
• b. What happened just after the explosion in 1986? PAR. 3

II.  Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Identify the part of the text that supports your answer by copying the exact passage on the answer sheet.
a. The sarcophagus is now in perfect condition.

• FALSE: Twenty-five years on from the accident, the sarcophagus hastily put in place to prevent further poisons seeping into the atmosphere is now crumbling.

b. In 1986 workers used steel and concrete to build a brand-new reactor.

• FALSE: In the aftermath of the explosion in 1986, emergency teams covered the stricken reactor with a massive steel and concrete structure.

c. Ms Roche agrees with experts who said that Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters were similar.

• TRUE: She also pointed out immediately after the Japanese disaster, experts had said: !This is not Chernobyl". But now, weeks later:"It is Chernobyl".

III.  Find a synonym for each of the four words below from these six options:
        crumbling    aftermath        lethal       lifespan     rumbling     heartbroken

• a. consequence: aftermath
• b. very sad: heartbroken
• c. disintegrating: crumbling
• d. working time: lifespan

IV.  Choose a, b, or c, in each question below. Only one choice is correct.
1. Twenty-five per cent of the Chernobyl region is...

• a. ready for people to live safely.
• b. dangerous for people to live safely. 
• c. ready for up to 200,000 people to live safely.

2. In the 1986 blast, ...

• a. sand and concrete just disappeared.
• b. sand and concrete rumbled away.
• c. sand and concrete melted and intermixed. 

3. In Chernobyl, ...

• a. more than 90% of the radioactive material is still active and dangerous. 
• b. less than 90% of the radioactive material is still active and dangerous.
• c. only 3% of the radioactive material is still active and dangerous.

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