KEY - Midterm ESP 1 Reading Exam
KEY - Midterm ESP 1 Reading Exam
I. Find the words in the article which have the following meaning. (2.5 points)
1. very heavy rain = torrential rain(s) (Paragraph 1) (0.75 point)
3. actions that eliminate or reduce risks from future disaster events = mitigation measures
(Paragraph 3) (0.75 point)
II. Explain the meaning of the underlined expressions, as used in the article. (03 points)
Warlord Khalifa Haftar
- Word Forms: The word form used in the explanation should be the same as it is used in the
original words/ phrases.
- Paraphrasing: Using your own words
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Correct usage of grammar
1. Heavy rainfall from Storm Daniel has caused two dams to burst/ has broken two dams in
Derna, thus inundating the city as well as other towns and settlements, causing landslides
and burrying its residents.
2. The whole neighbourhoods have been swept into the sea.
3+4. More than 6,000 have died, 10,000 have gone missing and tens of thousands have
been displaced/ lost their houses/ shelters.
2. According to the article, why must Libya’s authorities be blamed for this terrible disaster?
(2 points)
The horror and despair of Libyans is matched by their fury at the rival governments that have
split the country and pursued power and profit while ignoring the people’s needs. (paragraph 2)
Libya’s authorities must be blamed for this terrible disaster because they have divided the
country and pursued their own power and profit while ignoring Libyans’ needs. (0.5 point)
Libya shows the disastrous consequences when governments not only fail to protect their
citizens but also put them into greater danger. Muammar Gaddafi’s corrupt regime has been
followed by more than a decade of revolution, civil war and political deadlock. Essential
infrastructure has not only been neglected – one of Derna’s dams had reportedly not been
maintained since 2002 – but also plundered by the powerful and their cronies. (paragraph 4)
As for the internationally - recognised government in Tripoli, they have not only failed to
protect their citizens but also put them into greater danger. Due to corruption as well as
years of civil war, they have neglected/ have not properly maintained the country’s
infrastructure, including the dams, thus making the city so vulnerable. (0.5 point)
Even when disaster loomed, the authorities in eastern Libya, controlled by the warlord Khalifa
Haftar, failed in their most basic duties. As Anas el Gomati of the country’s Sadeq Institute
has pointed out, this is not like the earthquake that struck without warning in Morocco last
week, killing at least 2,900 people. Officials saw Storm Daniel’s impact in Greece and had days
to plan an evacuation. Some people were apparently told to leave, but others were reportedly
ordered to stay at home even as water swelled behind the dams.
The administration in eastern Libya, controlled by the warlord Khalifa Haftar, also failed
in their most basic duties. Although they witnessed impacts caused by Storm Daniel in
Greece days before it actually hit Libya, they implemented almost no pre-storm measures
and pre-evacuation plans to help their residents. (0.5 point)
As implied in the article, the international community has seemed slow to respond to
this disaster. (0,5p) From previous interventions (immigration bans) and harmful actions
towards Libya (overlooking serious abuse on the Libyan coast, supporting the civil war), the
Libyan people expect a faster and stronger response from major countries like France and
the EU. (0,5p)