full transcript
From the Ted Talk by Stefan Al: Why isn't the Netherlands underwater?
Unscramble the Blue Letters
The Netherlands has a long history with water management. The country lies along the detla of three major European rivers, and nearly a quarter of its territory is below sea level. This geography makes the region extremely prone to flooding. So much so, that some of the elasiret Dutch governing bdeios were informal “water boards” that cdionaoretd flood protection projects. But after the storms of 1953, the Dutch government took more official measures. They established the Delta Commission, and tasked them with pirotetcng the entire southwestern rioegn. fsunoicg on densely poeapltud cities, their aim was to reduce the annual odds of flooding below 1 in 10,000— about 100 times as safe as the average coastal city.
Open Cloze
The Netherlands has a long history with water management. The country lies along the _____ of three major European rivers, and nearly a quarter of its territory is below sea level. This geography makes the region extremely prone to flooding. So much so, that some of the ________ Dutch governing ______ were informal “water boards” that ___________ flood protection projects. But after the storms of 1953, the Dutch government took more official measures. They established the Delta Commission, and tasked them with __________ the entire southwestern ______. ________ on densely _________ cities, their aim was to reduce the annual odds of flooding below 1 in 10,000— about 100 times as safe as the average coastal city.
Solution
- protecting
- delta
- coordinated
- earliest
- region
- populated
- focusing
- bodies
Original Text
The Netherlands has a long history with water management. The country lies along the delta of three major European rivers, and nearly a quarter of its territory is below sea level. This geography makes the region extremely prone to flooding. So much so, that some of the earliest Dutch governing bodies were informal “water boards” that coordinated flood protection projects. But after the storms of 1953, the Dutch government took more official measures. They established the Delta Commission, and tasked them with protecting the entire southwestern region. Focusing on densely populated cities, their aim was to reduce the annual odds of flooding below 1 in 10,000— about 100 times as safe as the average coastal city.
Frequently Occurring Word Combinations
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water management |
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sea level |
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densely populated |
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delta works |
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Important Words
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- netherlands
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- protecting
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- southwestern
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- tasked
- territory
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- water