Use of English PRO

One of the greatest (0) NATURAL disasters of recent years was the tsunami that (1) ............ on 26 December 2004 in southeastern Asia. It was so (2) ............ that more than 220,000 people were killed. The tsunami (or tidal wave) was caused by a powerful earthquake that was felt as far away as Alaska. The result was a 30-metre high wave which (3) ............ all the countries bordering the Indian Ocean. There was almost no warning of the tsunami. As a result, very (4) ............ people were prepared for it. Many houses were destroyed because they weren't (5) ............ enough to resist the huge wave. People who were too young or weak to hold on to solid objects were (6) ............ out to sea. Many of the beaches hit by the tsunami were (7) ............ tourist resorts. It is not surprising that more than 9,000 of the casualties were European visitors. Most of the countries around the Indian Ocean didn't have enough resources to cope with the disaster so it was necessary for international agencies to help in the (8) ............ operation. Fortunately, there was much publicity during the event, so that more than $7 billion were raised worldwide - enough for many people to rebuild their homes and start a new life.