๐ Topic Summary
Floods happen when there's too much water in one place! Imagine a bathtub overflowing โ that's like a flood. Several things can cause this, like heavy rainfall that the ground can't absorb quickly enough, rivers swelling with melted snow, or even a dam breaking. Sometimes, human activities, like cutting down too many trees, can also increase the risk of floods. Understanding these causes helps us prepare for and prevent them.
๐ง Part A: Vocabulary
Match the following terms with their definitions:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Precipitation |
A. A barrier built to hold back water. |
| 2. Dam |
B. The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves. |
| 3. Deforestation |
C. Water that falls from the sky as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. |
| 4. Saturation |
D. When the ground is holding as much water as it can. |
| 5. Floodplain |
E. Flat land near a river or stream that is subject to flooding. |
โ๏ธ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the words provided: rainfall, rivers, deforestation, saturation, dams.
- Heavy ________ can overwhelm drainage systems and cause flooding.
- Melting snow can cause ________ to swell and overflow their banks.
- ________ increases the risk of flooding because trees help absorb water.
- When soil reaches ________, it can no longer absorb additional water.
- ________ are built to control the flow of water, but if they fail, they can cause catastrophic floods.
๐ค Part C: Critical Thinking
Imagine your town is prone to flooding. What are three things your community could do to reduce the risk of floods in the future? Explain your reasoning.