Task 1. Reading "Haiti in Ruins after Huge Earthquake" Television pictures are slowly beginning to show how great the damage is in Haiti following the huge
earthquake on Tuesday. A magnitude 7.8 quake, just 16km from the capital, hit the Caribbean nation as
people were going home after work. Much of the country has been devastated. Many major buildings in the
capital Port-au-Prince have collapsed, including the Presidential Palace and the UN hcadquarters. Haiti's
President Rene Preval described the scene in the capital as "unimaginable". The Red Cross says up to 3
million people have been affected. Mr. Preval fears "well over 100,000 people" may have dicd.
Haiti's ambassador to the USA, Raymond Joseph, said there was "no way of estimating" how many
casualties there were. Countries around the world arc acting quickly to send whatever help they can to Haiti
.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than half of its people live below the poverty line on
less than two dollars a day. It is one of the poorest-equipped countries on Earth to deal with such a
catastrophe. The nation was still trying to recover from being hit by four deadly hurricanes in 30 days in
2008. Its economy is in ruins and it has a long history of corruption and coups.
Complete the sentences
1. Haiti's President Rene Preval described..
2. It is one of the poorest-cquipped countries
3. Countries around the world are acting,
4. Its economy is in ruins
5. Raymond Joseph said thero..​