A fisherman was knocked out after being slapped in the face by a whale’s tail.

He was seriously injured after spotting the mammal off the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The huge creature hit his boat near the border of New South Wales, and the tail whip left the 40-year-old unconscious. His friend, who was also aboard, and some nearby jetski riders called the emergency services.

Rescue teams brought the men back to shore and took the injured fisherman to the Gold Coast University Hospital. Doctors there gave medical treatment to his face and spine.

A spokesman for Queensland Police said: “We urge all boaties to always wear life jackets. Fortunately, this man remained in his boat.” Officers have urged people to remain alert since the incident especially those going fishing or boating during whale season.

During the season Humpback and Southern right whales regularly pass via Sydney as they migrate along Australia’s East Coast, heading north for the colder months of June and July. They return south between September and November.

source: Mirror

Match the words with their synonyms.

keys/megoldások:

1.c, 2.d, 3.a, 4.e, 5.b

Listen to the article and decide if the statements are TRUE or FALSE.

1)     So far about 14 people have died in the floods in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. T/F
2)     The Danube in Passau reached its highest level in 70 years. T/F
3)     In Prague this is the worst flood in the past ten years. T/F
4)     There have even been fires in the Czech Republic caused by the flood damage. T/F
5)     The Czech Republic is fighting the flood with sandbag barriers and metal walls. T/F
6)     Angela Merkel has sent out the army to help control the situation. T/F
7)     Three German cities have issued disaster warnings. T/F
8)     2002 water level records have been broken in Passau. T/F
9)     Railway stations, subway networks and ship traffic have been closed in the affected European countries. T/F
10)  Meteorologists are expecting less rainfall in the following days. T/F

Answers: 1) F, 2) F, 3) T, 4) F, 5) T, 6) F, 7) F, 8) T, 9) F, 10) T

Officials across central Europe issued disaster warnings and scrambled to reinforce flood defences today as rivers swelled by days of heavy rain threatened to burst their banks. At least five people have died and nine are missing due to floods in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in recent days. The Danube in the southeast German city of Passau is expected to rise to its highest level in 70 years today and a spokesman for the city’s crisis centre said the situation has become ‘extremely dramatic’. In Prague, almost 2,700 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas as the country sees its worst flooding in a decade. Czech police said at least five people had died in the flooding. Firefighters evacuated homes in western regions and in villages outside the capital today and yesterday, rescuing 200 people. Czech officials said the waters of the Vltava river could reach critical levels in Prague and that special metal walls were being erected to prevent flooding. Interim Mayor Tomas Hudecek said they were shutting down eight stations of the capital’s subway network and urging people not to travel to the city. Flooding was also reported in Austria and water levels rose in Germany and Poland after heavy rain in central Europe over the past week swelled rivers. The subway network in central Prague was halted due to the weather. It is the first time it has been closed since massive floods submerged the city in 2002 and caused billions of dollars of damage in the Czech Republic. Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas declared a state of emergency for most of the nation on Sunday and pledged 300 million crowns ($15.11million) for relief efforts. Troops started putting anti-flood barriers in place in Prague and volunteers helped pile up sandbags in areas popular with tourists in the ancient centre. The landmark Charles Bridge was closed and workers evacuated parts of Prague zoo. Levels on the Vltava river that cuts through Prague’s centre continued to rise. In Germany, where at least four people have died or are missing, Chancellor Angela Merkel promised federal support for affected areas and said the army would be deployed if necessary. The water level had risen by at least five meters in Munich. Several cities including Chemnitz in the east of Germany, and Passau and Rosenheim in the south, issued disaster warnings. Passau, which is located at the confluence of three rivers, could see waters rise above record levels of 2002, said Mayor Juergen Dupper. German news agency dpa reported that large stretches of the Rhine, Main and Neckar rivers have been closed to ship traffic. Evacuations are also taking place in neighbouring Austria and Switzerland. Rivers also were spilling over their banks in some rural areas of south-western Poland, and people have been evacuated.  Meteorologists are predicting the rainfall will ease in the coming days.
source: dailymail.co.uk

to issue – kiadni, kibocsátani
disaster warning – katasztrófa figyelmeztetés
to scramble – küzdeni, tolongani
to reinforce – megerősíteni
flood defence – árvíz védelem
to swell – duzzadni
to threaten – veszélyeztetni, fenyegetni
to burst – szétszakítani, kitörni
to expect – számítani valamire
to rise – emelkedni
low-lying – alacsonyan fekvő
to erect – (fel)emelni
to prevent – (meg)akadályozni
to shut down – lezárni
to urge – sürgetni, ösztönözni
to halt – megállítani
to submerge – elmeríteni, elárasztani
damage – kár
to declare – kijelenteni
state of emergency – rendkívüli állapot
to pledge – fogadalmat tenni, ígérni
relief effort – segély
troop – csapat
barrier – gát, korlát, akadály
volunteer – önkéntes
to pile up – felhalmozni
affected –  érintett
to deploy – bevetni
confluence – egybetorkollás
stretch – szakasz
to spill over – átömleni, kiönteni
to predict – előrelátni, jósolni
to ease – enyhülni, csökkeni

She wrote: "My doctors estimated that I had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65% risk of getting it, on average. Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex."

The star’s surgery was successful and doctors say Angelina’s chances of developing breast cancer have now lowered to less than 5%.

“I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.”

The Hollywood star has not let the life-changing operation interfere with public engagements – she visited the Republic of Congo on March 26 on humanitarian duties and attended the G8 summit in London on April 11 with William Hague, after her initial operations but before the all the procedures had finished.

Angelina praised the support her fiancé Brad Pitt and their children, Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, gave her during treatment.

"It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. He was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has."

Angelina assured that having the double mastectomy hasn’t changed the way she feels about herself and her womanliness, and added that results of reconstructive surgery ‘can be beautiful’.

"On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman," she said. "I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."

In addition, the brave star hopes that she can encourage other women to be informed and consider their options.

source: dailymail.co.uk

to reveal – felfedni, feltárni
to be forced – rákénnyszerülni
agonizing – gyötrelmes, fájó
preventative – megelőző
mastectomy – melleltávolító műtét
to contract – (betegséget) elkapni
to undergo – átesni valamin
carrier – hordozó
ovarian – petefészek
to estimate – felbecsülni, felmérni, kiszámítani
defect – hiány, rendellenesség
on average – átlagban
surgery – műtét
to interfere – gátolni, megakadályozni, beavatkozni
engagement – kötelezettség, elfoglaltság, program
duty – kötelesség, szolgálat
to attend – részt venni, járni, jelen lenni
summit – csúcstalálkozó
initial – kezdeti, első
to praise – dícsérni
treatment – kezelés
reassuring – megnyugtató
scar – sebhely, heg
fortunate – szerencsés
supportive – támogató
to assure  – biztosítani, megnyugtatni
womanliness – nőiesség
empowered – feljogosult, képes, felhatalmazott
to diminish – kisebbíteni, csökkenteni
to encourage – bátorítani, buzdítani

ANGELINA JOLIE EREDETI ÍRÁSÁT ITT OLVASATOD:
NEW YORK TIMES/ANGELINA JOLIE