News by Levels · Level 3 · For teachers

Teacher guide & answers

In this lesson: Evaluate whether water recovery proves that all drought has ended.

Reservoir Recovery Does Not Erase Flood Damage

How to use these two pages

Give learners the student worksheet. It contains the story and questions, without the answers. Keep this guide for yourself. Use it to lead the activity and explain the answers afterwards.

Student worksheet

A simple 15–20-minute lesson

Before reading · 2 minutes
Show the title. Ask: “What do you think this story is about?”
Read and answer · 8–10 minutes
Give out the student worksheet. Learners read for the main idea, then reread to answer the 2 questions. They can compare answers with a partner.
Discuss and write · 5–8 minutes
Check the answers below together. Ask learners to point to the clue in the story, then finish with the open question.

Adjust the support: Let learners use word help or Level 1 if needed. For a challenge, compare the wording in another level. This activity is not a proficiency test.

Answers to the 2 questions

The question numbers match the student worksheet. Each answer includes a reason and the clue learners can find in the story.

What interval do the images cover?
Correct answer: C — September 20 to November 7
Why: The first paragraph supplies the two image dates.
Clue in the story: NASA’s November 11 account compares Landsat 9 images of Navajo Reservoir from September 20 and November 7. Water levels rose nearly 18 metres over that interval.
Why does fuller storage not prove every drought problem ended?
Correct answer: B — Long-term drought persisted in places
Why: The final paragraph explicitly says long-term drought persisted.
Clue in the story: The storms eased short-term drought while causing destructive river floods. Long-term drought persisted in places, so fuller water storage was not evidence that every drought problem had ended.

The open question: accept different answers

Ask learners: Explain why the recovery needs qualification.

One possible answer: The reservoir rose rapidly, but the storms also caused destructive floods and long-term drought remained in some places. Fuller storage therefore does not prove that every drought problem ended.

This is an example, not the only correct answer. Look for a relevant idea, a reason and the learner’s own words. Learners can answer aloud or write one or two sentences.

Grammar to discuss

Simultaneous contrasting effects

while causing

While connects drought relief with flood damage happening during the same storms.