World News for Students of English

13-08-2020 07:00

In August 1945, the US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The US said that they wanted to end World War II more quickly and to save American lives.

However, officials estimate that 120,000 people died in Hiroshima and 74,000 people died in Nagasaki. Many people died within days after the bombings. They had health problems connected with the radiation.

People who survived are now usually in their 80s and 90s. They still remember the bombings, and the events are a traumatic experience for them. However, many people have cancer, which is the main and the most dangerous effect of radiation.

US and Japanese scientists study radiation together. Scientists check safe radiation limits for hospitals and for space missions.

Difficult words: estimate (to guess carefully and thoughtfully), radiation (a type of energy that is very strong and dangerous to living things), survive (to stay alive after something bad happens), traumatic (when something makes someone extremely upset and stressed).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.