The Perito Moreno glacier in Southern Argentina.
Huge sections of a massive ice wall have crashed into Lake Argentina in the Patagonia region of the country.
Periodically the glacier forms a dam separating the lake into two. Eventually pressure builds up and enormous chunks of ice fall into the lake.
Tourists visiting the national park enjoyed watching this spectacular ice rupture which occurs every four to five years.
glacier
mass of ice formed by accumulated snow
crashed into
violently fell into
periodically
from time to time
dam
a barrier that controls water flow
rupture
when something breaks
Excercise
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from BBC news reports.
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.
glacier / crashed into / periodically / dam / rupture
1. Viral infections have __________ wiped out the crop in some regions leading to famine.
2. Experts now say melting glaciers put pressure on an ice wall that acted as a __________, causing it to give way.
3. Scott described the last moments of Evans's life, writing: "His downward path was accelerated first by the shock of his frostbitten fingers, and later by falls during rough travelling on the __________."
4. If it slips into deeper water, fuel tanks could __________ threatening one of the most unspoilt parts of the Mediterranean.
5. The crew were returning from a mission over Norway, but their Beaufort Bomber had been hit by enemy fire and __________ the sea more than 100 miles from home.
