Learning English

Tornadoes devastate US states

Huge tornadoes hit the Midwest of the US on Friday and caused destruction and loss of life. At the time of recording, more than 90 deaths had been confirmed.

Most of the confirmed dead are in Kentucky. That number is expected to rise.

Rob and Roy discuss this news story and teach you some related vocabulary so you can talk about it too.

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The story 

More than 90 people are now known to have been killed by devastating tornadoes that swept through the Midwest of the United States on Friday.

At least 80 of them were in Kentucky, about 14 across five other states.

Key words and phrases

wiped out
destroyed; removed from existence

• The dodo, an extinct bird, is thought to have been wiped out by hunters.
• I went home because I felt wiped out after a hard day.

hell on earth
place or situation that is terrible beyond words

• The city became hell on earth when the fighting broke out
• The situation between my business partner and I was hell on earth, so I decided to sell my part of the company to her.

trail of destruction
evidence of damage or chaos caused by something or someone

• The fire left behind it a trail of destruction as it swept through the town.
• My dog got bored and decided to chew the sofa. She left a trail of destruction behind her.

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