World News for Students of English

27-05-2022 15:00

Mount Etna is Europe’s tallest and one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

The volcano is on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, near the city of Catania. Mount Etna has almost constant activity, which alternates periods of rest and periods of eruption. The volcano has one of the world’s longest documented history of activity over 3,500 years.

Over a six-month period in 2021, Etna erupted so much volcanic material that its height increased 30 meters. In March 2021, it erupted 11 times in three weeks. The eruptions consistently sent ash clouds over 10 kilometers into the air, and the clouds closed Sicilian airports.

Last week, Mount Etna erupted again with plumes of ash in the sky, and it disrupted flights. People watched a stunning display of lava flowing down the mountain and heading for the ‘Lion Valley’.

Difficult words: alternate (to happen repeatedly), consistently (in a way that doesn’t change), plume (a large quantity of something that rises into the air).

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