Danger vs. Hazard
2023-11-25
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the words "danger" and "hazard."
2Hello friends,
3I'm Roberto, and I live in São Paulo, Brazil.
4I have a question. What's the difference between "danger" and "hazard"? Thank you.
5Thanks for your question, Roberto.
6Both "danger" and "hazard" are nouns that can mean a dangerous or life-threatening situation.
7But each can refer to a more specific possibility of harm that separate meanings.
8Let's start with "danger."
9"Danger" has a few meanings.
10It can be used as a substitute for risk, for example.
11Ellie's job is in danger since she protested the pay changes at her workplace.
12The danger of wrecking a car is greater when it begins to rain because the water spreads the oil on the roads before it washes it away.
13A "danger" is something or someone that can hurt you.
14The escaped prisoner was a danger to the area surrounding the prison.
15Dangers usually involve immediacy.
16This is different from "hazard," in which the exposure might be extremely low, but there is a higher chance of great harm or death.
17Let's look more closely at "hazard" now.
18A "hazard" is a source of danger or harm to a person or environment.
19Deep frying turkeys on Thanksgiving is a fire hazard.
20Radiation exposure is a hazard to our health.
21"Hazard" is a known threat. Yet, there is an unpredictable element to a "hazard."
22Take for example a volcano. Volcanoes are a hazard to not only the people that live near them,
23but they are also a hazard to the environment.
24Volcanoes have a great possiblity of harm and the possibility of eruptions is difficult to predict.
25As a plural noun, "hazards" are special lights on cars that flash on and off to warn other drivers.
26They are used when a vehicle is either not working properly or if the road or weather conditions are hazardous.
27Drivers often turn on their hazards when there is thick fog to make it easier for other drivers to see them.
28Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Roberto.
29Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
30And that's Ask a Teacher.
31I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the words "danger" and "hazard." 2Question: 3Hello friends, 4I'm Roberto, and I live in São Paulo, Brazil. I have a question. What's the difference between "danger" and "hazard"? Thank you. 5Answer 6Thanks for your question, Roberto. Both "danger" and "hazard" are nouns that can mean a dangerous or life-threatening situation. But each can refer to a more specific possibility of harm that separate meanings. 7Let's start with "danger." 8Danger 9"Danger" has a few meanings. It can be used as a substitute for risk, for example. 10Ellie's job is in danger since she protested the pay changes at her workplace. 11The danger of wrecking a car is greater when it begins to rain because the water spreads the oil on the roads before it washes it away. 12A "danger" is something or someone that can hurt you. 13The escaped prisoner was a danger to the area surrounding the prison. 14Dangers usually involve immediacy. 15This is different from "hazard," in which the exposure might be extremely low, but there is a higher chance of great harm or death. 16Let's look more closely at "hazard" now. 17Hazard 18A "hazard" is a source of danger or harm to a person or environment. 19Deep frying turkeys on Thanksgiving is a fire hazard. 20Radiation exposure is a hazard to our health. 21"Hazard" is a known threat. Yet, there is an unpredictable element to a "hazard." 22Take for example a volcano. Volcanoes are a hazard to not only the people that live near them, but they are also a hazard to the environment. Volcanoes have a great possiblity of harm and the possibility of eruptions is difficult to predict. 23As a plural noun, "hazards" are special lights on cars that flash on and off to warn other drivers. They are used when a vehicle is either not working properly or if the road or weather conditions are hazardous. 24Drivers often turn on their hazards when there is thick fog to make it easier for other drivers to see them. 25Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Roberto. 26Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 27And that's Ask a Teacher. 28I'm Faith Pirlo. 29Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 30_______________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32exposure - n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something 33flash - n. a sudden burst of light