The Different between

Explanation & News Text

by Rascha Taufiqrachman Ardian
 News Text:
Flooding in Jakarta
The flooding, caused by days of heavy rain at Jakarta, has blocked roads and forced businesses in the capital
to close. The governor of Jakarta has declared a state of emergency. He also said he was committed to
making a "breakthrough" in efforts to tackle the flooding. Jakarta resident, Wildan, urged the government to
do more to stop floods in the future. "The dams are no longer sufficient to hold the water," he said. Yayat
Supriatna, an urban planning expert, told the BBC that Jakarta's drainage system "is still the same as it was in
the Dutch colonial era" and should be rebuilt. "The floods are caused by the failure to manage and sustain the
rivers as water reservoirs. I suggest the governor dredge the rivers because if the rivers are deeper the better
[the system] will function. The Jakarta Post said two of the people killed in the capital were children, aged 13
and two. State funds are available to help those affected by the flooding following the declaration of a state of
emergency, which will remain in effect until 27 January.
Generic structure of the news text above contains:
 Newsworthy events: Jakarta hit by deadly flooding.
 Background events: The flooding kill two people and destroy public
facilities.
 Sources: The Jakarta Post Survey and reporter report.
 Explanation Text:
Flooding
Flooding is a disaster which commonly happens in large and densely populated cities. In Indonesia, the floods hit
Jakarta very often and cause many victims. Then, do you know the process of how flood happens? Pay attention to
the following explanation.
The process of natural flooding is preceded by rain which falls to the surface of the earth. Then the rain water is
absorbed by the ground surface and flows to the lower place. Once that condition happens, evaporation and the
water appear to the surface of the land. Flooding can be disastrous for humans when floods happen in an area that
people live because the water carries along objects like houses, bridges, cars, furniture and even people.
On the other hand, the process of non natural flooding is usually caused by bad habits of humans who do not care
about the environment, such as littering that can make water flow clogged. This makes the water deposited in
landfills which gradually becomes more common. When water reservoirs can no longer hold water discharge, the
water then overflows out theland and cause flooding.
Generic structure of the explanation text above contains:
 General Statement: First pharagraph underlined statement.
 Explanation: Second pharagraph underlined statement.
 Closing: Third pharagraph underlined statement.