Danger Zones  4

THINK AND DISCUSS

Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. cyclones, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sinkholes, forest fires, etc.

2. Although some places are at risk of being affected by extreme natural events, they often have positive sides, too. A coastal area, for example, may face risk of storms or tsunamis, but is also beautiful and a good place for water sports.

EXPLORE THE THEME

A 1. Earthquakes: the west coasts of North and South America, as well as in Japan, New Zealand, and parts of China. Volcanoes: Central and South America, Indonesia, and Japan.

Cyclones: Asia, Madagascar, and the east coast of North America.

2. They are in highly populated areas.

B hazard; throughout; disaster

Reading 1

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. alert

2. forecast

3. destruction

4. get out

5. affordable

6. effectively

7. deadly

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, heat waves, avalanches, blizzards, etc.

2. The most common natural hazards we experience in my country are earthquakes. People are alerted by an alarm on their cell phones that goes off one minute before a large earthquake is expected.

C Answers will vary. Possible answers:

Scientists look at seismic data to predict earthquakes. For weather-related disasters, they watch meteorological reports.

D Answers will vary. Correct answers:

Scientists think that atmospheric changes affect animals’ serotonin levels, causing them to feel restless and leave an area. Scientists think that birds can hear the infrasound produced by an oncoming storm, which keeps them from going where the storm is about to hit.

UNDERSTANDING THE READING

A 1. sense / predict

2.movement(s) / behavior

3. changes

4. earthquake

5. storm

B c, e, b, d, a

C 1. Scientists used geolocators to track the location of the warblers. (See Paragraph I.)

2. They were supposed to be in Tennessee. (See Paragraph I.)

3. They heard the infrasound from an approaching storm. (See Paragraph K.)

4. He means that birds know more than we think they do. (Note: The term bird brain is used to refer to someone lacking intelligence.)

D 1. F (See Paragraph C: … Over a three-week period, the sightings dropped to fewer than five a day.)

2. T (See Paragraph E: “As far as we know, this is the first time that motion-triggered cameras have documented this phenomenon prior to an earthquake,” says lead researcher Dr. Rachel Grant.)

3. T (See Paragraph F: Two weeks before the earthquake in Peru, a significant atmospheric change was recorded.)

4. F (See Paragraph F: … cause increased serotonin levels in animals and humans, leading to unpleasant feelings of restlessness.)

5. NG (Explanation: There is no specific mention of an overall study or purposeful connection between the research studies mentioned.)

E 1. d

2. e

3. c

4. a

5. b (Note: Blown away is often used in the passive form: I was blown away by the surprising news.)

F 2 (Explanation: The scientists used geolocators on the birds, so we can infer that this is how they were able to locate the birds.);

4 (Explanation: The team had expected to find the birds in Tennessee.)

DEVELOPING READING SKILLS

A 1. this = no animal sightings

2. she = Dr. Rachel Grant

3. it = a significant atmospheric change

4. they = the warblers

B they = the rodents

this = that they should completely disappear

these = recent research in China and Japan

These = rats’ sleeping and waking patterns

them = rats

Video

BEFORE VIEWING

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

Hurricanes can cause bad flooding. The strong winds in hurricanes can destroy buildings.

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. A storm surge is the large amount of water that rushes over the land during a hurricane.

2. To make landfall is to come on to the land from the ocean.

3. Debris is material from structures and other things that have been destroyed during the storm.

C 1. moist

2. catastrophic (Note: The noun catastrophe is also commonly used when talking about natural disasters.)

3. diameter

WHILE VIEWING

A 1, 2, 3, 5, 8

B 1. The wall is violent; the eye is calm.

2. A “hurricane hunter” flies above a hurricane and drops sensors into the storm so that scientists can study the hurricane’s direction and strength.

3. 3-D models

AFTER VIEWING

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

I heard about Hurricane Irma, which caused great damage to many islands in the Caribbean Sea.

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

Observing the behavior of certain birds may help in predicting a hurricane. Birds may be able to hear the infrasound of a storm before it hits.

Reading 2

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. entire

2. eruption, vast

3. continuous

4. threaten

5. pressure, accumulates, cracks, collapse

6. explode

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. entire

2. eruption, vast

3. continuous

4. threaten

5. pressure, accumulates, cracks, collapse

6. explode

UNDERSTANDING THE READING

A 1. bigger / larger

2. more powerful

3. Yellowstone National Park

4. 2.1 million years

5. super-eruptions

6. sunlight / the sun

7. to fall / to decrease / to drop

8. 15,000

B 1. b (Explanation: The graphic compares the supervolcano eruptions in Yellowstone to the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.)

2. 240 cubic miles of debris

3. the third eruption

4. Paragraphs C and D

C 2, 3

D b, f, e, d, c, a (See Paragraph B.)

E 1. large

2. understand

3. section

4. several times

F 1. a crater surrounded by mountains; a thick layer of heated, compacted ash; the land near the caldera is actively rising and falling

2. Scientists are not certain what is happening under the caldera’s surface. / Scientists have only been keeping records since the 1970s, so

it’s hard to draw conclusions. / The caldera is going through a rise-and-fall cycle, but scientists don’t know when the cycles will cause a supereruption.

Writing

EXPLORING WRITTEN ENGLISH

A 1. Both are present continuous verbs.

2. Both are present simple verbs.

3. Both are superlative adjectives.

4. Both are comparative adjectives.

5. All are nouns.

6. Both are nouns.

LANGUAGE FOR WRITING

B 1. slippery, dangerous

2. buy food, store extra water

3. be cautious, aware (Note: negative form is changed to positive)

4. frighten, damage / cause damage to (Note: frightened is changed from an adjective to a verb and damage is changed from a noun to a verb in

the first answer option)

5.crushed houses, carried cars away

WRITING SKILL

C Answers will vary. Possible answer:

6, 5, 2, 3, 1, 4

I’m planning for a vacation. First, I need to choose a place to go. Second, I have to search and reserve flights and hotels. Before packing my bags, I have to check the weather. Lastly, I will download movies or shows to watch on the flight.

D Answers will vary. Possible answer:

Step: Pack your bags.

get luggage out of closet; choose clothes suitable for the beach and water sports; warm clothes for plane ride home; pack toiletries, etc.

E Answers will vary. Possible answer:

After checking the weather, I need to pack my bags. To do that, first I have to get my suitcase out of the closet. Then I need to choose clothes that are suitable to wear at the beach and for water sports. I also need to pack some warm clothes for cold weather when I return. Another important thing is to pack toiletries.

WRITING TASK

A Answers will vary. Possible answer:

Natural hazard: earthquake

Risks: things fall over in homes, water stops working, need to evacuate, etc.

Ideas for preparation: keep heavy or dangerous items off of high shelves; have bottled water in house; pack an emergency evacuation bag, etc.

B Answers will vary. Possible answer:

Thesis Statement: To prepare for a large earthquake, residents should pack emergency supplies and secure any household items that could fall or cause injuries.Body Paragraphs

Topic Sentence 1: First, make your home less dangerous by moving household items around.

Details: take heavy stuff off from high shelves; make sure high items are secured to walls; don’t sleep near things that can fall down on you, etc.

Topic Sentence 2: Second, preparing an evacuation plan ahead of time will make getting to a safe place quicker in an emergency situation.

Details: pack an emergency bag with essentials; store extra shoes in an accessible place; have everyone in the family agree on a place to meet if

separated, etc.Concluding Paragraph

Summary Statement: By being prepared for an evacuation and making your home as safe as possible, residents can increase their chance of

survival.

Final Thought: We may not be able to accurately predict earthquakes yet, but we should at least be prepared for them.

REVISING PRACTICE

1. c, a, b

2. d. Sentence to cross out: The best places to look for

cheap flights and hotel rooms are discount travel

websites.

e. First importantly ➞ Most importantly

f. Travelers should also … and keep copies in

different parts of their luggage.

EDITING PRACTICE

1. People can prepare for fires by creating an escape plan and discussing it with family members.

2. Keep important papers and medicines in one place.

3. If you need to take pets with you, pet carriers and extra pet food are important to have.

4. Walk around your house and identify things you will need to take.

5. Pack a bag with clothes and necessities for each family member.