Active Skills for Reading 1 (Unit 11: Look into the Future)


CHAPTER 2 - Predicting Earthquakes

Before You Read - Predicting an Earthquake

Major earthquakes happen, on average, only about once per year, but thousands of very small earthquakes happen every day all over the world. The area marked in red are places where there are the most earthquakes.

A. Think about answers to the following questions.

  1. Look at the map above. Where do most earthquakes happen? Why do you think they happen in these places?

    Answer

    Students’ answers may vary. Actual answer Most earthquakes occur along the edge of the oceanic and continental plates. The earth’s crust (the outer layer of the planet) is made up of several pieces, called plates. The plates under the oceans are called oceanic plates and the rest are continental plates. These plates are always bumping into each other, pulling away from each other, or passing each other. Earthquakes usually occur where two plates are running into each other or sliding past each other.

  2. Have you ever experienced an earthquake? What did you feel or see?

    Answer

    Answers will vary.

B. Discuss your answers with a partner.

Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?

Dear Scientist Sam,

I noticed my dog acting very nervous only a few minutes before a recent earthquake shook the house. Is it possible that my dog knew the earthquake was going to happen?
Janet

Sam's reply:

Well, Janet, people have believed for many centuries that animals can predict earthquakes. In fact, we can look back to records from the ancient Greeks. They noticed that animals acted oddly in the hours before earthquakes. Even now, people talk about dogs that won't stop barking and cats that won't come out of hiding before an earthquake. Furthermore, strange behavior like this before earthquakes isn't limited to pets. People have also reported seeing chickens stop laying eggs, bees leaving their homes, and big groups of fish dying mysteriously in the;hours before a natural disaster hits.

It's hard to answer your question, since not all seismologists1 or animal experts agree that animals can predict earthquakes. Those that disagree claim that we should take into account other things that affect animal behavior, such as hunger. On the other hand, many people who believe that animals can predict earthquakes often have records of very strange animal behavior right before_the ground shakes. To them, this is evidence that animals can indeed predict earthquakes.

In short, the truth is that we aren't sure. Animals might be able to sense earthquakes before they happen, but there is no solid evidence that they can. However, one thing that most seismologists can agree on is that more research is needed. Animals may be the key to predicting earthquakes before they happen, and could help save many lives.

1 A seismologist is a scientist who studies earthquakes and movements of the earth

Chapter - 1: Vocabulary Skill - Phrasal Verbs Chapter - 2: Reading Skill - Identifying Transition Words

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