Unit 6 Section A How to Prepare for EarthquakeI. Background information1. The 1906 San Francisco EarthquakeAt 5:13 on the morning of April 18th, 1906, the city of San Francisco was shaken by a terrible earthquake. A large part of the city was destroyed and a large number of buildings were burnt. The number of people who lost homes reached as many as 250, 000. About 700 people died in the earthquake and the fires.Another earthquake shocked San Francisco on October 17th, 1989. It was the second strongest earthquake and about one hundred people were killed. It happened in the evening as people were traveling home. A wide and busy road fell onto the below. A lot of people were killed in their cars, but a few lucky ones were not hurt.Luckily the 1989 earthquake did not happen in the center of town but about 50 kilometers away. In one part of the town many buildings were destroyed. These buildings were over 50 years old, so they were not strong enough. There were a lot of fires all over the city. The electricity was cut off for several days too.Scientists explain that the outside of the earth is made of different plates. At San Francisco the Pacific plate meets the North American plate. When suddenly these two plates jump, an earthquake is felt. When the 1906 earthquake happened, the Pacific plate jumped 5-6 meters to the north.We cannot stop earthquake, but we can do things to make sure they do not destroy a whole city. First, it is not a good idea to build houses along the lines where two of the earth’s plates join together. Second, if you think there may be an earthquake, it is better to build houses on rock not on sand. Third, you must make the houses as strong as possible. Weak buildings will fall down in an earthquake, but strong ones may stay up.Scientists are afraid that one day an even bigger earthquake will hit the area around San Francisco. They call it “The Big One”. However, people today are still building more houses. The population in and around San Francisco is now ten times more than it was in 1906. This means that if there is another big earthquake, a great many houses and buildings will be destroyed.2. The 1976 Tangshan Earthquake1) Which city earns the name “Brave City of China”? Tangshan2) The deadliest earthquake of the 20th century, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the sleeping city of Tangshan at 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976.3) Which of the following gave some advance warnings of an impending earthquake?A. Well water rose and fell with cracking or gas.B. Chickens refused to eat and ran around chirping.C. Mice and yellow weasels ran around to hide.D. A goldfish jumped wildly in its bowl.E. Strange lights (fireballs) as well as loud sounds were seen the night preceding the earthquake.4) The Tangshan earthquake lasted approximately 14-16 seconds. After the earthquake hit, 242419 people were dead or dying; 164581 people severely injured. In 7218 households, all members of the family were killed by the earthquake.5) Over two million people died in the earthquake in the 20th century. About 0.6 billion people live in the strong earthquake zone throughout the world. 6) 93 percent of the residential buildings and 78 percent of the industrial buildings were completely destroyed.3. What’s your insight into earthquakes?Because they have no warning and allow people no time to react to them in an effective way. As described in the video, one second you live in this big beautiful city and ten seconds later it is flat. So on any scale of instant destructivity, few natural disasters can come close to earthquakes. At 11:43 A.M. on June 7, 1692, for example, an earthquake struck Port Royal, Jamaica. In the space of less than fifty seconds, that thriving port sank into the Caribbean. An eyewitness described the scene. “In many places the earth cracked, opened and shut, with a motion quick and fast. People were swallowed up; in others they were caught by the middle, and pressed to death.”In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was believed in the Western world that because earthquakes normally occurred in non-Christian countries, they were signs of God’s anger with the inhabitants of these areas. In fact, every day the earth is shaken by hundreds of small earthquakes, most going unnoticed. They usually occur along the boundaries of thin plates that cover the earth like egg shells. Driven by the heat deep within the earth’s core, plates grind against each other along lines called faults. When plates find their motions blocked, stress builds up. Finally the fault gives way. Released energy racesthrough the earth in a form of seismic waves (震波) and a quake occurs.4. How much do you know about other natural disasters?In addition to the earthquake, the human society as a whole is also cursed with a long list of other natural disasters, among which are flood, mud-rock flow (泥石流), landslide (山体滑坡), typhoon, hurricane (飓风), tornado (龙卷风), snowstorm (暴风雪), hailstorm (冰雹), sand storm (沙尘暴), drought (干旱), plague of locusts (蝗灾), the spread of desert, the spread of infectious diseases such as SARS (非典), and volcanic eruptions (火山喷发), the most famous example of which is the Great Pompeii, quickly covered with volcanic ashes.The contributors to these natural disasters are complex and varied. Some disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions result from the movement of plates along the weaknesses in the Earth’s crust. Many others, like flood, sand storm, and the spread of desert, stem from human activities. Man’s mindless enthusiasm for unrestrained economic growth has led to a sharp decline of forestry, a rapid desertification of farming land, an irreparable depletion of ozone layer, a global worsening of greenhouse effect, and a swift extinction of species, all of which in turn bring about more disasters.II. Structure Analysis1. How can we know about warning signs of earthquakes?1) Wire the earth and sea …2) Watch animals and plants …3) The amount of radon waxes …2. What animals show what signs of earthquakes?1) hens—cages 2) snakes—freeze 3) dogs—bark a lot 4) fish—surface5) birds—noisy—fly unusuallySome advance warnings of an impending earthquake.A. Well water rose and fell with cracking or gas.B. Chickens refused to eat and ran around chirping (吱喳而鸣).C. Mice and yellow weasels (黄鼠狼) ran around to hide.D. A goldfish jumped wildly in its bowl.E. Strange lights (fireballs) as well as loud sounds were seen the night preceding the earthquake.3. How are most of the people killed in an earthquake?By falling buildings.4. What building structures might prevent the great destruction of property?1) Steel joint/an I-joint2) Equally strong columns & horizontal beams3) Deep vertical support columns4) Light roofs & strong walls5. What should people do to prepare their houses?1) Check/reinforce homes …2) Place heavy objects …3) Attach cupboards & cabinets …4) Fasten doors …6. What should people need for their earthquake survival supplies, and why?water & food radio receiver torch extra batteries first-aid supplies spade tent rope clothing fire extinguisher auxiliary cooking & heating source heavy shoes or boots7. How can family members keep in touch during an earthquake? Check in with a far-away friend or relative…8. What should be a major emphasis for all government programs and earthquake-related research projects?Education concerning how to survive an earthquake.1.What is the text mainly about?The essay is centered around the main theme — How to predict, prevent, and prepare for earthquakes.2.How is the text organized?The writer centers his writing on three aspects of the topic—earthquake prediction, earthquake prevention, and earthquake preparation. In the end, he concludes his writing with more emphasis placed on people’s preparation for earthquakes. So the text can fall structurally into four parts.Part I Prediction: People predicted a quake by wiring the earth and sea to detect movements, watch-ing animals and plants for warning signs; and seeing if the amount of radon (Rn) in the water under the surface of the Earth waxes before an earthquake.Devices for developing it: Exemplification: (Para. 1) In Japan, scientists have wired the Earth and sea…The Chinese have traditionally watchedanimals and plants for…For example, …Before the Hansin earthquake in Japan, …Part II Prevention:To prevent buildings from threatening our lives, new structures need to be built with an I-joint steel, with columns and horizontal beams of equal strength, and with light roofs; and pillars for highway bridges need to be enclosed in steel.Devices for developing it: Deduction: (Para. 2) General Statement: People would also like to…prevent…Details: 1) Most people are killed by…2)…with steel joint; 3)…of equal strength 4)…enclosed in steel. Part III Preparation: To prepare for a great quake, you need to keep survival supplies at home and at work; have proper tools ready at hand; make sure what to do in case of a quake; and plan for family re-unity.Devices for developing it: Deduction: (Paras. 4-6) General statement: People …need to prepare themselves. Details: 1) …have supplies of water and food…; 2) Have a fire extinguisher handy; 3) Every family needs to have earthquake emergency plans.Part IV Conclusion: Even if prediction becomes possible, people still have to do their best to prevent disasters by improving building structures and by being personally prepared.Devices for developing it: Induction: (Para. 7) Known facts: 1) …scientists learn much about how quakes work; 2) It will be possible to predict quakes with accuracy; 3) But people still have to prevent quakes. Conclusion: Education concerning …should be a major emphasis for all …projects.III. New words and expressions1. to watch sth. for…/ to watch for 观察某物以获取······/ 小心等待He has been watching for the right moment to express his feeling of love for her.2. to come out of 爬出······/ 有······结果Good reward will certainly come out of your good intention.3. to be reported to do sth. in unusual patterns 据报道说以异常的方式做某事They are reported to be celebrating their victory in unusual patterns.4. to withstand the power of earthquakes 抵御地震的力量Any friendship that can’t withstand the trial of hardships is not likely to last long.5. to be a major concern 是关注的重点How to prevent the resurgence (卷土重来) of SARS is one of the major concerns among the public.6. to insert sth. in / into / between 把某物插入······中／中间The Maxwell House inserted in a newspaper an advertisement : Good to the last drop. 麦氏公司(Maxwell House)在一家报纸上曾刊登了一则广告：滴滴香浓，意犹未尽。
