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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes
on Japan's Deadly Earthquake
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Japan’s Quake, Tsunami and Atomic Alert (12th March, 2011)

Japan is beginning the cleanup after Friday’s deadly earthquake and tsunami. The death toll is currently at 573 with hundreds more people missing. Most of the people died in the massive tsunami, which was up to ten metres high. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency says the number of destroyed buildings has reached 3,400, but that is expected to rise. In the quake-hit areas, around 5.57 million households currently have no electricity, while more than one million homes have had their water supply cut off.

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The mega-earthquake is the seventh largest ever recorded. It hit northeast Japan at 2:46 p.m. with a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Beijing, China. The following tsunami has completely washed away large parts of Japan’s north. The damage is in tens of billions of dollars. Fifty-three countries in the Pacific Rim were put on tsunami alert. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his main focus now is to stop a nuclear power plant from overheating. Scientists released radioactive steam from the plant to reduce the pressure inside it.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	beginning the	a.	earthquake
2	deadly	b.	buildings
3.	hundreds more	c.	have no electricity
4.	destroyed	d.	cut off
5.	households currently	e.	cleanup
6.	had their water supply	f.	people missing

Paragraph 2

1.	the seventh largest	a.	of Japan’s north
2	It hit	b.	pressure inside it
3.	washed away large parts	c.	from overheating
4.	put on tsunami	d.	ever recorded
5.	stop a nuclear power plant	e.	alert
6.	reduce the	f.	northeast Japan

LISTENING GAP FILL

Japan is ___________________ after Friday’s deadly earthquake and tsunami. The death ___________________ at 573 with hundreds more people missing. Most of the people died in the massive tsunami, ___________________ ten metres high. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency says the number of destroyed ___________________ 3,400, but that is expected to rise. In the quake-hit areas, around 5.57 million households currently have no electricity, ___________________ one million homes have had their ___________________ off.

The mega-earthquake is the seventh ___________________. It hit northeast Japan at 2:46 p.m. with a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale. It was ___________________ as Beijing, China. The following tsunami has completely ___________________ parts of Japan’s north. The ___________________ of billions of dollars. Fifty-three countries in the Pacific Rim were put ___________________. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his main focus now is to stop a nuclear power plant from overheating. Scientists released radioactive steam from the plant to reduce the ___________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Japan is beginning the cleanup after Friday’s (1) ____ earthquake and tsunami. The death (2) ____ is currently at 573 with hundreds more people missing. Most of the people died in the (3) ____ tsunami, which was up to ten metres high. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency says the number of destroyed buildings has (4) ____ 3,400, but that is expected to rise. In the quake-hit areas, around 5.57 million households (5) ____ have no electricity, while more than one million homes have had their water supply cut (6) ____.

The mega-earthquake is the seventh largest (7) ____ recorded. It hit northeast Japan at 2:46 p.m. with a magnitude (8) ____ 8.9 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Beijing, China. The following tsunami has completely (9) ____ away large parts of Japan’s north. The damage is (10) ____ tens of billions of dollars. Fifty-three countries in the Pacific Rim were put on tsunami alert. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his (11) ____ focus now is to stop a nuclear power plant from overheating. Scientists released (12) ____ steam from the plant to reduce the pressure inside it.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	death	(b)	dead	(c)	deadly
2.	(a)	toll	(b)	doll	(c)	roll
3.	(a)	largish	(b)	massive	(c)	tiny
4.	(a)	reaches	(b)	reached	(c)	reaching
5.	(a)	current	(b)	currant	(c)	currently
6.	(a)	off	(b)	on	(c)	in
7.	(a)	ever	(b)	never	(c)	even
8.	(a)	by	(b)	at	(c)	of
9.	(a)	washing	(b)	washed	(c)	washes
10.	(a)	on	(b)	to	(c)	in
11.	(a)	main	(b)	mainly	(c)	mains
12	(a)	radio	(b)	radioactive	(c)	radiate

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	beginning the nacuepl
2.	hundreds more people mgnssii
3.	the ismeasv tsunami
4.	that is cpteexed to rise
5.	5.57 million hhsselduoo
6.	water plpusy cut off
Paragraph 2
7.	the seventh largest ever eddrecro
8.	8.9 on the Richter esacl
9.	completely hswead away
10.	put on tsunami ratle
11.	his main uocfs
12.	reduce the eussrper

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	The mega-earthquake is the seventh largest ever recorded. It hit northeast Japan
( 1 )	Japan is beginning the cleanup after Friday’s deadly earthquake and tsunami. The death
( )	toll is currently at 573 with hundreds more people missing. Most of the people died in the massive
( )	tsunami, which was up to ten metres high. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency says the number of
( )	said his main focus now is to stop a nuclear power plant from overheating. Scientists
( )	at 2:46 p.m. with a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Beijing, China. The following tsunami
( )	than one million homes have had their water supply cut off.
( )	of dollars. Fifty-three countries in the Pacific Rim were put on tsunami alert. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan
( )	areas, around 5.57 million households currently have no electricity, while more
( )	destroyed buildings has reached 3,400, but that is expected to rise. In the quake-hit
( )	has completely washed away large parts of Japan’s north. The damage is in tens of billions
( )	released radioactive steam from the plant to reduce the pressure inside it.

WORD JUMBLE

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	cleanup the Beginning earthquake deadly Friday’s after.
2.	toll death The 573 at currently is.
3.	died massive Most people the the in tsunami of.
4.	destroyed buildings has reached 3,400 The number of.
5.	off their water Homes supply have cut had.
6.	recorded ever largest seventh The.
7.	of 8.9 on the Richter scale A magnitude.
8.	far It away was as felt Beijing as.
9.	billions is of dollars damage tens of The in.
10.	released Scientists plant the from steam radioactive.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about earthquakes for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. EARTHQUAKES: Search the Internet and find more information about earthquakes. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the Japan earthquake. Include imaginary interviews with people who were there. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to an earthquake expert. Ask him/her three questions about earthquakes. Give him/her three of your opinions on them. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Japan's Deadly Earthquake (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)