When Things Go Wrong
When Things Go Wrong
Our planet has many wondrous things. We plant a tiny sapling and it becomes a mighty tree.
Water runs in rivers. Rainbows appear in the sky. But it is not always easy to deal with nature.
For instance, sometimes the earth cracks up, slides and slips. The very hot matter inside it
oozes out on the surface. Strong waves of water destroy everything in their way. All these
events that result from natural processes and can harm human and other life are called
natural hazards, and can lead to natural disasters. Volcanoes, earthquakes, avalanches,
sinkholes, tsunamis and landslides are some examples of natural disasters. Sometimes, one
disaster is related to another. For example: volcanic eruptions can cause earthquakes, and
earthquakes can cause landslides and tsunamis.
Vulcan and Volcanoes
Ever wonder where the word “volcano” comes from? It comes from Vulcan—the god of fire
and metalwork in Roman mythology. It was believed that he worked inside Mt. Etna, one of
the world’s oldest volcanoes, located in Sicily. “Etna” means chimney or furnace. Fire, metal,
chimney and furnace—do you see any similarities to a volcano?
The Basic Structure of a Volcano
A volcano is a vent (rupture/crack) in the Earth through which molten (melted) magma and
ash come out. Volcanoes occur at places where tectonic plates (under the Earth’s surface)
come together or move apart. The “Ring of Fire” under the Pacific Ocean is one of the places
where these plates converge. It is the site of 75% of the world’s volcanoes. There are about
452 volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean’s basin.
Volcanoes are of three types. An active volcano is one that is erupting or has erupted in the
last 10,000 years. An extinct volcano is unlikely to erupt again. A dormant or inactive volcano is
between the two. There may be no record of its eruption in the recent past, but it is likely to
erupt again. Some volcanoes can remain dormant for millions of years.
The study of volcanoes is called volcanology.
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When Things Go Wrong
Pulling a Tablecloth
What do you think would happen if you quickly pulled the tablecloth off a dining table? The
placemats, plates, glasses and cutlery on the table would “quake.” The plates might break into
pieces as they land on the surface of the table. The water in the glasses might spill. There
might be a loud noise and a mess. The movement that occurs during an earthquake is similar.
An earthquake happens when blocks of earth slide past one another and cause a “fault” on the
earth’s surface. The “hypocenter” is the place where the blocks of earth slide and the
earthquake starts. It is below the surface. Its corresponding point on the surface is called
“epicenter.” Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes every year. Most of these,
fortunately, go unnoticed.
The study of earthquakes is called seismology.
Tsunamis
Does “tsunami” sound like a word from a foreign language? That’s because it is! The word is
pronounced with a silent “t” and means “harbor wave” in Japanese. It refers to a series of very
long ocean waves that are caused by large disturbances in/under the ocean. Volcanoes,
earthquakes, landslides and meteorites are the most common causes of a tsunami.
Who looks into tsunamis? Geologists, oceanographers, and seismologists—like earthquakes,
tsunamis are caused by movements below the earth’s surface.
Avalanches
We get an idea about what an avalanche is by its other names: snow slide and snow slip. It is
the sliding of snow down the slope of a mountain. We know that gravity pulls things
downward on earth. A mass of snow on a slope slides down when the pull of gravity is greater
than its own strength. When this mass is large, it takes things in its path along with it.
A person who studies avalanches is called an avalanche meteorologist.
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When Things Go Wrong
What Can We Do?
We cannot prevent natural disasters entirely. They arise from forces which are beyond our
individual control. But there are some small ways in which we can take care of our planet.
When we plant or preserve trees, we make our earth more stable. It is better able to clean
polluted air and keep water in balance. We can walk to our school or the market and use less
electricity. This would save our fossil fuels and keep the planet’s climate in order. We can
avoid products (such as some deodorants) that are harmful to the environment. We must
remember that things in nature are connected to each other. The water, soil, air and forces
under the earth’s surface are all affected by our actions.
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Questions: When Things Go Wrong
Name: _____________ Date: _______________________
1. What natural disasters are discussed in this passage?
A rainbows, rivers, saplings, mountains, and metalwork
B volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and avalanches
C Roman mythology, Vulcan, and Mt. Etna
D Southern California, the Pacific Ocean, and Sicily
2. What does this passage describe?
A This passage describes chimneys and furnaces.
B This passage describes different natural disasters.
C This passage describes two volcanoes that have erupted within the past 10,000
years.
D This passage describes everyday life in Sicily.
3. People can take steps to prevent natural disasters.
What evidence from the passage supports this statement?
A The study of earthquakes is called seismology.
B A volcano is a vent in the earth through which magma and ash come out.
C There are three types of volcanoes: extinct, dormant, and active.
D People can plant trees to make life on earth more stable.
4. What is a natural disaster?
A an event caused by nature that harms human life
B the study of earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and avalanches
C the process by which a tiny sapling grows into a mighty tree
D a way that people can take care of their planet
5. What is this passage mostly about?
A saplings and rainbows
B avalanches and geologists
C natural disasters
D what causes tsunamis
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Questions: When Things Go Wrong
6. Read the following sentence: “The water, soil, air and forces under the earth’s
surface are all affected by our actions.”
What does the word surface mean?
A a body of water where a tsunami is likely to happen
B the movement of land during an earthquake
C the outer layer or part of something
D the innermost layer or part of something
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
There are several kinds of natural disasters, _______ earthquakes, volcanoes, and
avalanches.
A in contrast
B in the end
C meanwhile
D such as
8. Where do volcanoes occur?
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Questions: When Things Go Wrong
9. When do earthquakes occur?
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10. What are some things that the natural disasters described in this passage have in
common?
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