Natural Disasters

Earthquakes are natural disasters. They are the shaking of the earth’s surface（表面）. The earth makes these natural earthquakes in order to release pressure（释放压力）.

More than a million earthquakes happen in the world each year. Earthquakes usually last less than a minute but you can feel them. The scary thing about earthquakes is that they begin with no warning. But scientists are still working on the problem.

There are about 20 plates（板块）along the surface of the earth that move slowly all the time next to each other. When the plates touch each other, huge rocks are created（创造）and explode（爆炸）with great power（力量）, causing an earthquake. As the plates move, they put pressure on themselves and each other. When the pressure is large enough, the crust（地壳）is forced（被迫）to break.

Shaking and ground breaking are the main effects（影响）created by earthquakes. After an earthquake is over, buildings are usually damaged（破坏）and people get hurt even killed.

Some people think animals can predict（预言）an earthquake. The earliest reference（参考） about unusual animal behavior is from Greece in 373 BC. Rats and snakes reportedly left their homes and headed for safety several days before an earthquake. Scientists can easily explain the cause of unusual animal behavior seconds before humans feel an earthquake. Very few humans notice the smaller P wave that travels the fastest from the earthquake source（源）and arrives before the larger S wave. But many animals are able to feel the P wave seconds before the S wave arrives. As for sensing an earthquake days or weeks before it happens, that’s a different story. Scientists have tried many different ways of predicting earthquakes, but none have been successful. They need to do much research on this subject.

So what should you do when an earthquake begins? If you are inside a building, you should take cover under a table. If you are outside, you should stay out in an open place.

Ben could hear strong winds outside his home in Alabama. Black clouds were making the sky very dark. 【小题1】 The news on TV reported that a heavy rainstorm was in the area.

【小题2】 Ben’s dad was putting pieces of wood over the windows while his brother was making sure the flashlights (手电筒) and radio were working. He also put some candles and matches on the table. Ben was helping his mom make dinner.

【小题3】 After dinner, they tried to play a card game, but it was hard to have fun with a serious storm happening outside. The family went to bed at 10 o’clock. 【小题4】 He had to listen to some music to calm himself down. He finally fell asleep when the wind was going down at around 3:00 a.m.

When he woke up, the sun was rising. He went outside with his family and found the neighborhood in a mess. 【小题5】 The family joined the neighbors to help clean up the neighborhood together. Although the storm broke many things apart, it brought families and neighbors closer together.

Earthquakes happen without warning（前兆）. They can happen any time of a day, at any point during the year. But don’t worry because most earthquakes are so weak that they cannot be felt. Only a few big ones hurt people. However, it’s important to know what to do when an earthquake is happening.

Do NOT go outside. You could get injured from falling glass or parts of buildings. If you are outside, stay away from buildings and power lines （输电线）.

Stay under a desk, table, or other strong furniture. Hold on to it. Or stay in a corner of the building. Cover your face and head with your arms and cover your mouth with a towel or clothing. Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside.

Keep away from windows, pictures or advertisements on the wall or the building, and anything else that could fall and hurt you. Most people get injured by falling things during an earthquake, not by the shaking itself.

Also keep away from a fire. You could fall down and burn yourself on the fire.

If you are driving when an earthquake happens, stop the car if it’s safe. Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops, and don’t drive near bridges. Try not to stop by power lines or trees. These could fall and hurt you.