E. Answer the questions.Pictures are falling off the walls. Lights are waving. Bed is shaking. Everything is moving. What's going on? It's an earthquake.
Earthquakes are horrible disasters(灾难)and some of them are destructive, The top layer of the earth is made up of huge pieces of rock. They move past each other all the time along fault lines(裂纹线). But sometimes two pieces get stuck together. When they finally move away from each other, they move suddenly. And this makes the land above them shake. This is the most common cause of earthquakes.
During a small earthquake, you will feel a little shaking. But during a strong one, you will be thrown about. A strong earthquake is very horrible. Cracks will appear on the ground and windows and doors will break. Buildings will even fall down. So watch out! I f an earthquake happens at sea, it can make big waves called "tsunamis" (海啸). When these waves reach land, they can destroy villages.
Earthquakes are measured on a scale of 0-9. It is called the Richter scale. A size 9 earthquake is the strongest and most dangerous. Since 1900, more than two million people have died in earthquakes. In 1976, a size 7. 8 earthquake hit Tangshan, China. It killed more than 240, 000 people!
Many earthquakes happened in China, so it is important for us to know what to do when an earthquake hits. Here are some tips on how to stay safe in an earthquake.
Indoors
※Hide under a desk or bed. Stay away from windows and anything that could fall on you.
※Do not get into a lift during an earthquake! When an earthquake has ended, stay under the desk until it is really safe to get up.
※Open a window and get out of the building quickly if the gas line in your house is broken.
Outdoors
※Move away from buildings and street lights.
※Do not run outside if you are in a shop and far from the door.
※Make sure you wear shoes after an earthquake. There may be broken glass on the ground.