Two Earthquakes in Two Months:
Comparing the Quakes in Haiti (海地) and Chile (智利)
Overview (概要) How do the earthquakes in Chile and Haiti compare? Here, students perform a gallery walk to learn more about the earthquakes from a specific point, and then do a specific research and presentation project or response activity. Finally, they seek answers to their unanswered questions.
Materials Print copies of photographs, charts, documents and other visuals to display, as described below; computer (s) with Internet access (optional), research materials, handouts.
Warm-up Choose and prepare a “gallery” of photographs, graphics, news reports and other materials to display around the room to enable students to consider the 2010 earthquake in Chile.
Depending on course program, choose materials for the gallery that provide a window on the two quakes, through one of the following specific points, or the focus of your choice:
Earthquakes through History Putting the 2010 Chilean and Haitian quakes into historical view related to other earthquakes, including the 1960 Chilean quake and the 2004 Asian earthquake and tsunami.
Rescue and Aid Considering domestic and international response to the disasters by militaries, governments and aid organizations, including rescue and recovery as well as efforts to provide food, water, health care and shelter to those affected.
Related The article Underwater Plate Cuts 400 Mile Gash compares several earthquakes:
Mr. Lin figured that the quake on Saturday was 250 to 350 times more powerful than the Haitian quake.
But Paul Caruso noted that at least on land, the effects of the Chilean tremor (震动) might not be as bad. For one thing, he said, the quality of building construction is generally better in Chile than in Haiti. And the fact that the quake occurred offshore should also help limit the destruction. In Haiti, the rupture (断裂) occurred only a few miles from the capital, Port-au-Prince. The rupture on Saturday was centered about 60 miles from the nearest town, Chillan, and 70 miles from the country’s second-largest city, Concepción.
Read the article using the following questions.
Questions For discussion with others and reading comprehension:
How does the 2010 Chilean earthquake compare to the 1960 Chilean earthquake?
Why do scientists believe that the 2010 Chilean earthquake will not cause the same level of damage as January’s Haitian earthquake did?
How does the 2010 Chilean earthquake compare to the 2004 Indonesian earthquake?
What reasons do scientists give to explain why the Indonesian quake caused so much more damage than the recent Chilean earthquake?
64. Which of the following shows one of the reasons for slighter losses in Chile than in Haiti?
A. Position:
B. Power:
65. We can infer that the article Underwater Plate Cuts 400 Mile Gash includes ________.
A. the causes of the 2010 Chilean earthquake and the 1960 Chilean earthquake
B. the comparison between the 2010 Haitian and the 2004 Indonesian earthquakes
C. the reason for the 2010 Chilean quake being more powerful than January’s Haitian earthquake
D. the reason for less damage in the 2010 Chilean quake than in the 2004 Indonesian earthquake
66. What is the passage most likely to be?
A. A program for research. B. A guide to earthquake study.
C. An advertisement for students. D. An introduction to quakes.
Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School
Written and illustrated(配图) by Adam Auerbach.
32 pp. Christy Ottaviano/Holt. $15.50.
Edda’s home is in Asgard, “a land full of magic and adventure.” But Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, doesn’t have quite enough to do, until her father flies her “all the way to Earth for the first day of school.”
The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to (in one, she can ride reindeer; in the other she gazes guinea pig(天竺鼠) through glass at the classroom). In his first picture book, Auerbach mixes the two worlds perfectly. Children are likely to appreciate the joke.
Planet Kindergarten
By Sue Ganz-Schmitt. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore.
32 pp. Chronicle. $14.99.
After careful preparations and a successful blastoff, a boy finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. “We’re aliens from many galaxies(星系) on Planet Kindergarten,” he reflects as he sees his very varied classmates for the first time.
Prigmore, who designs for the movie industry, uses black backgrounds and bright colors to give this space adventure visual excitement and humor.
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade
By Justin Roberts. Illustrated by Christian Robinson.
42 pp. Putnam. $18.99.
It makes sense that the author of the long, rhyming lines in “The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade” is a children’s music performer. The story is about the power of one small person to fight prejudice.
Sally, whom no one ever seems to notice, is “paying super extra special attention” to the “terrible stuff” happening around her. When she decides to take action, she’s not alone for long.
And Two Boys Booed
By Judith Viorst.
32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $16.59.
Ever felt quietly confident one minute, and a shaking mess the next? In Viorst’s story about determination, a little boy wakes up thinking about singing his song in the class talent show.Which of the following is true about the book Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School?
| A．Edda found it easy to apply herself to the life on earth. |
| B．The book was Adam Auerbach’s first picture book. |
| C．The book was illustrated by Shane Prigmore. |
| D．The story of the book was about a little boy’s determination. |
If you are interested in space adventure, you would probably choose______.
| A．Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School |
| B．Planet Kindergarten |
| C．The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade |
| D．And Two Boys Booed |
The book The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade was published by__________.
| A．Christy Ottaviano/Holt. |
| B．Chronicle. |
| C．Putnam |
| D．Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. |
All of the four books mentioned_______________.
| A．are for children |
| B．have the same number of pages |
| C．have colorful pictures in them |
| D．need reading under parents’ guidance |
Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures from their parents to do well in school. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have a wonderful life. Though this may be good ideas for those very bright students, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students killed themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some do bad things with trouble-makers and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important and leave school before they have finished their study.
It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers’ work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evening and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams. They do not try to educate students in any real sense of the real world. It thus comes as a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior or high school population attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bag. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They regard the rules as being harmful to the development of each student. They believe that no sense of moral values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.A lot of Japanese students are unhappy at school because_______.
| A．they work very hard |
| B．they find they can't do well at school |
| C．they feel unimportant |
| D．they are under too much pressure |
Because of their failure at school, some students take drugs to .
| A．kill themselves | B．seek comfort |
| C．disappoint their parents | D．make trouble |
In juku-cram schools students_________.
| A．are taken good care of by the teachers |
| B．feel no pressure |
| C．are trained to pass exams |
| D．can learn a lot of useful things |
In ordinary Japanese schools,______________ .
| A．there are strict rules |
| B．students feel safe |
| C．students can do anything |
| D．learning is not important |
A flock of hungry pigeons were flying across the sky in search of food. Having traveled a long distance, they felt tired and settled down on a tree. Just below the tree, they saw grains strewn (撒满) all over the ground. The pigeons were happy to have found enough food to eat. All the pigeons came down from the tree and started eating the grains. As they were doing so, a huge net fell on them and trapped them all.
The pigeons were taken aback(大吃一惊). They noticed a hunter sitting at a distance from the tree, a bow and arrow in hand. The pigeons realized it was the hunter who had trapped them in the net. The hunter got up and began to move towards the pigeons.
The leader of the pigeons spoke, “Friends, we are in great trouble. The hunter will catch us if we do not act swiftly in a few seconds. There is only one option available at this moment. Let all of us use our force together and fly up along with the net. If all of us use our force and fly together, we can fly carrying the net along with us. Let us start now.”
All the pigeons agreed with him and flew high carrying the net along with them. After traveling enough distance away from the hunter, the pigeons settled on a tree and carefully came out of the net one by one and thus escaped the evil design of the hunter.Who strewed the grains over the ground?
| A．A villager. | B．The hunter. |
| C．The pigeon owner. | D．The writer. |
What does the underlined word “option” mean?
| A．reason | B．choice | C．action | D．opinion |
How did the pigeons react when they got trapped?
| A．They didn't know what to do. |
| B．They tried to fly in all directions. |
| C．They remained calm. |
| D．They decided to fight against the hunter. |
This story wants to tell us that ________.
| A．two heads are better than one |
| B．confidence will save everyone |
| C．teamwork can work wonders |
| D．actions speak louder than words |
Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life
The Power of Choice．Every one of us makes countless choices every day．Every choice we make has an impact on our lives．Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel．When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food．The more important the decision, the greater its effect．For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way．
How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you．This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all．Imagine a world where every parent, spouse（配偶）, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world．
It's the Intention．"But how do I know what is really best?" you might ask．The answer is simple．It doesn't matter．What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice．What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all．If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there's no need forguilt．Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all, your conscience stays clear and open．This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind．
What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others．An overly(过度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily．Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children．So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for all．Which of the following is FALSE?
| A．Whenever hunger strikes, we will reach for a junk snack |
| B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us． |
| C．Even small choices affect how we feel． |
| D．We make choices every day． |
How should we make choices?
| A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life． |
| B．To make life better for ourselves． |
| C．To imagine a world where everyone did their best． |
| D．To choose based on what's best for all． |
Why does the author say, “What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice”?
| A．Because the choice you make is not important． |
| B．Because you may have made a bad choice． |
| C．Because this allows you to stay clear and improve． |
| D．Because there is no need for guilt． |
How to choose what is best for us?
| A．We need to devote all our life to others． |
| B．We need to put away some time for ourselves． |
| C．We need to sacrifice ourselves for others． |
| D．We need to be selfless every minute． |
With the press of a button, a person with severe spinal cord (脊柱）injuiy is able to walk again, thanks to the Walking Assistive Exoskeleton Robot (WAER).
Powered suits that could help paralyzed (瘫痪）people walk and others lift and carry heavy loads with ease have been a dream since late 19th century. But they can realize their dreams in the 21st century.
The 20-kilogram robot has four battery-powered motors that can run for up to three hours. Inventor Wu Chenghua, from Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute, says it has successfully been in tests on 12 patients. “We have learned from our research process that patients whose injuries are below the fourth chest joint (关节）are able to use our robot to stand, walk and sit down,” he said.
Since walking contributes to muscle exercise, Wu says patients receive some additional benefits. “In the clinical process, we would check their bone mineral density (密度)，and we found that the bone mineral densities of these patients had been improved.” he said. Wu says his exoskeleton may be available for consumers by 2018.
Meanwhile, baggage handlers at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport will soon start testing a similar robot, developed by the Japanese firm Cyberdyne. The battery-powered robot weighs only 3
lift a heavy object, the machine monitors the movemen”，says Yoshiyuki Sankai, the developer and CEO of Cyberdyne.
“This robot suit monitors the signal from the human nerve (神经）system to support the waist’s movement，” Sankai said, “It self-adjusts the level support to reduce the load on the human waist, light and smart. We believe that it will change the life of paralyzed people in many ways and have a promising future.”With the help of WAER, patients will probably .
| A．recover from spinal cord injury |
| B．improve their bone mineral density |
| C．walk as fast as normal people |
| D．monitor their waist’s movement |
What can we learn about the invention of Wu Chenghua from the passage?
| A．It weighs 3 kilograms and can run for up to three hours. |
| B．It will soon get tested at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. |
| C．It may be put into use for consumers by the year 2028. |
| D．It can be used by patients with injuries below the fourth chest joint. |
How does Sankai feel about the future of the robot suits?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Worried. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Puzzled. |