dateline: 15 March 2011
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Death Toll Climbs After Japan Earthquake
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- death toll: the number of recorded deaths caused by a certain accident, crime, or other unfortunate event
- trigger: to cause something to happen
- aftershock: a smaller earthquake (tremor) that happens after an original earthquake
- radiation leak: the accidental emission of a dangerous form of energy
- malfunction: to not work properly
- evacuate: to leave a dangerous area; to find a safe zone
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Death Toll Climbs after Japan EarthquakeAn intense earthquake triggered a massive , and devastated Japan on March 11th. The official death toll has not been determined, though thousands of bodies have been found in coastal towns and thousands of people are missing. Besides the risk of aftershocks, many in Japan are fearful of nuclear explosions and radiation leaks. Following the tsunami, three nuclear reactors began malfunctioning, and thousands of people were evacuated to safer. Japan’s prime minister called the event “the toughest and most difficult crisis” his country has faced since . Friday’s earthquake, which measured at 8.9 in magnitude, was the strongest to hit Japan in recorded history.Comprehension Questions
- What region of Japan was devastated by the disaster?
- What are Japanese people worried about besides the risk of further earthquakes and tsunamis?
- What did Japan’s prime minister say about the natural disaster?
Discussion Question: Have you been watching the videos and looking at the pictures from this devastating event? Does it put the problems from your own life “into perspective”?
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Death Toll Climbs after Japan Earthquake
An intense earthquake triggered a massive tsunami, and devastated north-eastern Japan on March 11th. The official death toll has not been determined, though thousands of bodies have been found in coastal towns and thousands of people are missing. Besides the risk of aftershocks, many residents in Japan are fearful of nuclear explosions and radiation leaks. Following the tsunami, three nuclear reactors began malfunctioning, and thousands of people were evacuated to safer zones. Japan’s prime minister called the event “the toughest and most difficult crisis” his country has faced since World War II. Friday’s earthquake, which measured at 8.9 in magnitude, was the strongest to hit Japan in recorded history.
- The north-eastern coastal regions of Japan were most devastated by the disaster.
- Japanese people are also worried about the malfunctioning nuclear reactors.
- Japan’s prime minister said this disaster was the toughest and most difficult crisis for Japan since World War II.
One comment
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Bijan says:
Hi 🌹Tara,🌹
First, thank you for this audio news report.
Second, I could understand the subject without seeing the text and could fill in the blanks all words successfully.
Third, the earthquake is also an important subject in my country because nearly all of my country has located on the line of earthquake.
In recent 20 years, the government has made the owners to build all buildings with the best standards that the earthquake cannot destroy them.Thank you and best wishes,
Bijan
from the Persian Gulf🌹