PIES 4: 21-25 March 2011

MASSIVE QUAKE, TSUNAMI SLAM JAPAN

TOKYO – A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing at least 60 people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.
The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami and was followed by more than 20 aftershocks for hours, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. Police said at least 60 people were killed and 56 were missing. The death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of the disaster.
Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was of horrific proportions because of the tsunami that crashed ashore, swallowing everything in its path as it surged several miles (kilometers) inland before retreating.
Large fishing boats and other sea vessels rode high waves into the cities, slamming against overpasses or scraping under them, snapping power lines along the way. Upturned and partially submerged vehicles were seen bobbing in the water. Ships anchored in ports crashed against each other.
Instructions: Listen and say these words out loud.

WORD LIST
1. ferocious
2. recorded
3. widespread
4. entire
5. magnitude
6. aftershocks
7. toll
8. horrific
9. crashed
10. swallowing
11. retreating
12. overpasses
13. partially
14. submerged
15. anchored

Instruction: Listen and write down the definitions of the words given.

ENRICHMENT LIST
1 spawned
2 blanketed
3 unleashed
4 proportions
5 bobbing