1. A powerful earthquake, registering 7.2 on the Richter scale, hit the western part of Japan on 7th
January, 1995 at 0546 hours (Japan time). The people were sleeping. Its epicenter was about
twenty kilometers beneath Awaji Island, some thirty kilometers from Kobe. It was Japan’s worst
earthquake since a very powerful one struck eastern Japan in 1923. The 1995 earthquake had
inflicted the greatest loss of life and damage to buildings, roads, bridges and railways in Kobe and
the coastal cities nearest to Awaji Island. Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city, also suffered
significant damage, bringing the death toll to just over five hundred.
2. Japan is an earthquake-prone country but the area around Kobe had not been known to be a
danger zone. It is therefore surprising that an earthquake of this magnitude should hit the area.
There are quite a number of seismographs and sensors that detect earth tremors throughout Japan.
These instruments are supposed to help earthquake researchers predict earthquakes. On an early
warning, people could be evacuated to safer places.
3. It was disappointing that in the case of the Kobe earthquake, no early warning had been given.
Unexpectedly, many of the newer roads and buildings were badly damaged. These roads and
buildings had been engineered and constructed to withstand earthquakes. Fortunately, the Kobe
nuclear power plant managed to escape damage. If radioactivity had leaked as a result of the
damage to the plant, it would have triggered off severe and long-lasting damage on health and the
environment.
4. The Kobe earthquake inflicted such massive damage that reconstruction would be long and
arduous. The early–warning system too has been receiving the extra attention it needs, especially
so because a big one is expected to strike the Tokyo region in the next twenty to thirty years,
according to earthquake researchers
a. Answer any three (3x1=3)
i. What were the people doing when the earthquake struck Kobe?
ii. Why did the Kobe earthquake cause much damage and loss of life?
iii. Why were the newer Kobe roads and buildings not expected to suffer much damage?
iv. Why the earthquake researchers in Japan have been working to improve the early–warning
system?
b. There are quite a number of ___________ and _________ that detect earth tremors
throughout Japan. (para 2) (1)
c. Find the word from the passage that means difficult (para 4) (1)
d. Make sentence with the word reconstruction
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
1. A powerful earthquake, registering 7.2 on the Richter scale, hit the western part of Japan on 7th
January, 1995 at 0546 hours (Japan time). The people were sleeping. Its epicenter was about
twenty kilometers beneath Awaji Island, some thirty kilometers from Kobe. It was Japan’s worst
earthquake since a very powerful one struck eastern Japan in 1923. The 1995 earthquake had
inflicted the greatest loss of life and damage to buildings, roads, bridges and railways in Kobe and
the coastal cities nearest to Awaji Island. Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city, also suffered
significant damage, bringing the death toll to just over five hundred.
2. Japan is an earthquake-prone country but the area around Kobe had not been known to be a
danger zone. It is therefore surprising that an earthquake of this magnitude should hit the area.
There are quite a number of seismographs and sensors that detect earth tremors throughout Japan.
These instruments are supposed to help earthquake researchers predict earthquakes. On an early
warning, people could be evacuated to safer places.
3. It was disappointing that in the case of the Kobe earthquake, no early warning had been given.
Unexpectedly, many of the newer roads and buildings were badly damaged. These roads and
buildings had been engineered and constructed to withstand earthquakes. Fortunately, the Kobe
nuclear power plant managed to escape damage. If radioactivity had leaked as a result of the
damage to the plant, it would have triggered off severe and long-lasting damage on health and the
environment.
4. The Kobe earthquake inflicted such massive damage that reconstruction would be long and
arduous. The early–warning system too has been receiving the extra attention it needs, especially
so because a big one is expected to strike the Tokyo region in the next twenty to thirty years,
according to earthquake researchers
a. Answer any three (3x1=3)
i. What were the people doing when the earthquake struck Kobe?
ii. Why did the Kobe earthquake cause much damage and loss of life?
iii. Why were the newer Kobe roads and buildings not expected to suffer much damage?
iv. Why the earthquake researchers in Japan have been working to improve the early–warning
system?
b. There are quite a number of ___________ and _________ that detect earth tremors