Question

Find out more about earthquakes and present your findings in the form of slideshow. Your findings should
cover the following aspects-
• What is an earthquake?
• What causes an earthquake
• Which are the most earthquake prone regions of the world?
• What kinds of buildings are safe from earthquakes?
• What are some of the things one should not do when an earthquake strikes
CLASS 9
1. Read the passage and answer the questions given below:
Summer Rain. The worst days of any summer are the rainy ones. We spend all year looking forward to nice
weather and long, hot days. All of winter, with its dreary gray days and bitter cold, we dream of those endless
days at the beach, laying on the sand and soaking in the bright and burning sun. And then, summer comes, and it
rains. As a child, I would wake up to rainy summer days and come close to crying. It wasn’t fair. We suffered
through months of school and miserable weather for those scant ten weeks of freedom and balmy weather. Any
day that I could not spend at the beach or playing ball with my friends seemed like a punishment for something I
didn’t even do. On those rainy summer days, I had nothing fun to do and could only sit inside, staring out at the
rain like a Dickensian orphan. I was an only child, so there was no one else to play with. My father worked from
home, so I was not truly alone, but he could not actively play with me since he was technically at work. It was
those days that I would resign myself to whatever was on television or any books that I could find lying around.
I’d crawl through the day and pray each night that the rain would not be there the next day. As an adult, though,
my opinion of summer rain has changed. When you have to work every day, summer is not as eagerly anticipated.
Mostly, the days run together, bleeding into each other so that they no longer seem like separate entities and
instead feel like continuations of the same long day. Everything seems monotonous and dull, and an ennui or
listlessness kicks in. Such a mindset makes you cheer for anything new or different. I spend the winter dreaming
of summer and the summer dreaming of winter. When summer comes, I complain about how hot it is. And then
I look forward to the rain, because the rain brings with it a cold front, which offers a reprieve—admittedly one
that is all too short—from the torture of 100° and humid days. Rainy days are still the worst days of the summer,
but summer rain today means positively beautiful—and considerably cooler—weather tomorrow.
1) The passage makes use of language that is
A. metaphorical B. rhetorical C. formal D. ambiguous
2) According to the passage, summer is different for adults because
A. rain brings with it cold temperatures for the following days B. the weather is much warmer than it is for
children C. they do not get a long time off from work for the season D. they better know how to occupy
their downtime
3) According to the passage, which of the following is a true statement about the narrator as a child? A. He or
she was often bored on summer days. B. He or she preferred cooler weather. C. He or she liked staying
indoors. D. He or she had no siblings.
4) Compared to how he or she was as a child, the narrator as an adult is A. more realistic B. less excitable C.
more idealistic D. less calm
5) As used in the final paragraph, the word reprieve most nearly means A. a permanent conclusion B. a short
continuation C. a higher level of pain D. a temporary break The author of this passage describes his or her feelings about rainy summer days. In general, how do you
feel about such days? Do you agree with the author’s opinions, or do you not mind this type of weather?
Briefly explain your views below.
7) In paragraph 4, the author describes why he or she no longer looks forward to summertime the way he or
she used to do as a child. What do you think of this change? Do you believe that you will come to feel this
way one day? Why or why not?
8) The author writes in paragraph 4 that he or she “spend[s] the winter dreaming of summer and the summer
dreaming of winter.” On the other hand, many people would say that they have specific favorite seasons or
times of year. How do you feel? Do you have a favorite season, or do you always look forward to whatever
is to come? Why?
2.You are the narrator, Ruskin Bond. Today you heard that all the frogs have been sent to Lucknow Zoo by the
stationmaster where Aunt Mabel had gone to save her from the same frogs. You feel amused to think of the
troubles the frogs would give Aunt Mabel and how it would surprise and irritate her. Write a diary entry.

Answer 1

The world's greatest earthquake zone, the circum-Pacific seismic belt, is found along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where about 81 percent of the world's largest earthquakes occur.

Answer 2

Earthquakes are not a frequent occurrence, but when they do strike, the magnitude of damage they cause is insurmountable. The recent earthquake that struck Nepal and North Indian states is nature’s way of reminding us that man has little control over natural calamities. While we are at nature’s mercy and try to keep an optimistic outlook, what we can do, is be better prepared and better informed. Being prepared in advance is critical to minimize damages and loss. Consider these earthquake safety tips:
What to do during an earthquake

➢ Drop, cover, and hold on! Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place. Most injured persons in earthquakes move more than five feet during the shaking. It is very dangerous to try to leave a building during an earthquake because objects can fall on you. Many fatalities occur when people run outside buildings, only to be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls.

➢ If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor has caused injury to those who have rolled to the floor or tried to get to doorways.

➢ If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, streetlights, and power lines. Drop to the ground and stay there until the shaking stops. Injuries can occur from falling trees, street-lights and power lines, or building debris.

➢ If you are in a vehicle, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking has stopped. Trees, power lines, poles, street signs, and other overhead items may fall during earthquakes. Stopping will help reduce your risk, and a hard-topped vehicle will help protect you from flying or falling objects. Once the shaking has stopped, proceed with caution. Avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the quake.

➢ Stay away from windows. Windows can shatter with such force that you can be injured several feet away.

➢ In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake. Earthquakes frequently cause fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems to go off even if there is no fire. Check for, and extinguish small fires, and, if exiting, use the stairs.

➢ If you are in a coastal area, move to higher ground. Tsunamis are often created by earthquakes

What to do after an earthquake

➢ Check yourself for injuries. Often people tend to others without checking their own injuries. You will be better able to care for others if you are not injured or if you have received first aid for your injuries.

➢ Protect yourself from further danger by putting on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, and work gloves. This will protect you from further injury by broken objects.

➢ After you have taken care of yourself, help injured or trapped persons. If you have it in your area, base emergency, then give first aid when appropriate. Don’t try to move seriously injured people unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.

➢ Look for and extinguish small fires. Eliminate fire hazards. Putting out small fires quickly, using available resources, will prevent them from spreading. Fire is the most common hazard following earthquakes. Fires followed the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 for three days, creating more damage than the earthquake.

➢ Leave the gas on at the main valve, unless you smell gas or think its leaking. It may be weeks or months before professionals can turn gas back on using the correct procedures. Explosions have caused injury and death when homeowners have improperly turned their gas back on by themselves.