2010年ESL之日常生活 18 Experiencing an Earthquake_在线英语听力室

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18 Experiencing an Earthquake

GLOSSARY

earthquake – a short period of time when the ground shakes because ofgeological movements deep below the surface, often causing damage, injuries,and/or death

* People living in southern California experience many small earthquakes overthe course of their lives.

to occur – to happen; to take place

* Police are trying to determine exactly when the murder occurred.

seismologist – a scientist who studies earthquakes and the movement of theearth

* Seismologists say a major earthquake will happen here sometime within thenext 50 years, but they can’t provide a more specific date or time.

magnitude – the size of something; how big or small something is

* If they understood the real magnitude of the problem, they would be much moreconcerned with finding a solution.

Richter scale – a number-based system for measuring and reporting the sizeand strength of earthquakes

* The earthquake was only 2.0 on the Richter scale, so we couldn’t really feel it.

epicenter – the center of an earthquake; the exact point on the earth’s surfacewhere an earthquake is strongest

* Although it was a large earthquake, it didn’t cause very much damage, becausethere weren’t any cities near the epicenter.

fault – fault line; a large crack or long hole in the earth’s surface where parts ofthe earth are moving away from each other* I would never want to live near the San Andreas fault.

aftershock – one of many small earthquakes that happens soon after a large earthquake

* After the earthquake, people were warned not to go back into their houses untilall the aftershocks had ended.

high-intensity – very strong and powerful, but normally lasting for only a shortperiod of time

* If you want to lose weight, is it better to do a short, high-intensity workout or alonger, low-intensity workout?

to predict – to say what will happen in the future

* If we could predict the future of the stock market, we’d be rich.

damage – harm; what results when things are broken or destroyed

* The flooding caused a lot of damage to their carpet and furniture.

to be declared – to officially be named something or categorized in a particularway

* War between the two sides was declared in 1842.

disaster area – a geographical area where there has been a lot of damage,injuries, and/or death, usually as the result of a natural disaster or disease

* After the strong tornadoes, much of the Midwest was declared a disaster area.

to send aid – to send money, food, medical supplies, and other important thingsto another country or an area that is in an emergency and needs a lot of help

* Which countries sent aid to Haiti after the earthquake in January 2010?

relief effort – an organized attempt to send money, food, medical supplies, andother important things to another country or area that is in an emergency andneeds a lot of help, usually organized at an international level

* Do you think the relief efforts can prevent people from dying in the famine?

UN – United Nations; a very large international organization that tries to solveglobal problems

* Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish are the officiallanguages of the UN.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of these would cause the most damage?

a) A high-intensity earthquake.

b) An aftershock.

c) A relief effort.

2. Where would an earthquake be felt most strongly?

a) At the epicenter.

b) Along the faults.

c) In a disaster area.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

faultThe word “fault,” in this podcast, means a large crack or long hole in the earth’ssurface where parts of the earth are moving away from each other: “You’d be afool to build your home near a fault.” The word “fault” is also used to talk aboutwho should be blamed for something bad that happens: “It’s my fault that wedon’t have enough money to pay the bills. If I hadn’t bought that new big-screenTV, we’d have more savings in the bank.” The phrase “at fault” is also used todescribe the person who is responsible for something bad that has happened:

“Which driver was at fault in the accident?” Finally, a “fault” is someone’spersonal weakness: “Her greatest fault is that she’s impatient.”

reliefIn this podcast, the phrase “relief effort” means an organized attempt to sendmoney, food, medical supplies, and other important things to another country orarea that is in an emergency and needs a lot of help, usually organized at aninternational level: “Hundreds of doctors are going into the country as part of therelief effort.” When talking about emotions, “relief” is the good feeling when a lotof fear, pain, or worry has ended: “Everyone smiled with relief when the policeannounced that they had found the little girl.” The phrase “pain relief” describesthe reduction or removal of pain: “These pills should provide some pain reliefwhile your broken bones are healing.” Finally, when talking about maps, thephrase “in relief” describes a map that shows the different heights of things: “Doyou have a map that shows these mountains in relief?”

CULTURE NOTE

In the United States, many “nonprofit organizations” (organizations that exist tohelp others or to serve a cause, not to make money) provide disaster reliefservices. Some of these organizations work “domestically” (within the UnitedStates), others work in specific countries or regions, and others work anywhere inthe world.

The American Red Cross is probably the best-known “humanitarian” (intending tohelp people) organization. It “responds” (reacts) to all kinds of emergencies. Forexample, after Hurricane Katrina, it provided bottled water, food, and “tents”

(temporary shelters; a shelter made of fabric that people can use to sleep in) forthe “victims” (people affected by a disaster). The American Red Cross also helpsdisaster victims find their friends and family members if they have beenseparated.

The Salvation Army is a nonprofit organization that “primarily” (mostly) helpsAmericans meet their “basic needs” by assisting poor people with food, water,and housing. However, it also has disaster response teams that work in specificAmerican communities when they need help.

World Vision is a Christian relief organization that tries to improve the lives ofchildren living in “poverty” (without money) everywhere in the world andespecially in disaster areas. It asks individuals to “sponsor” a child, sending acertain amount of money each month to cover the costs of giving that child food,water, medicine, and education.

Catholic Charities works within the United States to reduce poverty and supportfamilies and communities, “regardless of” (without considering) their religiousbeliefs. The organization provides “technical assistance” (specializedknowledge) and “financial assistance” (money) during domestic disasters.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 614: Experiencingan Earthquake.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 614. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Download a Learning Guide for this episode that willgive you all of the definitions, sample sentences, additional vocabulary,comprehension questions, cultural notes, and a complete transcript of everythingwe say on this episode.

This episode is a dialogue between Jamal and Keisha. They’re talking aboutsomething which is very common to many parts of the world, including LosAngeles: earthquakes. We’ll go over some of the vocabulary related to that topic.

Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Jamal: Did you feel that?

Keisha: Was that an earthquake?

Jamal: Yes, I think so. Turn on the news.

Newscaster: “Reports are coming in about an earthquake that occurred at 4:35p.m. in the downtown area. We spoke with a seismologist at the EarthquakeCenter and learned that the earthquake had a magnitude of 3.2 on the Richterscale. The epicenter was near downtown, along one of the major faults, and theseismologist warns that there will be some aftershocks.”

Keisha: Phew! I’m glad the earthquake wasn’t a high-intensity one. I wish theycould predict more accurately when those earthquakes are going to happen.

Jamal: Yeah, me, too. I’ve looked around the house and don’t see any damage,though. I guess our house won’t be declared a disaster area.

Keisha: Don’t be too sure. Considering the mess you’ve made in kitchen, itcould easily be called a disaster area.

Jamal: In that case, will you be sending aid? I think I’m too tired to do thedishes.

Keisha: You won’t be getting any aid from me. If you’re hoping for a relief effort,you’d better ask the UN.

[end of dialogue]

Jamal begins by saying, “Did you feel that?” Keisha says, “Was that anearthquake?” An “earthquake” is a short period of time when the ground shakesor moves because there is some sort of what we would call geological movementunderneath the ground. Most places that experience earthquakes often haveearthquakes that are very small or minor. I feel an earthquake here in LosAngeles maybe once a year, usually it’s small, maybe twice a year. It dependson where you live exactly, but that’s about average, although there are manysmall earthquakes that most people don’t feel that are taking place all the time, atleast that’s what I’ve read.

Keisha asks if it was an earthquake; she wasn’t sure. Usually you can tell.

Sometimes if you look over at, for example, a lamp and you see the string thatyou use to turn on the lamp is moving back and forth, well that’s a sign that therewas something that moved the whole house or the whole apartment. Jamalsays, “Yes, I think so (I think it was an earthquake). Turn on the news,” meaningturn on the radio or the television to see if there is a news report. Nowadays, wewould probably just turn on the computer and look on the Internet.

Next, a newscaster, who sounds surprisingly like Jamal, gives us the news. A“newscaster” is someone on the television or that you hear on radio that readsthe news to you – tells you what the news is. The newscaster says, “Reports(information) are coming in about an earthquake that occurred at 4:35 p.m. in thedowntown area.” “Reports are coming in” means we are receiving informationfrom different places. The earthquake “occurred” (it happened; it took place) at4:35 p.m., in the afternoon, in the downtown area. “We spoke with aseismologist at the Earthquake Center and learned that the earthquake had amagnitude of 3.2 on the Richter scale.” A “seismologist” (seismologist) is ascientist who studies earthquakes – who studies the movements of the earth.

Here in Southern California there are seismologists at California Institute ofTechnology, or what we call here Cal Tech, and usually after an earthquakethere is a seismologist that is interviewed from this area – this university researchcenter. Here, the seismologist is interviewed and says that the earthquake had a magnitude of 3.2. “Magnitude” (magnitude) is how big or small something is; it’sthe size of something, usually used in talking about things like earthquakes. Or,it can also be used to describe a problem: “The magnitude of the problem is huge(is large).” The magnitude of the earthquake is how powerful it is, and there’s away of measuring this called the Richter scale. The “Richter,” which is the nameof the person who helped invent it, is a system for measuring the size ofearthquakes. A 3.2 is not a serious earthquake. If it’s 5-6-7, these are large andpotentially very damaging earthquakes – earthquakes that could cause a lot ofdamage: people getting hurt, buildings falling down, and so forth.

Well, this was a small earthquake, a 3.2. “The epicenter,” the newscastercontinues, “was near downtown.” The “epicenter” (epicenter) is where theearthquakes started; it’s like the center of the earthquake, the place in the groundwhere it started. Earthquakes are caused, as you probably know, by themovement of what we call tectonic plates. These are parts of the earth thatmove back, or can move back and forth and that creates the movement, which isthe earthquake. The epicenter was downtown – near downtown along one of themajor faults. A “fault” (fault) here means or is short for a “fault line,” which is acrack or a long hole in the earth, where the earth is moving away from each otherso it opens up the earth. That’s a fault – that’s the manifestation, I should say, ofa fault; that’s how you can see where a fault is, but there isn’t necessarily a holein the ground right where the fault is. There are earthquake faults – areas thatwould likely have an earthquake all around Southern California, as well asNorthern California – although we’re less interested in them! The biggest faulthere is called the San Andreas fault. “Fault” has some other meanings inEnglish, very different meanings, and those can be found in the Learning Guide.

The newscaster continues by saying that the seismologist warns that there willbe some aftershocks. “Aftershocks” (one word) are small earthquakes thathappen after a large earthquake. So when there’s a large earthquake, the earthisn’t done moving – it hasn’t stopped moving completely typically, and there areadditional earthquakes that could happen an hour, two hours, perhaps even daysfrom the original, large earthquake.

Now we’re back to Keisha and Jamal. Keisha says, “Phew!” which is just a wayof expressing relief. “Phew! I’m glad the earthquake wasn’t a high-intensityone.” “High-intensity” means a strong, a powerful one. It lasts usually a shorttime, but it is very powerful. This was not a high-intensity earthquake. Keishasays, “I wish they could predict more accurately when those earthquakes aregoing to happen.” “To predict” means to say what is going to happen in thefuture. Seismologists are trying to get better at predicting when earthquakes will take place so that they can warn people in advance, but unfortunately thescience is not yet sufficiently advanced to do that.

Jamal says, “Yeah, me, too,” meaning I agree, I wish also the seismologistscould predict more accurately. Jamal says, “I’ve looked around the house and Idon’t see any damage (any harm).” “Damage” is what results when things arebroken or destroyed. He says, “I guess our house won’t be declared a disasterarea.” “To be declared” is a formal way of saying to be officially namedsomething or to be put in a certain category. A “disaster area” is an area wherethere has been a lot of damage – people have been hurt; people have died –usually because of what we would call a natural disaster. A “disaster” (disaster)is when there is a large event that harms or hurts many people or causes a lot ofdamage. Sometimes we use “disaster” to describe a situation where everythingwent wrong: “How was your date last night with Julie?” and you say, “Oh, it was adisaster! She talked about her ex-boyfriend the whole night.” Here, however,“disaster” is used in the more traditional way. In the United States when there isa lot of damage due to a natural disaster, which would be an earthquake, a flood,tornadoes, a hurricane, anything that is caused by the forces of nature, thegovernment will sometimes declare an area a disaster area, and that makes iteligible – that qualifies it – that means that it can receive additional money andhelp from the government.

Jamal says that the house is not damaged and will not be declared a disasterarea. Keisha says, “Don’t be too sure. Considering the mess you’ve made inkitchen, it could easily be called a disaster area.” Here, we’re seeing the otheruse of the word “disaster” to describe a very negative situation. In this case,Jamal has made a mess – he has made the kitchen dirty, and that, Keisha says,is also a disaster area. Jamal, joking of course, says, “In that case, will you besending aid?” “Aid” (aid) is help. In a disaster it’s usually food, medical supplies,other things that a country needs or an area needs after a disaster: drinkingwater, money, and so forth. To “send aid,” then, would be to send those things tothe disaster area.

Jamal is joking, saying that he needs aid to clean up the kitchen. He says, “Ithink I’m too tired to do the dishes.” Keisha says, “You won’t be getting any aidfrom me (I’m not going to help you). If you’re hoping for a relief effort, you’dbetter ask the UN.” “Relief” (relief) is a change in a situation, in a bad situationthings get better. “Relief efforts” are when organizations and governments try toorganize aid. They have a committee – they have leaders that organize themoney, the food, the medical supplies, and other things. Usually after a majordisaster – and there have been unhappily many in recent years – there is a relief effort organized by different countries, by organizations such as the Red Cross.

The “UN” is the United Nations, which of course is the large internationalorganization that tries to solve problems among nations, as well as help whenthere is a disaster. Keisha, continuing the joke, says that there is going to be norelief effort and that Jamal should ask the United Nations to help him with thedisaster area he created in the kitchen.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.