Code X Tsunami: Indonesia

Key Ideas and Details

100

Explain Ward's comparison of Earth to a hard boiled egg with a cracked shell in paragraph 36.

Ward compares Earth to a hard boiled egg to make the point that the Earth's surface is broken up into pieces, called plates.

200

What phrases in paragraph 35 explain why it is so difficult to predict a tsunami

The phrases "They usually form after a very strong underwater earthquake" that is "out of sight" explain why it is difficult to predict tsunamis.

300

Why does Emile Okal--a seismologist at Northwestern University--state, "The bottom line is we can't predict tsunamis"? Provide textual evidence (See paragraphs 34-35).

Okal says this to make the point that it is difficult for scientists to predict tsunamis because they "usually form after a very strong underwater earthquake," and these quakes happen "out of sight, deep within the earth."

400

Explain why no one ordered an evacuation after scientists detected the 9.3 Indian Ocean earthquake (paragraph 45)?

Scientists can only detect earthquake activity with seismometers. They have no way of knowing if a tsunami will form after and underwater earthquake.

Academic Vocabulary

100

Do the authors adequately support the claim in paragraph 34 that the damage from the 2004 tsunami was "unparalleled"?

Yes, the authors adequately support their claim. They mention that the tsunami destroyed communities and more than 280,000 were dead or missing after it hit. They also mention that none of the Indian Ocean tsunamis of the last century were "very large or caused major damage."

200

What do scientists hope to achieve by designing a tsunami "detection" and warning system for the Indian Ocean (See paragraph 47)?

Scientists hope to prevent the amount of injuries and deaths of people living close to the Indian Ocean by designing a system that will allow them to discover/find tsunami activity and warn people about approaching tsunamis in time.

Text Structure

100

What does sentence "But it's not the shaking that makes a tsunami" in paragraph 39 suggest that the authors will discuss in the next section?

The word "but" indicates that an exception or contrary idea is about to be expressed. In this case, it's not the shaking that causes a tsunami, which suggests that the authors will explain the cause next.

200

What is the purpose of the diagram on page 154?

The diagram is meant to help the reader visualize how an underwater earthquake occurs and how tsunami waves grow in height as they come closer to the shore.

300

Compare the "ordinary school day in China's Sichuan province" (paragraph 23) to the "sunny and warm day in Sumatra, Indonesia" (paragraph 33).

Before the China earthquake the "students studied in their classroom while parents went to work or cared for their homes," but after the earthquake "schools, houses, factories, and other buildings toppled, burying thousands of people under rubble." Before the tsunami Sumatra was enjoyable and pleasant but after the tsunami many coastal communities had been destroyed and "more than 280,000 people were dead or missing."

Words and Phrases in Context

100

Define "staggering" as used in paragraph 39. What words or phrases do the authors use to support you in determining its meaning?

As used in paragraph 39, "staggering" means shocking in its greatness or overwhelming. The authors use the phrases "9.3 on the Richter scale" and "cause a lot of shaking" to illustrate its meaning.

200

What is the effect of words such as "quickly," "raced," "walls," and "towering" that the authors use to describe the movement and size of the 2004 tsunami in paragraph 41?

"Quickly" and "raced" emphasize the movement and force of a tsunami. "Walls" and "towering" emphasize the immensity or largeness of a tsunami.

300

Define "dubbed" as used in paragraph 46. What words and/or punctuation do the authors use to support you in determining its meaning?

"Dubbed" means nicknamed or called. The authors use a pair of commas--or an appositive phrase--to show that the "Ring of Fire" is another name for the area that borders the Pacific Ocean.

Final Jeopardy

500

Explain why the earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1 didn't trigger a tsunami. What was different about the earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 that allowed it to create a tsunami (See paragraphs 40 and 44)? Provide textual evidence.

The earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1 did not trigger a tsunami because "it occurred along a strike-slip fault" and "there was little vertical movement in the crust," or "little water was displaced." The earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 was different because "one plate snapped upward" or "it pushed water upward."