As you may have noticed, there have been several severe natural disasters taking place in recent years. On September 29, 2009, a severe undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 hit close to the islands of Samoa and American Samoa, triggering a tsunami that has wiped out dozens of coastal villages and killed at least 150 people in the region. Soon after the deadly disaster, international aid flowed to the area, providing medical personnel, food, water and medicine. At the same time, seismologists and disaster management experts tried to illustrate the cause of the disaster and offered their suggestions.
Calamity is not a new topic for us, as we have discussed man-made calamities before, like war. This week, let's talk about natural calamities. In addition to the event of Samoan Tsunami, please feel free to bring up any natural disasters that have come across your mind.
Assignment: Please make a summary of the news, or provide your comments on this issue.
For your reference, the following are some related news reports of Samoan Tsunami:
Scores Are Killed as Tsunami Hits Samoa Islands
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/world ... ss&emc=rss
Aid flows to tsunami-hit Samoas; death toll at 120
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... lot&sub=AR
Samoa Tsunami Lesson: Early Warning System Too Slow
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/samoa- ... id=8726174#
If you don't have enough time, please watch the first video clip and read the first and the third pieces of news.
ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
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Sherry Liao
- YOYO member
- 文章: 1486
- 註冊時間: 週五 12月 07, 2007 12:15 pm
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
Words and expressions:
1st video clip:
to level the entire village
aftermath of the earthquake
the epicenter of the earthquake
aftershock
the rescue efforts are hampered
Mother Nature
landfall
2nd video clip:
smash into the US territory
a terrifying experience
1st video clip:
to level the entire village
aftermath of the earthquake
the epicenter of the earthquake
aftershock
the rescue efforts are hampered
Mother Nature
landfall
2nd video clip:
smash into the US territory
a terrifying experience
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
Here is my summary of the Samoan Tsunami.
A 1.5-meter tsunami hit American Samoa and Samoa at dawn on September 29th. The tsunami was set off by an 8.0-magnitude undersea earthquake whose epicenter is in the middle between American Samoa and Soma. The disaster reminds people of the tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean in 2004 and claimed almost 230,000 lives, making it the deadliest in the history. Although the latest tsunami is not as strong as the 2004 one, which was sparked by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, it is also destructive and deadly. The calamity has left at least 89 dead and dozens of people missing. Several villages were leveled and widespread devastation was reported. Rescue efforts are severely hampered by the destruction of infrastructure. The true damages of the islands are still being assessed.
A 1.5-meter tsunami hit American Samoa and Samoa at dawn on September 29th. The tsunami was set off by an 8.0-magnitude undersea earthquake whose epicenter is in the middle between American Samoa and Soma. The disaster reminds people of the tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean in 2004 and claimed almost 230,000 lives, making it the deadliest in the history. Although the latest tsunami is not as strong as the 2004 one, which was sparked by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, it is also destructive and deadly. The calamity has left at least 89 dead and dozens of people missing. Several villages were leveled and widespread devastation was reported. Rescue efforts are severely hampered by the destruction of infrastructure. The true damages of the islands are still being assessed.
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Sherry Liao
- YOYO member
- 文章: 1486
- 註冊時間: 週五 12月 07, 2007 12:15 pm
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
Every time I tried to summarize the content of a video clip, I always skipped the parts I didn't comprehend spontaneously and only resorted to the parts I understood to make a summary. It may not be a good way to study a language. So this time I decided to transcribe the first clip, to force myself to pay attention to the parts I don't understand. (However, it turns out that I still cannot comprehend the news fully ...)
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This morning President Obama was declaring a US territory the American Samoa a major disaster, after that earthquake generated a tsunami leveled entire villages. Dozens of people are missing xxxx says his first emergency teams are now heading to that region. xxxx was talked live with a man who lives in the American Samoa about conditions there this morning. But first xxxx with latest on the detail of this story.
Again this was an earthquake of magnitude 8.0, big by any standard but not as large or devastated as the 2004 tsunami that hit the Indian ocean of waves about the half foot about normal in Honolulu of 1.5 in Halelwa. Hilo had about half foot normal about normal waves. Again, this is a disaster and I'll tell you like the one in 2004, it was both destructive and it was deadly.
The aftermath of xxxx destruction in Pago Pago, the capital city of American Samoa, following a tsunami Tuesday, powered by an earthquake with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3. Nearly 2700 miles from Australia, the epicenter of this earthquake was just off the coast of American Samoa, and the effect could be felt for miles.
A tsunami starts as an underwater earthquake. The motion from the quake at energy xx the water, xxxx toward the surface, and creating waves that could be devastating once they make landfall.
This was a magnitude 8 earthquake, is a very very large earthquake, it gives about one of these earthquakes per year. The magnitude 9 produces about 32 times as much magnitude as magnitude 8.
The world saw that kind of energy in 2004, with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, sparked a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, killing near 230,000 people, making it as deadly as in history. While Tuesday tsunami wasn't as strong and as deadly as in 2004, it did xxxx tsunami warning through out the pacific as far away from California. And this morning, it leaves the communities packing up the pieces, serving as a reminder of how hard mother nature can strike, even in an island paradise.
Aftershock has been reported through out the region and we had been told that rescue aid has been hampered because the damage was so extensive, some parts of the island in accessible xxxx in a hundred feet of water a tsumani can move as fast as forty miles per hour, so these folks really have no chance of being warned.
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This morning President Obama was declaring a US territory the American Samoa a major disaster, after that earthquake generated a tsunami leveled entire villages. Dozens of people are missing xxxx says his first emergency teams are now heading to that region. xxxx was talked live with a man who lives in the American Samoa about conditions there this morning. But first xxxx with latest on the detail of this story.
Again this was an earthquake of magnitude 8.0, big by any standard but not as large or devastated as the 2004 tsunami that hit the Indian ocean of waves about the half foot about normal in Honolulu of 1.5 in Halelwa. Hilo had about half foot normal about normal waves. Again, this is a disaster and I'll tell you like the one in 2004, it was both destructive and it was deadly.
The aftermath of xxxx destruction in Pago Pago, the capital city of American Samoa, following a tsunami Tuesday, powered by an earthquake with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3. Nearly 2700 miles from Australia, the epicenter of this earthquake was just off the coast of American Samoa, and the effect could be felt for miles.
A tsunami starts as an underwater earthquake. The motion from the quake at energy xx the water, xxxx toward the surface, and creating waves that could be devastating once they make landfall.
This was a magnitude 8 earthquake, is a very very large earthquake, it gives about one of these earthquakes per year. The magnitude 9 produces about 32 times as much magnitude as magnitude 8.
The world saw that kind of energy in 2004, with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, sparked a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, killing near 230,000 people, making it as deadly as in history. While Tuesday tsunami wasn't as strong and as deadly as in 2004, it did xxxx tsunami warning through out the pacific as far away from California. And this morning, it leaves the communities packing up the pieces, serving as a reminder of how hard mother nature can strike, even in an island paradise.
Aftershock has been reported through out the region and we had been told that rescue aid has been hampered because the damage was so extensive, some parts of the island in accessible xxxx in a hundred feet of water a tsumani can move as fast as forty miles per hour, so these folks really have no chance of being warned.
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
89 people were killed and many villages on the American Samoa and Samoa were destroyed by the tsunami occurred on 29 Sept., 2009, which was followed by the earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 struck on the same day. According to the territory’s governor of American Samoa, the second and third waves cause the most severe damage among the four waves. President Obama claimed that it is a big disaster in the American Samoa and authorized federal aid to help the local people. International aid has also come to the Samoa Islands for the disaster relief efforts.
Although this earthquake and tsunami is not as big as the one in India in 2004, which 227,898 lives were lost, it is as dangerous and deadly as it. The seismologists and disaster management experts said we should educate the people who live near the coast to watch out for the earthquake and low tide rather than fully depend on the early warning systems.
Although this earthquake and tsunami is not as big as the one in India in 2004, which 227,898 lives were lost, it is as dangerous and deadly as it. The seismologists and disaster management experts said we should educate the people who live near the coast to watch out for the earthquake and low tide rather than fully depend on the early warning systems.
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
Hi Janet,janet12tw 寫:89 people were killed and many villages on the American Samoa and Samoa were destroyed by the tsunami occurred on 29 Sept., 2009, which was followed by the earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 struck on the same day.
Here I revised the sentence.
89 people were killed and many villages on the American Samoa and Samoa were destroyed by the tsunami that followed an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on 29 Sept., 2009.
....., in which 227,898 lives were lost, ...janet12tw 寫:Although this earthquake and tsunami is not as big as the one in India in 2004, which 227,898 lives were lost, it is as dangerous and deadly as it.
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Sherry Liao
- YOYO member
- 文章: 1486
- 註冊時間: 週五 12月 07, 2007 12:15 pm
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
The revision:
This morning President Obama was declaring a US territory the American Samoa a major disaster, after that earthquake generated a tsunami leveled entire villages. Dozens of people are missing, feared swept out to sea. (A person’s name) says his first emergency teams are now heading to that region. (Someone's name) ahead of was talked live with a man who lives in the American Samoa about conditions there this morning. But first we got (the person's name) with latest on the detail of this story.
Again this was an earthquake of magnitude 8.0, big by any standard but not as large or devastated as the 2004 tsunami that hit the Indian ocean of waves about the half foot about normal in Honolulu of 1.5 in Halelwa. Hilo had about half foot normal about normal waves. Again, this is a disaster and I'll tell you like the one in 2004, it was both destructive and it was deadly.
The aftermath of natural fury destruction in Pago Pago, the capital city of American Samoa, following a tsunami Tuesday, powered by an earthquake with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3. Nearly 2700 miles from Australia, the epicenter of this earthquake was just off the coast of American Samoa, and the effect could be felt for miles.
A tsunami starts as an underwater earthquake. The motion from the quake adds energy to the water, pushing toward the surface, and creating waves that could be devastating once they make landfall.
This was a magnitude 8 earthquake, is a very very large earthquake, it gives about one of these earthquakes per year. The magnitude 9 produces about 32 times as much energy as magnitude 8.
The world saw that kind of energy in 2004, with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, sparked a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, killing near 230,000 people, making it the deadliest in history. While Tuesday tsunami wasn't as strong and as deadly as in 2004, it did prompt tsunami warning through out the pacific as far away from California. And this morning, it leaves the communities packing up the pieces, serving as a reminder of how hard mother nature can strike, even in an island paradise.
Aftershock has been reported through out the region and we had been told that rescue efforts are hampered because the damage was so extensive, some parts of the island in accessible xxxx in a hundred feet of water a tsumani can move as fast as forty miles per hour, so these folks really have no chance of being warned.
This morning President Obama was declaring a US territory the American Samoa a major disaster, after that earthquake generated a tsunami leveled entire villages. Dozens of people are missing, feared swept out to sea. (A person’s name) says his first emergency teams are now heading to that region. (Someone's name) ahead of was talked live with a man who lives in the American Samoa about conditions there this morning. But first we got (the person's name) with latest on the detail of this story.
Again this was an earthquake of magnitude 8.0, big by any standard but not as large or devastated as the 2004 tsunami that hit the Indian ocean of waves about the half foot about normal in Honolulu of 1.5 in Halelwa. Hilo had about half foot normal about normal waves. Again, this is a disaster and I'll tell you like the one in 2004, it was both destructive and it was deadly.
The aftermath of natural fury destruction in Pago Pago, the capital city of American Samoa, following a tsunami Tuesday, powered by an earthquake with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3. Nearly 2700 miles from Australia, the epicenter of this earthquake was just off the coast of American Samoa, and the effect could be felt for miles.
A tsunami starts as an underwater earthquake. The motion from the quake adds energy to the water, pushing toward the surface, and creating waves that could be devastating once they make landfall.
This was a magnitude 8 earthquake, is a very very large earthquake, it gives about one of these earthquakes per year. The magnitude 9 produces about 32 times as much energy as magnitude 8.
The world saw that kind of energy in 2004, with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, sparked a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, killing near 230,000 people, making it the deadliest in history. While Tuesday tsunami wasn't as strong and as deadly as in 2004, it did prompt tsunami warning through out the pacific as far away from California. And this morning, it leaves the communities packing up the pieces, serving as a reminder of how hard mother nature can strike, even in an island paradise.
Aftershock has been reported through out the region and we had been told that rescue efforts are hampered because the damage was so extensive, some parts of the island in accessible xxxx in a hundred feet of water a tsumani can move as fast as forty miles per hour, so these folks really have no chance of being warned.
最後由 Sherry Liao 於 週日 10月 11, 2009 8:27 am 編輯，總共編輯了 2 次。
Re: ISG 1011 Samoan Tsunami
1st clip
American Samoa was slammed by tsunami generated by an earthquake with magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3. The disaster was not as large as the tsunami hitting India Ocean in 2004 which caused death toll nearly 230,000 people but still destructive and deadly. Because of the large and fast scale of tsunami, it’s not only impossible to warn residents in advance but also difficult for rescue teams to enter some parts of island relieving trapped people.
The clip also illustrated how the tsunami formed to hit the island: The tsunami powered by an underwater earthquake. The motion from the quake accumulated enough energy to the water, pushing towards the surface and creating waves that destroy the village.
words
inaccessible
hamper
sweep out to sea
American Samoa was slammed by tsunami generated by an earthquake with magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3. The disaster was not as large as the tsunami hitting India Ocean in 2004 which caused death toll nearly 230,000 people but still destructive and deadly. Because of the large and fast scale of tsunami, it’s not only impossible to warn residents in advance but also difficult for rescue teams to enter some parts of island relieving trapped people.
The clip also illustrated how the tsunami formed to hit the island: The tsunami powered by an underwater earthquake. The motion from the quake accumulated enough energy to the water, pushing towards the surface and creating waves that destroy the village.
words
inaccessible
hamper
sweep out to sea