A frightening example of the sea’s power saw 125,000 people die in 12 different countries last week. The terrible disaster was caused when a great earthquake sent tsunamis breaking into Indian Ocean coastlines. Various areas in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Malaysia and East Africa have been destroyed by the huge waves. Whole towns were simply swept aside by the power of the water. Cars, trains and buildings could not remain steady, not to say the people who stood in the way.
The earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and occurred off the coast of Indonesia. It was recorded as the fifth strongest since 1900. Scientists said the quake was as powerful as a million of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during the World War II. “This may be the worst natural disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas.” said Jan Ege-land, a UN official.
Because such waves hardly happen in the Indian Ocean, there is no system in place to warn coastal people who are about to be hit. Tsunami is a Japanese word. They are usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of the Earth’s crust under the ocean. Tsunamis often happen in oceans and they are most common in the Pacific.
Tsunamis can be very long, as much as 100 kilometers. They are able to cross entire oceans without losing much energy. One of the most striking facts about tsunamis is that an earthquake on one side of the Pacific Ocean can cause huge waves on the other side.
When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed at speeds of up to 800 kilometers per hour. They can cross the entire ocean in a day or less. The wave may only be a few meters high in the ocean, but when it is near the shore and reaches shallow water, the wave builds up very quickly in height.
61. How many countries were stricken by the terrible disaster?
A. 6.                                   B. 12.                   C. 18.                   D. Not sure.
62. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT __________.
Tsunami is a word taken in from Japanese
Tsunamis are quite common in the Indian Ocean
The earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale
No warning system has been set up to watch tsunamis there
63. We can know from this passage that __________.
the earthquake has been the strongest in the last century
the wave soon becomes higher when it reaches the shore
the atomic bombs were more powerful than the earthquake
tsunamis can cross entire oceans with almost the same energy
64. You’ll see the passage in __________ section of a newspaper most probably.
A. Sports                      B. Health               C. News                D. Culture