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Read the passage carefully. Then choose the
correct answer. |
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Being such a small island, can you imagine what
would happen if a gigantic tsunami hits
Singapore? Fortunately, Singapore is nestled
comfortably between the Malay Peninsula and the
islands of Indonesia, Sumatra and Java. Chances
of tsunami waves hitting Singapore are slim
since the Peninsula and bigger islands will
probably buffer the impact of the waves from the
open sea before they reach Singapore. Unlike
countries that lie along major fault lines,
Singapore is a safe distance from volcanic and
earthquake-prone zones in the world. Countries
like Japan and cities like California in America
sit on edges of moving tectonic plates. Tectonic
plates are large slabs of the earth's crust that
have broken up and are either drifting apart
from one another or moving closer together. The
movements of these tectonic plates cause a great
deal of pressure and instability, and hence,
some of the energy and forces that they generate
are released by means of a volcanic eruption or
an earthquake. Ancient man once described them
as a display of God's wrath at man.
Fortunately for us, modern science and
technology are more advanced than in the past,
and we are better able to predict the occurrence
of an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. Of
course, the experts cannot be completely
accurate in their forecasts but at least, they
enable people living in such areas to be
prepared.
These natural disasters bring about massive
damages to property and lives. A whole town can
be flattened by an earthquake or swallowed up by
swift-flowing lava from an erupting volcano.
Besides these, an earthquake can cause a major
fire outbreak, which can spread like a wild bush
fire when electric lines are exposed or when
cooking stoves topple as buildings collapse. It
can also bring about seismic waves as the force
of an earthquake reverberates through the ocean
or sea. In the case of North-eastern Japan, on
11 March 2011, a giant tsunami slammed coastal
areas leaving a trail of destruction right after
an 8.9-magnitude quake. This episode revived the
frightening memories of the giant tsunami that
struck Asia in 2004. |
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1. |
According to paragraph 1, a tsunami will probably not hit
Singapore because ______. |
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(A) |
Singapore is only a small island |
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(B) |
Singapore can buffer the impact of the waves |
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(C) |
Singapore is located in the middle of the Malay Peninsula |
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(D) |
Singapore is located between the Malay Peninsula and the two large
islands of Indonesia |
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2. |
Countries that are at risk of an earthquake are those ______. |
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(A) |
close to Japan and America |
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(B) |
that are on the earth's crust |
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(C) |
that lie along the major fault lines |
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(D) |
that are moving away from the tectonic plates |
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3. |
A volcanic eruption is caused by ______. |
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(A) |
God's anger at man |
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(B) |
pressure from the earth's crust |
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(C) |
the explosion of the earth's crust |
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(D) |
the energy released when tectonic plates drift apart or move closer
together |
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4. |
Based on the passage, what is the best
course of action once a volcanic eruption is predicted in an area ? |
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(A) |
People should avoid going to the beach. |
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(B) |
People should stay indoors and not leave home. |
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(C) |
People should leave the area as soon as possible. |
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(D) |
People should immediately search for a strong building that is
quake-proof to stay in. |
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5. |
According to paragraph 4, which of the
following cannot be triggered by an earthquake ? |
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(A) |
Tsunamis |
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(B) |
Bush fires |
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(C) |
Seismic waves |
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(D) |
Volcanic eruptions |
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