Japan Stage 5 Comp Tokyo - Living On Shaky Ground - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 5 Unit focus: Japan Text focus: Information Text Tokyo - Living On Shaky Ground Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a sprawling metropolis and home to nearly 14 million people. If you includ...

STAGE 5 Unit focus: Japan Text focus: Information Text Tokyo - Living On Shaky Ground Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a sprawling metropolis and home to nearly 14 million people. If you include the surrounding urban areas, the population exceeds 37 million people, making it the most populous city in the world. And yet, this megacity lives under the ever- present threat of earthquakes. This is because Japan lies on the meeting point of three tectonic plates. As these plates shi and collide, they result in volcanoes and earthquakes. Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan and an active volcano, is one reminder of this. However, whilst Mount Fuji may have been sleeping for several hundred years, earthquakes are a far more frequent occurrence. Japan is subjected to an estimated 2000 earthquakes each year. Although the majority are minor tremors, there have been many devastating earthquakes throughout the country’s history. In 2011, an earthquake struck the east of Japan triggering a tsunami and also causing an explosion in a nuclear power plant. The quake was measured by seismometers at 9.0-9.1 on the Richter Scale (a way of measuring the strength of earthquakes). This made it the fourth largest earthquake in the world since measurements began in 1900. 19,747 people were killed and many more were injured or displaced from their homes. Scientists, politicians and residents of Japan know that there will one day be another major earthquake and they have therefore gone about making Tokyo one of the most protected cities in the world. Buildings are designed to withstand the force of an earthquake. You might think that they do this by constructing incredibly strong, rigid structures; in fact, it’s the opposite. The construction methods and materials result in structures which are flexible and move with the force of the quake and not against it. These swaying buildings can absorb the shock with minimal damage. Japan also boasts that its extensive rail system is essentially ‘quakeproof’. A series of seismometers on the tracks detect the earliest signs of an earthquake and send out an emergency braking signal to any trains on the system. The powerful brakes can bring trains to a safe and quick stop before they A ding ro Rea und all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed e um C u r r ic ul Th http://www.literacyshedplus.com come to any harm. Trains also have backup power supplies so they can move to a safe place in the case of an earthquake which cuts normal power supplies. However, the protections are not only the result of innovation and technology: the public are well educated and trained to be ready. Children take part in regular earthquake drills to practice how to respond. There are even simulators where you can experience what a strong earthquake would feel like. Households, workplaces and public places are encouraged to keep supplies of tinned food and water and other emergency equipment in case of a serious earthquake. By careful planning, investment and preparedness, the city hopes that when the earth next unleashes its power on the people of Tokyo, they will be able to limit the damage and loss of life as far as possible. VOCABULARY FOCUS 1. What word tells us Tokyo is spread over a large area? 2. What word or phrase could replace ‘subjected to’ in paragraph 2? 3. what does ‘withstand’ mean? 4. Find and copy a word which means ‘inflexible’. 5. What does the phrase ‘unleashes its power’ mean and what picture does it give us of earthquakes? VIPERS QUESTIONS E ‘Although the majority are minor tremors’ What does ‘the majority’ refer to in this phrase? R When did modern measurements of earthquakes begin? I What made the 2011 earthquake so deadly? E Why is the word ‘with’ written in italics? S How does Japan use technology to help protect themselves from earthquake damage? all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com