Answer Key: Mudslides

Lesson Plan: Mudslides: How Much Do We Really Know?

II. While Reading Activities

Vocabulary

Word Inference

  1. fatal |ˈfātl| adjective-causing death: a fatal accident.
  2. confirmed |kənˈfərmd| verb [ with obj. ] establish the truth or correctness of (something previously believed, suspected, or feared to be the case): if these fears are confirmed, the outlook for the economy will be dire.
  3. unstable ˌənˈstābəl| adjective ( unstabler, unstablest ) prone to change, fail, or give way; not stable: the unstable cliff tops
  4. increments |ˈiNGkrəmənt, ˈin-| noun an increase or addition, esp. one of a series on a fixed scale: the inmates’ pay can escalate in five-cent increments to a maximum of 90 cents an hour.
  5. precipitation  |priˌsipəˈtāSHən| noun rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
  6. eroding |iˈrōd| verb  (of wind, water, or other natural agents) gradually wear away (soil, rock, or land): the cliffs have been eroded by the sea.
  7. collapsed  |kəˈlaps| verb [ with obj. ] cause (something) to fall in or give way: it feels as if the slightest pressure would collapse it.
  8. terrain təˈrān|  noun-a stretch of land, esp. with regard to its physical features: they were delayed by rough terrain.
  9. Strategies |ˈstratəjē| noun ( pl. strategies ) a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim: time to develop a coherent economic strategy | shifts in marketing strategy.
  10. pending |ˈpendiNG| adjective-about to happen; imminent: with a presidential election pending, it would be wrong to force the changes through now | the pending disaster.

 Word -Recognition 

  1. A  fatal mudslide in Washington State points to the dangers of heavy rainfall.
  2. On Saturday morning, a mudslide moved down the Stillaguamish River.
  3. This area has had slides in small increments over the last several years,
  4. A mudslide is also called a debris flow.
  5. It just takes a pull of gravity.
  6. Mudslides are also often triggered by earthquakes
  7. Strategies to decrease the risk of mudslides include draining water off hillsides.
  8. This isn’t a situation where the authorities should have done something to prevent it.
  9. The CDC recommends that people exercise caution around steep slopes during rainfall.
  10. Immediate signs of a pending slide include tilting trees.

Source: New Oxford American Dictionary

Reading Comprehension

True /False/NA-Statements

  1. F- A fatal mudslide occurred in rural northwestern Washington State over the weekend.
  2. NA-The missing people are mainly children.
  3. F- This isn’t a situation where the authorities should have done something to prevent it.
  4. T- A mudslide is also called a debris flow.
  5. T- Mudslides occur after water rapidly saturates the ground on a slope, such as during a heavy rainfall.
  6. F- Mudslides tend to happen during wet seasons.
  7. T-In the United States, mudslides and landslides result in an average of 25 to 50 deaths a year.
  8. T-Strategies to decrease the risk of mudslides include draining water off hillsides.
  9. T-Immediate signs of a pending slide include tilting trees and sudden increases or decreases in rivers.
  10. NA-Mudslides will occur in the future.

 Grammar Focus

Structure and Usage

I. 2. The mudslide also destroyed about 30 homes.

II. 2. A mudslide is also called a debris flow.

III. 3. The CDC recommends that people exercise caution around steep slopes during rainfall

 IV. Listening Activity

While Listening

True /False/NA-Statements

Video Clip:  Washington Mudslide Kills at Least 14 Across A Mile

  1. T- At the time of this broadcast, there were 25 houses and families destroyed.
  2. T- The wall of dirt that came down was a mile and a half wide.
  3. F- There had been a previous slide in 2006 that brought half of the hill down.
  4. T- The term “clear cut” means all vegetation is  cut down to the earth.
  5. F- Some contributing factors to the mudslide were heavy rainfall, logging activity, and erosion of the earth by the river.
  6. F-The mudslide was compared to a tsunami.
  7. NA-Ways to prevent future mudslides were discussed.
  8. F- The speakers felt that this disaster had not received enough news coverage.
  9. T- This slide has been having trouble for the past 20 years.
  10. T- From the video you can guess that geologists are people who study the earth’s structure.