Earthquakes: Boumerdes Nightmare of May 21, 2003. (Author-Bouabdellah)

Lycee Si-Tarek of Relizane

Second Year Pupils - Scientific Streams

Third Term Final Exam

����������When residents of northern Algerian cities had settled down in front of their television on May 21, 2003 to watch an evening showing of the European Soccer Cup final, their ceiling and walls began to shake and crumble. The magnitude 6.8 earth quake struck at 17:44 local time, wreaking extensive damage throughout five provinces.

Centred in Boumerdes region some 50 km east of the capital city of Algiers, the worst affected urban areas were the cities of Boumerdes, Zemmouri, Thenia, Belouizded, Rouiba and Reghaia, together with the eastern areas of the capital.

As soon as the earthquake stopped, hundred of young people hurried to rescue the injured from under the wreckages of ruined houses and buildings.

�According to the reports, death totalled 2,266 with a further 10,261 injuries. Structural damage within urban areas was severe, with an estimated 150,000 people displaced from their houses and temporary re-housed in makeshift tent camps. The May 21st, earthquake was the largest to strike Algeria since 1980, when a magnitude 7.3 even caused 3,500 deaths and an estimated $5 billion of damage.

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1-� Choose the correct answer: The text is taken from: a) A history bookb) A newspaper articlec) A novel.

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2-� In which paragraph is it mentioned that the earthquake left thousands of deaths and injuries? � N�: 1234

3-� Are these statements true or false:

a)�� The earthquake struck after residents of northern Algerian cities settled down to watch a match. TrueFalse

b)� The earthquake struck late in the evening. TrueFalse

c)�� The epicentre of the earthquake was in Boumerdes. TrueFalse

d)�� Hundreds of young people buried the injured. TrueFalse

4-� Give full answers to the following questions:

a)�� List the different regions that were affected by the earthquake. (separated by a coma ",")

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b)� What were the consequences of the earthquake?

�They were

c)�� What were the consequences of 1980 earthquake?

�They were

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5-� Find in the text words whose synonyms follow:

a)�� fall down (�1)=�

b)� scale or degree (�&)=�

c)�� save (�3)=�

d)� to hit (�4)=

6-� Correct the wrong capitals and punctuation in the following sentence:

a)�� Earthquakes may occur in volcanic Regions, and are caused by the movement of Magma in volcanoes.�

7-� Tick the odd one out:

a)��� Earthquake / Tsunami / Flooding / Rainforest�

8-� In every sentence there is ONE mistake and ONE mistake only. Spot the mistake and re-write the sentence corrected.

a)�� During the earthquake you�d better to stay calm.

b)� He asked the last earthquake had damaged the region.

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c)�� A mother ordered her child to not go far from there.

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9-� Transform the sentences into direct speech:

a)�� He said that when residents of northern Algerian cities had settled in front of their TVs to watch a football match, an earthquake had hit the region.

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� He said:

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10-�� Put the verbs in their correct form:

a)�� If Ben (get up) �early, he can catch the bus.

b)� You (catch) �a cold if you don�t put your coat.

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� Not panic / Turn off gas, water, electricity.

� Don�t anchor objects to wall / clean up dangerous spills / wear shoes.

� Make plans to keep your family together / check for injuries / provide first aid.