Lesson 9: The Forces of Nature: Unit Test

Question 1:

What does the word 'magnitude' refer to in the context of the disaster?

Question 2:

What did the police officers block off the road for after the accident?

Question 3:

How did the oil spill affect the river and the fish?

Answer 1:

The answer is A: size. Magnitude means large size or great importance.

Answer 2:

The answer is C: rubbish. Debris means broken or torn pieces of something larger.

Answer 3:

The answer is C: spread. Dispersed means to scatter or move away over a large area, or to cause this to happen.

When we talk about the 'magnitude' of a disaster, we are referring to the size or great importance of the event. It is something big and impactful, making it hard to imagine the scale of it. In the context of the disaster mentioned, the magnitude of it must have been immense.

The police officers blocked off the road after the accident to clear all the 'debris'. Debris in this case refers to all the broken and scattered remains from the accident. They needed to make sure the road was safe and clear for traffic to pass through again.

The oil spill had a devastating effect on the river and the fish. The spill 'spread' throughout the river, killing hundreds of fish. The word 'dispersed' in this context means to scatter or move away over a large area. The oil contamination led to a significant loss of marine life in the affected area and had long-lasting environmental consequences.

It's important to understand the terminology used in these contexts to grasp the severity of natural disasters and their impacts on the environment and communities.