Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster

According to the author of “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster,” why were there far fewer deaths in an earthquake in Chile than in a weaker earthquake in Haiti?

• Far fewer people live in Chile than in Haiti.

• The earthquake in Chile occurred in a deserted area.

• Chile had laws that required buildings to be more earthquake-safe.

• A large international search-and-rescue team helped people in Chile.

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In “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster,” which step helped northern Vietnam reduce the loss of life and property during Typhoon Wukong?

• building homes on high platforms

• planting mangrove forests

• evacuating most residents

• building high dikes

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According to the author of “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster,” how can a disaster help a country to prepare for a safer future?

• When a country rebuilds after a disaster, it can build stronger buildings.

• After a disaster, residents are more likely to take steps leaders suggest.

• Studying the disaster can help decision-makers see what they did wrong.

• Disasters get attention and assistance from the international community.

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In “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster,” which of the following are among the steps listed by the author? Choose two options.

• setting aside a disaster fund

• finding political champions

• planting urban forests

• identifying risks

• training the military in disaster response

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Part A: What is the meaning of infrastructure as it is used in this excerpt from “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster”?

• basic systems that keep society functioning

• basic systems that provide proper plumbing

• strategies used in disaster prevention efforts

• strategies used in disaster recovery efforts

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Part B: Which word group from the excerpt best supports the answer to Part A?

This is Part A: What is the meaning of infrastructure as it is used in this

excerpt from “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster”?

Sometimes avoiding catastrophe is as simple as ensuring that

drains aren’t clogged (one of the most common causes of urban

flooding) and that infrastructure is well maintained so roads and

bridges don’t crumble with the first heavy rain.

• Sometimes avoiding catastrophe

• is as simple as ensuring

• most common causes of urban flooding

• so roads and bridges don’t crumble

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Part A: What is the meaning of magnitude as it is used in this excerpt from “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster”? The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, with a magnitude of 7.0, killed more than 220,000 people. Just a month later, the much stronger earthquake in Chile, magnitude 8.8, caused only about 500 deaths.

• a number identifying location

• a measurement of power

• a measurement of fatalities

• a number identifying date or time

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Part B: Which word group from the excerpt best supports the answer to Part A?

This is Part A: What is the meaning of magnitude as it is used in this

excerpt from “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster”?

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, with a magnitude of 7.0, killed more

than 220,000 people. Just a month later, the much stronger

earthquake in Chile, magnitude 8.8, caused only about 500

deaths.

• The 2010 earthquake in Haiti

• Just a month later

• the much stronger earthquake in Chile

• caused only about 500 deaths.

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Part A: What is the central, or main, idea of “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster”?

• People should take certain recommended steps to help equip their homes to withstand natural disasters.

• Families should take certain recommended steps to help them better cope with natural disasters.

• Leaders should take certain recommended steps to help their countries better survive natural disasters.

• Countries that have survived severe storms should help other countries prepare for natural disasters.

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Part B: Which quotation from “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster” most clearly supports the answer to Part A?

Part A asked what the central idea of the article was. Here were the options:
A. People should take certain recommended steps to help equip their homes to withstand natural disasters.

B. Families should take certain recommended steps to help them better cope with natural disasters.

C. Leaders should take certain recommended steps to help their countries better survive natural disasters.

D. Countries that have survived severe storms should help other countries prepare for natural disasters.

• Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippines last fall, reminded us how much suffering and damage nature can cause.

• Even as climate change increases the risk of natural disaster, cities can be made increasingly safe, as long as public policy makers carefully prepare.

• Open-source tools such as the World Bank’s Open Data for Resilience Initiative make it easy for countries to collect and share information on risk.

• [F]ormer Mayor Michael Bloomberg (the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News) personally fought for investments in preparing for climate change.

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