Earth’s Forces at Work in Japan

What is the mythical explanation for earthquakes in Japan according to the passage?

• A giant catfish named Namazu causes them.

• A dragon in the mountains causes them.

• The wind causes them.

• A giant bird causes them.

Fill in the blank: The strongest earthquake to hit Japan in many centuries occurred on March 11, 2011, and is known as the _______ earthquake.

• Tohoku

• Kanto

• Kobe

• Hokkaido

Japan monitors Earth's movements to detect earthquakes by using:

• Seismographs and GPS systems

• Weather satellites

• Ocean buoys

• Volcanic activity sensors

Describe the process of how the new island Niishima was formed.

• Niishima was formed by volcanic activity under the sea.

• Niishima was formed by the collision of tectonic plates.

• Niishima was formed by erosion of an existing landmass.

• Niishima was formed by human intervention.

What causes earthquakes in Japan every year?

• Namazu, the giant catfish

• weather patterns

• the Richter scale

• plate movements

Why was the Great Tohoku earthquake in 2011 the strongest and also the most destructive earthquake? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.

• It was the strongest due to its magnitude and the most destructive due to the resulting tsunami.

• It was the strongest because it was the first earthquake in the region and the most destructive due to lack of preparedness.

• It was the strongest because it occurred on a major fault line and the most destructive due to the time of day it struck.

• It was the strongest because of its depth and the most destructive due to the population density of the area.

In paragraph 5, what does the word advanced mean in the following sentence? It has one of the most advanced earthquake early warning systems in the world.

• traditional

• out-of-date

• highly developed

• simple

How does Japan’s earthquake early warning system detect movements in the earth?

• When people feel the earth shake, they tell others around them.

• Seismographs across Japan send information about the slightest movements to a central location.

• Scientists wait to see if a tsunami forms off the coast as a result of an earthquake.

• Scientists look for earthquake epicenters on the ocean floor of the coast of Japan.

How is the volcano on the island of Niishima off Japan’s coast acting as a creative force?

• The volcano is causing terrible destruction in Japan, just like earthquakes.

• The volcano continues to erupt, creating new rock that makes the island bigger.

• The volcano creates new minerals, gases, and seafloor sediments.

• The volcano has stopped erupting.

In paragraph 8, the author says that the world’s youngest island is a volcanic work in progress. What does volcanic work in progress mean?

• A. The island is getting smaller due to volcanic activity.

• B. The island is a dangerous place to visit due to volcanic activity.

• C. The island is not done growing due to volcanic activity.

• D. The island is no longer close to Japan due to volcanic activity.