While the people of San Francisco were sleeping, the ground below them …………………………………………………… (start to move).

At
first, during the early hours of April 18, 1906, no one ………………………… (know) that something ………………………… (be) wrong. But
then the rolling motions ………………………… (come), streets ………………………… (rise*), and ………………………… (fall), and
………………………… (rise) again. It ………………………… (seem) as though the earth itself ………………………… (be) breathing*.
What ………………………………… (happen) next ………………………… (destroy*) one of America’s most popular cities and
…………………………………………… (traumatize*) her citizens. As far away as Göttingen, Germany, people ………………………… (feel) this
massive quake. People ………………………… (be) shocked by the event.

This is what witness* Linda Gray …………… (say):

"The shock ………………………… (come), and ………………………… (push) my bed against the opposite wall. I ………………………… (jump) up, and,
holding firmly to the foot-board, I …………………………………………… (manage to stay) on my feet, and I finally …………………… (make) it to
the door. The shock ………………………… (become) heavier. The door ………………………………………… (not open). The earthquake had
blocked it in the doorframe. My husband ………………………… (push) on the opposite side and I ……………………… (pull) with all my
strength, when suddenly it ………………………… (come) open.
We ………………………… (hug) each other in the doorway. Our son ………………………… (show up) across the reception room, and my
husband ………………………… (tell) him to stand in his door also, for fear of the chimney falling down.
It ………………………… (get) constantly worse, the noise
deafening*; the crash of dishes, falling pictures, the rattle
of the roof, bookcases being overturned. The piano
…………………… (be) pushed across the room, the groaning and
straining of the building itself ………………………… (make) such a
noise that no one sound ………………………… (can) be heard."

words:
to rise: to move upwards (rise – rose – risen)
to breathe: to get air into and out of your lungs
to destroy: to damage, to break
to traumatize: to make somebody feel shocked, very upset
a witness: a person who saw / heard something herself
to deafen: to be so loud you can´t hear anything else
true or false?
Los Angeles was destroyed in the quake. T F
The earthquake happened in the evening. T F
It happened in the 20th century. T F
People had been warned the day before. T F
The quake could be felt in Europe. T F
Linda Gray was sleeping when it started. T F
She hid under her bed. T F
She managed to open the door alone. T F
Her husband helped her get out of her room. T F
The Gray family didn´t own a piano. T F
They were afraid the chimney would fall. T F
She could hear the neighbours shout for help. T F
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ?
The earthquake happened on April 18th, 1906.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………?
No, people didn´t know this was coming.
How far away ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ?
As far away as Göttingen people could feel the quake.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………?
The earthquake destroyed one of America´s most popular cities.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………?
Because the door was blocked in the doorframe.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………?
My husband pushed on the opposite side.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… to do ?
My husband told our son to stand in the doorway.