A Terrible Disaster

a) Earthquake b) tidal wave c) flood d) volcano eruption

Miltos lived with his parents and brothers and sister on the
island of Crete. In the year 1650 BC there was a terrible
disaster.

One day, Miltos was at school. Suddenly the earth began to

shake. 'Earthquake!' shouted the teacher. All the students ran
into the playground. For about forty seconds, they felt the
ground move under their feet. It sounded like thunder under
their feet. Luckily there was no damage; the school buildings
stayed up. But for the next week Miltos and his family slept
outside their house every night.

A week later, clouds began to hide the sun. Fine dust started t
fall. Nobody could understand this. The fields and trees turned
white. The ash covered the roofs of the houses. This lasted
for about fortnight.

The family was sleeping in the house, because the roof

protected them from the dust. Then early one morning, the
ground started moving again. All the family ran out of the
house. This earthquake was even stronger than the one before.
A few small buildings fell down. However, the worst disaster
was about to happen.

The school was halfway up a hill; it had a view over the sea.
While the students were having morning lessons, shouts came
from the port beside the sea. Miltos's teacher walked to the
edge of the classroom and looked down. Then he pointed and
shouted. Everybody was shouting! But the shouts sounded high
and frightened. 'Run up the hill! Now! As fast as you can!'
shouted the teachers. The students were well trained; they
always obeyed orders. They ran up the hill.
When they reached the top of the hill, they turned and saw an
amazing sight. A wall of water was coming towards the island.
Next, the sea ran out for about 400 meters and seabed
became dry. Then a huge wave broke onto the island. Even at
the top of the hill, they got wet. The water came up through
the trees and round the buildings. Then the water ran downhill
again. For a few minutes, nobody spoke. Then one of the
teachers said, 'If the water came so high up the hill, what did
it do to the port beside the sea?'

For the rest of the year and all the next year, there were no
classes. Everyone worked to repair the damage after the tidal
wave. Fishing boats were halfway up the hill. Pieces of
furniture were in the tops of trees. The adults had the worst
job: they buried the dead animals, people, children, and babies.

More than half of the people in the port were killed by the
tidal wave. A month later, a ship arrived at the port and
brought food and tents. The captain told a strange story. He
was sailing near the island of Thera, north of Crete, Where
there was a tall volcano. "It's gone!" said the captain. "The
island and the volcano have disappeared under the sea. There's
only small bit of the old island left!”

A- Answer these questions:

1- Why do you think Miltos's family slept outside for a week?

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2- Why did the family start sleeping in the house again?

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3- What do you think Miltos's teacher was pointing at?

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4- Why did the students run fast, without asking questions?

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5- Why were so many people killed in the port?

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6- Why couldn't the ship's captain see the volcano?

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b- Which disasters (a-d) do these phrases refer

to?
1- Suddenly the earth began to shake. (_______________)

2- They felt the ground move. (_______________)

3- It sounded like thunder under their feet. (____________)

4- Fine dust started to fall. (_______________)

5- The ash covered the roofs of the houses. (___________)

6-The ground started moving again. (_______________)

7- A huge wave. (_______________)

8- The water came up through the trees and round the

buildings. (_______________)