Level 9

Level 9

Famous Disasters: Famous Disasters:

September 11, 2001 September 11, 2001

Copyright © 2010 by Little Fox Co., Ltd.

All rights reserved.
 The Attacks frantically raced to escape

O n September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight

11 took off from Boston at 7:59 in the morning.
Moments after the seat-
belt sign was switched
o ff , t w o m e n g o t u p
from the second row,
approached two female
flight attendants, and
This American Airlines plane was
stabbed them. More hijacked on September 11, 2001.
hijackers broke into the cockpit, overpowering the pilots.
In just minutes the five hijackers of Flight 11 had gained
full control of the plane and its passengers.
September 11 started as an ordinary morning for the
thousands of men and women who worked in the twin
towers of the World Trade Center, the tallest skyscrapers in
New York City. But all that changed at 8:46, when Flight
11 slammed into the north tower. The plane ripped through
seven floors, sending the tower swaying and instantly
killing hundreds of people.
These five hijackers weren’t working alone. About
15 minutes later, a second hijacked plane, United Airlines
Flight 175, slammed into the south tower. As people
the burning buildings—
some even jumping from
windows—rescue personnel
rushed to the site. Almost
all of Lower Manhattan
was evacuated, creating
confusion on the streets.
News of the disaster
Smoke billowing from the north spread quickly. At schools
tower on September 11, 2001
and workplaces all over the
world, people stopped what they were doing to turn on the
television or call loved ones. Then, at 9:59, the south tower
collapsed. Half an hour later, the north tower collapsed
too, shrouding Lower Manhattan in dust and smoke.
Soon news stations were reporting the fates of two
more hijacked planes. One had flown into the Pentagon,
the nation’s military headquarters in Washington DC.
The other plane, headed for either the White House or the
Capitol building, had crashed in rural Pennsylvania after a
brave attempt by passengers to take back control.
By ten thirty that morning, nearly three thousand
people had perished, with thousands more injured or

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missing. New York City’s skyline had been drastically that American life is offensive to the teachings of Islam.
altered; Washington In their eyes it is the duty of Muslims to destroy American
DC was in chaos; and people and ways of life through violent and extreme
people all over the means. This is very different from the messages of peace
world were stunned and kindness practiced by most Muslims.
and terrified. 9/11 had
become a day that The U.S. and the World Respond
The crash site at the Pentagon
changed the world. in Washington DC On October 7, 2001, the
U.S. and its allies attacked
Who Was Behind the Attacks? Kabul, Afghanistan. The
Investigators soon uncovered strong evidence that purpose of the attack was to
a Muslim extremist named Osama bin Laden and his capture bin Laden and bring
terrorist group, al-Qaeda, were responsible for the attacks. down the Taliban. Over the
American president George W. Bush responded by next two years, a total of 53
declaring a global war on terrorism. This war was aimed at countries joined the U.S. in
The seal of the U.S. Department
bin Laden and al-Qaeda as well as at the Taliban, a militant of Homeland Security its fight against terrorism.
Islamic group that had taken over most of Afghanistan. President Bush also announced the creation of the
The American government believed that the Taliban Department of Homeland Security. Working with other
was supporting bin Laden and al-Qaeda and sponsoring federal agencies, this department tightened security along
terrorist training camps. America’s borders as well as inside airports and other
As Muslims, bin Laden and the members of al-Qaeda public places. Government employees were put in charge
follow the religion of Islam, along with over one billion of screening baggage, and passengers had to pass through
other people in the world. But as extremists, they believe metal detectors and have their luggage X-rayed. People

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all over the world were no longer allowed to carry sharp thousands of tons of material from Ground Zero to a
objects on flights. nearby landfill so workers could sift through the debris for
In addition the human remains as well as evidence from the planes. For
U.S. government many workers this was a difficult and upsetting task.
passed the PATRIOT After the areas
Act. This act gave of the attacks were
more freedom to law cleaned up, it was
enforcement agencies time for rebuilding.
to search people’s At the Pentagon the
President George W. Bush
telephone and email signing the PATRIOT Act damaged section
communications as well as their medical, financial, and A memorial service at the rebuilt Pentagon of the building
library records. It also granted immigration authorities was restored within a year and a memorial was built a
more power to detain and deport immigrants suspected of few miles away. In Pennsylvania, at the field where the
terrorism-related acts. Many people strongly objected to fourth plane crashed, the government decided to build a
this expansion of government power. They were concerned memorial—a chapel with forty wind chimes to honor the
that it would lead to discrimination of immigrants and plane’s forty passengers and crew members.
violate people’s rights to privacy. It took a long time to decide what to do about the World
Trade Center. Some people thought the towers should be
Ground Zero rebuilt exactly as before, like the Pentagon. Others felt
The area where the twin towers had collapsed became the site and its ruins should become a monument to the
known as Ground Zero. Workers and volunteers spent people who died that day, like the field in Pennsylvania. In
months here, searching for victims among smoking the end it was decided to erect one new tower and place a
mounds of rubble. Each day trucks and barges transported memorial where the old towers had once stood.

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 After Darkness . . . Light of this journey captures America’s struggle to find hope
On September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers committed following the tragedy—its theme is “After Darkness . . .
the worst acts of terrorism ever aimed at the United Light.”
States, changing that country—and the world—forever.
Each year on September 11, Americans find ways to
remember the victims.
Many people attend
memorial services.
Children often wear
red, white, and blue to At the memorial garden, victims’ names are
etched in glass.
school—the colors of
A memorial to the September 11 victims
the American flag—
and raise money for projects that help others in their
communities.
In a town in Pennsylvania, some victims’ family
members decided to honor their loved ones by building
a garden. At this garden, completed in 2006, visitors can
take a memorial journey to remember all those who were
killed on 9/11. The journey starts in a tear-shaped area
and winds past fragments from the twin towers. Then it
passes a wall etched with the victims’ names. Finally the
walkway leads visitors away from these signs of sorrow
to a cluster of young trees that stand for hope. The theme

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