Non-fiction: Escaping Mount Pinatubo Escaping Mount Pinatubo On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted on Luzon, an island in the Philippines. The volcano left behind a deadly blanket of lava and volcanic ash. Casey Kline interviewed her mother, Cora Kline, who lived on Luzon. Casey Kline: What was it like to see a volcano erupt? Cora Kline: It was scary. At first, powerful earthquakes began shaking the ground. As the volcano was erupting, it was spitting thick ashes into the air. Then volcanic ashes began falling on everything. Around noon, it was dark like midnight. We didn't see the sun until 6 a.m. the next day. I heard thunder and saw lightning on that long, dark "night." Volcanic tremors shook my apartment. There was no electricity. Fortunately, we still had running water. Casey: Could you see any lava? CK: No. I lived near Subic Bay, which is about 20 miles away from the volcano. Casey: What did you see the next day? CK: I saw devastation and collapsed buildings from the thick ash on the roofs. Many people were injured. Casey: What was it like with so many volcanic ashes? CK: The ashes were knee-deep. It was hard to walk, and it was hard to breathe. The ashes would stick to your hair and your skin... everything! I asked my sister to go to the post office, and she came home covered head to toe in ashes! Motor vehicles and bicycles couldn't get through. It took months to clean up. Casey: Was it hard to buy food after the eruption? CK: Yes. Some stores were open, but the prices doubled. There were very long lines at the grocery stores! Casey: Why didn't you evacuate? CK: I believed I lived far enough away from the volcano that I wouldn't be affected that much. As long as the lava couldn't harm me, I would stay. Article: Copyright 2008 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation. Used by permission. 1
Non-fiction: Escaping Mount Pinatubo Casey: How scared were you? CK: I was very, very scared. When it turned dark at noon, I thought it was going to be the end of the world! What Casey Learned Ashes can be very heavy! Mother Nature can be either sweet and forgiving or wild and restless, but she can also be unpredictable. 2 Article: Copyright 2008 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation. Used by permission.
Name: Date: 1. Which of the following correctly describes the volcanic ashes after the eruption? A The ashes covered everything. B The ashes were beautiful. C The ashes only blocked the streets. D The ashes all fell into Subic Bay. 2. Which of the following is described first in the text? A why it was hard to buy food after the eruption B why Casey s mother couldn t see any lava C what it is like to see a volcano erupting D how scary it is to be near a volcanic eruption 3. It can be inferred from the passage that A the citizens on the island of Luzon helped each other after the eruption B the volcano did a great deal of damage to the island of Luzon C food was very expensive on the island of Luzon for years after the eruption D the volcano erupting was a big surprise to the people who lived on the island of Luzon 4. Read the following sentences and answer the question below: Casey: Why didn't you evacuate? CK: I believed I lived far enough away from the volcano that I wouldn't be affected that much. In these sentences the word evacuate most nearly means A to leave a dangerous place B to travel a far distance C to feel seriously hurt D to talk very loudly 5. This passage is mostly about A the excitement of seeing a volcanic eruption B buying food after a volcanic eruption C one person s experiences during a volcanic eruption D ways to escape a volcanic eruption 1
6. Why couldn t Casey s mother see any lava after the eruption? 7. Why do you think the prices doubled at the grocery stores after the volcano erupted? Use evidence from the passage to support your answer. 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The ashes were knee deep it was hard to walk and breathe. A but B although C however D so 9. Answer the questions based on the sentence below. Many people were injured because of the volcanic eruption on Luzon, an island in the Philippines. Who? many people (were) What? Why? Where? 2
10. Read the vocabulary word and definition below and complete questions 10a, 10b, and 11. Vocabulary Word: erupt (e rupt): to have a sudden explosion. 10a. Read the five sentences below and underline the word erupt in each sentence. 1. Volcano scientists spend years waiting for a volcano to erupt so that they can study it. 2. The President was worried that war might erupt in the Middle East. 3. The actor made a funny joke and the crowd erupted into laughter! 4. The student erupted in anger when she was teased about her haircut. 5. The audience erupted in applause when the play was over. 10b. Which image shows something erupting? 11. Would you want to be near a volcano that is about to erupt? Why or why not? 3