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Earthquake Shakes San Francisco Bay Area

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Listen to the story

An earthquake hit the Bay Area in California. It happened near San Leandro. San Leandro is in Alameda County.

The earthquake had a magnitude of about 4.0 to 4.1. People felt the earthquake in many parts of the Bay Area.

The USGS is a science group. It watches earthquakes in the United States. The USGS gave information about this earthquake.

Small earthquakes like this one often do not cause big damage. Many people in California feel earthquakes sometimes.

The Bay Area sits near big fault lines. This is why earthquakes happen there. People in California know about earthquake safety.

Vocabulary15 words

earthquake
a sudden shaking of the ground
magnitude
a number that shows how strong an earthquake is
USGS
a US government group that studies earth science
fault lines
cracks in the earth where earthquakes can happen
Bay Area
a region in California near San Francisco
Alameda County
an area in California near San Francisco
shake
to move quickly side to side
region
a big area of land
damage
harm done to something
safety
being free from danger
science
study of the natural world
ground
the surface of the earth
strong
having a lot of power
information
facts about something
watch
to look at carefully over time

Quiz

1. Where did the earthquake happen?
2. What was the earthquake's magnitude?
3. Which group gave information about the earthquake?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

An _____ hit the Bay Area in California. It happened near San Leandro. San Leandro is in Alameda _____.

The earthquake had a _____ of about 4.0 to 4.1. People felt the earthquake in many parts of the Bay Area.

The USGS is a science group. It watches _____ in the United States. The USGS gave information about this earthquake.

Small earthquakes like this one often do not cause big _____. Many people in California feel earthquakes sometimes.

The Bay Area sits near big fault _____. This is why earthquakes happen there. People in California know about earthquake _____.

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Earthquake Shakes San Francisco Bay Area - EASY - Practice English with News