News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Italy Earthquake
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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A Big Earthquake Hits Italy

A giant earthquake hit a small town in Italy. It was a very old town with old buildings. Hundreds of people died. Now there are thousands of people without a house. The earthquake destroyed their house. Now they have to live in a tent. They don’t know when they can have a real house again. The earthquake happened at 3.32am. There was destruction everywhere in the town. It was 100 km from Rome. Many rescuers came to help the people. Some people were pulled out from under the buildings. I was very happy because they were alive.

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It is amazing to see an earthquake. They are very, very powerful. They are much stronger than we are. Humans can build really strong buildings and roads and bridges, but the earthquake will destroy them. I think an earthquake is very loud. Maybe it’s the loudest thing in the world. Louder than a hundred bombs. I never want to hear a real earthquake. If I hear an earthquake, that means I am in the earthquake. I like my house. I don’t want an earthquake to destroy it. I will run away with my computer.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A giant earthquake hit	a.	with old buildings
2	a very old town	b.	in the town
3.	there are thousands of people	c.	a small town in Italy
4.	There was destruction everywhere	d.	they were a
5.	Many rescuers came to	e.	without a house
6.	I was very happy because live	f.	help the people

Paragraph 2

1.	It is amazing to see	a.	stronger than we are
2	They are much	b.	is very loud
3.	the earthquake will	c.	an earthquake
4.	I think an earthquake	d.	with my computer
5.	Louder than a	e.	destroy them
6.	I will run away	f.	hundred bombs

LISTENING GAP FILL

A giant earthquake ________________ in Italy. It was a very old town with old buildings. Hundreds of people died. Now there are thousands of people ________________. The earthquake destroyed their house. Now they ________________ a tent. They don’t know when they can have a real house again. The earthquake happened at 3.32am. There ________________ n everywhere in the town. It was 100 km from Rome. Many ________________ help the people. Some people were pulled out from under the buildings. I was very happy because ________________.

________________ see an earthquake. They are very, very powerful. They are much stronger than we are. Humans can ________________ buildings and roads and bridges, but the earthquake ________________. I think an earthquake is very loud. Maybe it’s the loudest thing in the world. Louder than ________________. I never want to hear a real earthquake. If I hear an earthquake, that means I am in the earthquake. I like my house. I don’t want an earthquake ________________. I will ________________ my computer.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A giant earthquake (1) ____ a small town in Italy. It was a very old town with old buildings. Hundreds of people (2) ____. Now there are thousands of people without a house. The earthquake (3) ____ their house. Now they have to live in a tent. They don’t know when they can have a real house again. The earthquake happened at 3.32am. There was destruction (4) ____ in the town. It was 100 km from Rome. Many rescuers came to help the people. Some people were pulled (5) ____ from under the buildings. I was very happy because they were alive.

It is (6) ____ to see an earthquake. They are very, very powerful. They are much stronger than we are. Humans can (7) ____ really strong buildings and roads and bridges, but the earthquake will destroy them. I think an earthquake is very (8) ____. Maybe it’s the loudest thing in the world. Louder than a hundred bombs. I never want to hear a real earthquake. If I hear an earthquake, that (9) ____ I am in the earthquake. I like my house. I don’t want an earthquake to destroy it. I will run (10) ____ with my computer.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	hit	(b)	hits	(c)	hitter
2.	(a)	death	(b)	died	(c)	dead
3.	(a)	destroyed	(b)	destruction	(c)	destroy
4.	(a)	everywhere	(b)	anywhere	(c)	somewhere
5.	(a)	in	(b)	up	(c)	out
6.	(a)	amazed	(b)	amazing	(c)	amazes
7.	(a)	built	(b)	building	(c)	build
8.	(a)	louder	(b)	loudness	(c)	loud
9.	(a)	means	(b)	meant	(c)	meaning
10.	(a)	way	(b)	away	(c)	always

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A tnaig earthquake
2.	old iinsldbug
3.	The earthquake erdoyetsd their house
4.	sesrcrue came
5.	pdlleu out
6.	they were ivale
Paragraph 2
7.	It is imagnza
8.	very perfluwo
9.	roads and gsidebr
10.	the lotusde thing
11.	a ddreunh bombs
12.	my crtouepm

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	3.32am. There was destruction everywhere in the town. It was 100 km from Rome. Many rescuers came to
( )	in a tent. They don’t know when they can have a real house again. The earthquake happened at
( )	I am in the earthquake. I like my house. I don’t want an earthquake to destroy it. I will run away with my computer.
( )	help the people. Some people were pulled out from under the buildings. I was very happy because they were alive.
( 1 )	A giant earthquake hit a small town in Italy. It was a very old town with old buildings. Hundreds of people
( )	destroy them. I think an earthquake is very loud. Maybe it’s the loudest thing in the world. Louder than a hundred
( )	than we are. Humans can build really strong buildings and roads and bridges, but the earthquake will
( )	died. Now there are thousands of people without a house. The earthquake destroyed their house. Now they have to live
( )	bombs. I never want to hear a real earthquake. If I hear an earthquake, that means
( )	It is amazing to see an earthquake. They are very, very powerful. They are much stronger

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	earthquake in small A Italy hit giant town a.
2.	with town old very A buildings old.
3.	are a thousands house of people There without.
4.	in everywhere destruction was There town the.
5.	because I they was were very alive happy.
6.	earthquake an see to amazing is It.
7.	much are They are we than stronger.
8.	an think I loud very is earthquake.
9.	hear I a never real want earthquake to.
10.	I computer my with away run will.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about earthquakes for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about earthquakes. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about earthquakes. Include imaginary interviews with two people who lived through an earthquake. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to an earthquake survivor. Ask him/her three questions about earthquakes. Write three of your opinions on earthquakes. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Italy Earthquake (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)