WALT: make meaning from a range of text types
Sense Making
As you read you need to check that you understand what is happening in the text. If you find a sentence or part of the text that confuses you, go back and re-read it carefully.
Can you understand this text?
Earthquakes happen when two large pieces of the Earth's crust suddenly slip. This causes shock waves to shake the surface of the Earth in the form of an earthquake.
Earthquakes usually occur on the edges of large sections of the Earth's crust called tectonic plates. These plates slowly move over a long period of time. Sometimes the edges, which are called fault lines, can get stuck, but the plates keep moving. Pressure slowly starts to build up where the edges are stuck and, once the pressure gets strong enough, the plates will suddenly move causing an earthquake.
What is a fault line?
Where do earthquakes happen?
Extract from Ducksters
As you read you need to check that you understand what is happening in the text. If you find a sentence or part of the text that confuses you, go back and re-read it carefully.
How are volcanoes formed?
Volcanoes are formed when magma from within the Earth's upper mantle works its way to the surface. At the surface, it erupts to form lava flows and ash deposits. Over time as the volcano continues to erupt, it will get bigger and bigger.
Why do volcanoes erupt?
The Earth's crust is made up of huge slabs called plates, which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. These plates sometimes move. The friction causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions near the edges of the plates. The theory that explains this process is called plate tectonics.
Volcanoes are usually caused movement of tectonic plates. When one plate is pushed under another, the magma, sediment and seawater is forced into the chamber which eventually overflows and the volcano erupts spewing lava into the sky.
What can cause a volcanic eruption?
How do volcanoes increase in size (get bigger)?
Read this extract of Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz:
When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news.
Alex Rider was woken by the first chime. His eyes flickered open, but for a moment he stayed completely still in his bed, lying on his back with his head resting on the pillow. He heard a bedroom door open and a creak of wood as somebody went downstairs. The bell rang a second time, and he looked at the alarm clock glowing beside him. There was a rattle as someone slid the security chain off the front door.
He rolled out of bed and walked over to the open window, his bare feet pressing down the carpet pile. The moonlight spilled onto his chest and shoulders. Alex was fourteen, already well built, with the body of an athlete. His hair, cut short apart from two thick strands hanging over his forehead, was fair. His eyes were brown and serious. For a moment he stood silently, half hidden in the shadow, looking out. There was a police car parked outside. From his second-floor window Alex could see the black ID number on the roof and the caps of the two men who were standing in front of the door. The porch light went on and, at the same time, the door opened.
"Mrs. Rider?"
"No. I'm the housekeeper. What is it? What's happened?"
"This is the home of Mr. Ian Rider?"
"Yes."
"I wonder if we could come in . . ."
And Alex already knew. He knew from the way the police stood there, awkward and unhappy. But he also knew from the tone of their voices. Funeral voices . . . that was how he would describe them later. The sort of voices people use when they come to tell you that someone close to you has died.
He went to his door and opened it. He could hear the two policemen talking down in the hall, but only some of the words reached him.
". . . a car accident . . . called the ambulance . . . intensive care . . . nothing anyone could do . . . so sorry."
It was only hours later, sitting in the kitchen, watching as the gray light of morning bled slowly through the West London streets, that Alex could try to make sense of what had happened. His uncle—Ian Rider—was dead. Driving home, his car had been hit by a truck at Old Street roundabout and he had been killed almost instantly. He hadn't been wearing a seat belt, the police said. Otherwise, he might have had a chance.
How did Alex know that there was bad news?
What do we know for certain about Alex?
What can we infer (make a guess based on the text) about Alex?
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