1 : Reading Comprehension – Introduction What do you know about them?
What do you think you know, but you are not sure of?
What would you like to know? 1 This reading is about more Italian volcanoes (other than Mount Vesuvius).
Slide 2 : Reading Comprehension– Questions READ THE PASSAGE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
1. Which Italian volcano is the smallest of the 3 active volcanoes?
What exists on the lower slopes of Mount Etna?
How many cities and towns were destroyed or damaged by the lava flow from the 1669 eruption of Etna?
During which eruption did ash from Etna fall across the Mediterranean Sea?
Which volcano is referred to as “kid brother”?
Which volcano is mentioned as having generated tsunamis?
Which volcano is inactive (no major eruptions in the last 100 years)?
What is a “volcanic bomb”? 2 Vulcanian eruption: 1 Ash plume, 2 Lapilli,
3 Lava fountain, 4 Volcanic ash rain,
5 Volcanic bomb, 6 Lava flow,
7 Layers of lava and ash, 8 Stratum, 9 Sill, 10 Magma conduit, 11 Magma chamber,
12 Dike
Slide 3 : Reading Comprehension– Passage Mount Etna is one of three active volcanoes in Italy, the other two being Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli. Mount Etna is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily. It is the largest active volcano in Europe, and it is by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being nearly three times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of eruption. Although it can occasionally be 3 very destructive, it is not generally regarded as being particularly dangerous, and thousands of people live on its slopes and in the surrounding areas. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain.
Etna’s most destructive eruption during the last two millennia occurred in March 1669, when an estimated 830,000,000 m³ of lava was ejected,
Slide 4 : Reading Comprehension– Passage 4 eruptions in many years threw up a huge column of ash that could easily be seen from space and fell as far away as Libya, 600 km south across the Mediterranean Sea. The most recent eruption was in September, 2007.
Stromboli, the “kid brother” of Etna and Vesuvius, is remarkable because it has been in almost continuous eruption for at least the last 2,000 years. Stromboli’s largest eruption of the last hundred years occurred in 1930, resulting in the deaths of several people and the destruction of a number of houses by flying volcanic bombs. Two incredibly powerful explosions shook the whole island, generating a tsunami. The 1930 eruption was a vulcanian eruption. destroying 8 towns and villages as it flowed toward the sea. When the lava reached the outskirts of Catania, which now has more than 300,000 residents, it flowed over the city walls, causing them to collapse, and destroyed the western side of the city.
In 2002-2003, the biggest series of
Slide 5 : Reading Comprehension– Passage 5 The most recent series of large eruptions of Stromboli began in December of 2002 and ended in July of 2003. A huge volume of rocks collapsed from the side of the mountain, generating at least two landslides and many tsunami waves. The highest wave was 10 meters high and caused serious damage to the village of Stromboli.
The word “volcano”, as well as the term “vulcanian eruption”, is derived from Vulcano, a small island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Sicily and mainland Italy. Although there have been no major eruptions on the island since 1890, the island also lends its name to a particularly violent type of eruption. A vulcanian eruption occurs when the rising magma makes contact with ground water, causing explosions of steam, water, ash, rock, and volcanic bombs. The volcanic bombs, which are globs of molten rock, are ejected and thrown into the air, sometimes landing many kilometers from the craters. The explosions can be extremely noisy.
Slide 6 : Reading Comprehension– Questions 6 ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:
Which Italian volcano is the smallest of the 3 active volcanoes?
What exists on the lower slopes of Mount Etna?
How many cities and towns were destroyed by the lava flow from the 1669 eruption of Etna?
During which eruption did ash from Etna fall across the Mediterranean Sea?
Slide 7 : Reading Comprehension – More Questions 7 Which volcano is referred to as “kid brother”?
Which volcano is mentioned as having generated tsunamis?
Which volcano is inactive (no major eruptions in the last 100 years)?
What is a “volcanic bomb”?
Slide 8 : Reading Comprehension – Passage 8 Which words or expressions, if any, were not familiar to you?
Were you able to guess at the meaning from the context?
Do unfamiliar words slow you down or can you skip over them?
Did you learn anything about volcanoes that you think is interesting?