Name Date Running For The Bus: Level VHere are this weeks Vocabulary WordsattitudedesperatelydisabilitiesstaminahumbledexhaustionoverdrivedeterminedOther words:___________, ________________________________________________, ________________________________________________, ________________________________________________, ________________________________________________, _____________________________________Monday Tuesday

Meet With Mr. O Meet with Mr. OBegin Running for the Bus Cont. Running for the Bus

/8 Complete vocabulary (pg. 2) /43 SW: Suffixes (pg. 3-4 )Class Strategy Worksheet /14 HW: Suffixes (pg. 5 )

Wednesday ThursdayMeet with Mr. O Meet with Mr. OCont. Running for the Bus Cont. Running for the Bus

/22 SW: Using Context (p.6-8 ) /20 SW: Simile (pgs. 12-13 )/19 HW: Using Context (p.9-11) /23 HW: Simile (pgs.14-15)

Class Strategy Worksheet Class Strategy WorksheetFridayFinish Agenda, Weekly quizzes Literal /16 Inferential /16Please Note: Early finishers: Once you have completed you may begin Independent Reading.

Running For The Bus Vocabulary Words ___/ 8

Find your vocabualry words hidden below. Then complete the matching activity.

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D E S P E R A T E L Y S S D DA L T E E X N N F C E V R E EO S H Y L J H K I I G L T L TL Y F C P C A A T M Z H L B EK D H E B Q O I U O A M G M RF V V Y A V L W V S W T J U M P J F Z Z I O E X L T N S H IP B O H B S R Q N F T I H M NX D Z A E D U T I T T A O B EK H S S R K A X V O I U C N DD I L I D I A N Y S L Q U A KD O V R L F I H F F L M D C YY E O A C B J E B I O U Y R SB Z C A O H U J U G D Q Z Z LN E C J I O U Y B E Y Y X L W

A ATTITUDE ___ manner, disposition, feeling, positionB OVERDRIVE ___ an intense state of activity or productivityC HUMBLED ___ to make meek:D EXHAUSTION ___ extreme weakness or fatigue. E DISABILITIES ___ a physical or mental handicapF DETERMINED ___ decided; settled; resolved. G DESPERATELY ___ having an urgent need, desire,H STAMINA ___ power to endure disease, fatigue

CC.1.2.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words ‐and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic. E04.B V.4.1.1 E04.B V.4.1.2.‐ ‐

Running For The Bus Tuesday Seatwork: Suffixes ful & less

A suffix is added to the end of a word to change its meaning.

-ful - full of; this is often used in adjectivesExample: helpful means "full of help"

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-less - without; lacking; this is often used in adjectivesExample: fearless means "without fear"

1. How could you be so care________ as to lose your wallet? 2. The weather was beauti________ so we went for a walk. 3. Yesterday we had a wonder ________ dinner at a Spanish restaurant. 4. I am going to give some clothes to the home ________.5. That little boy is absolutely fear________ ! He isn't afraid of anything. 6. Thank you so much! You were really help________ to me. 7. I passed all of my English exams. I was success ________ for the first time. 8. Our pet is a hair ________ cat. We bought it from a Russian man. 9. That man is completely friend ________ He hasn't got any friends at all. 10. I spent a sleep________ night worrying about you! Where have you been? 11. Be care________ whenever you cross the street. 12. This is a very peace________ town. You would like living here.

Use one of the words below to complete the sentences:Useful, Useless, Helpful, Helpless, Careful, Careless, Thoughtful, Thoughtless, Hopeful, Hopeless (you will not use all of the choices)

1) What a nice present! that was very __________________ of you!

2) I don't wanna be a _________________ case!

3) He is very _________________ and should never drive.

4) It's __________________to know the news if you don't analyze it critically.

5) I had to reorganize my books. I'm glad Daniel was so ___________________ and

did some of the work for me.

6) A cell phone can be very _______________ if you have an unexpected problem on

the road.

7) Be _____________ when you open this book. It's very old and it could fall apart.

8) The soccer team is still _____________ they can win the championship.

Running For The Bus Tuesday Seatwork: Suffixes ful & less ___/43

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Fill in the words which mean the following:

with care = having no friend =

without care = having power =

with wonder = with truth =

with no home = having no use =

without sugar = having a use =

having no sleep = with thought =

without a heart = without thought =

with hope = with help =

without hope = having resource =

Now, complete the following sentences with a suitable word from the ones you typed.

1. I'm very tired today because I had a _______________ night.

2. I usually don't make many mistakes in my writing because I am a___________ student.

3. The teacher advises us, but I also use the library because I like to be

________________.

4. It's wrong to tell lies; you should always be ___________________

5. I like to be _________________ to my friends, but I don't tell them the answers

CC.1.4.4.F Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. E04.D.1.1.1 E04.D.1.1.2 E04.D.1.1.3 E04.D.1.1.4 E04.D.1.1.5 E04.D.1.1.6 E04.D.1.1.7 E04.D.1.1.8 E04.D.1.2.1 E04.D.1.2.2 E04.D.1.2.3

Running For The Bus Tuesday Homework: Suffixes ful & less ___/14

A suffix is added to the end of a word to change its meaning.

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-ful - full of; this is often used in adjectivesExample: helpful means "full of help"

-less - without; lacking; this is often used in adjectivesExample: fearless means "without fear"

EXERCISE: Choose the best answer to complete the sentence correctly.

1. We went to an "All You Can Eat Restaurant". The choices are (limitless, limitful).

2. Worry is a (thankful, thankless) activity.

3. The audience was amazed by her (graceful, graceless) dance movement.

4. He is (thankful, thankless) for family and friends.

5. A pen is a (useful, useless) writing tool.

6. Not recycling bottles is (wastely, wasteful, wasteness).

7. I visited the evacuation center and I witnessed a lot of (homeless, homeful) victims.

8. Kittens are young, (playful, playless) cats.

9. He (sadful, sadless, sadly) delivered the bad news of bankruptcy to his boss.

10. The sky was (cloudless, cloudful) and bright.

EXERCISE: Create two sentences using -ful, -less based on the picture

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Running For The Bus – Using ContextSeatwork- Wednesday

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Readers you have worked really hard to use strategies to determine the meaning of a word.  However, we can’t always rely on word parts to determine the meaning of a word because not all words have prefixes and suffixes. 

In the space provided, write a synonym for each underlined word as it is used in context.

1. His lucid lectures, along with his clearly presented explanations, made

him a popular

professor. _____________________

2. Their vociferous chatter made me wish I had ear plugs.

_____________________

3. He was so impudent to his mother that I would have punished him if he

talked to me that way. _____________________

4. The job candidate’s background was impeccable – good references and

many years of experience, but the company did not give her the job.

_________________________

5. The Great Flood of Noah’s day was caused by incessant rain that fell for

40 days and nights. _____________________

6. The students who arrived late told the teacher an implausible story about

stopping to

watch a UFO. _____________________

7. After spending three weeks in the hospital, I had a surfeit of daytime TV

programming. _____________________

8. Bob decided to be prudent and call ahead for reservations, instead of just

showing up. _____________________

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9. The ambiguity of Joe’s directions made it almost impossible to find his

house.

_____________________

10. The tranquilized grizzly bear was lethargic enough for the scientists to safely examine his teeth and tattoo his ears. _____________________Running For The Bus – Using ContextSeatwork- Wednesday

I love sandwiches. There are so many you can make! My favorite sandwich is peanut butter and banana. I like to use soft white bread. I spread creamy peanut butter on one side. Then, I cut up half of a banana into thick slices. I lay the slices out on one side of the bread. Then, I put the two slices together. Yum!

My mother likes tuna sandwiches. She likes to mix tuna with mayonnaise. She likes to use nine grain bread and add a little lettuce to it. Dad likes tuna, also, but he mixes relish in as well as mayonnaise. If you ask me, I don't think that tastes very good. He also really likes Mom's chicken salad. When we have a chicken meal, Mom takes the leftover chicken and cuts it into small pieces. She cuts green grapes in half and chops up walnuts. She mixes everything together with some mayonnaise and puts it into pita bread. It is very good. Sometimes we go out for subs, also called grinders or hoagies. What you call them depends upon where you live! These are usually six or twelve inches long. They remind you of "submarines," hence the nickname "subs." You can pick from various flavors of bread. I love all the choices these restaurants offer. You can get various cheeses, vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, or peppers.There are also many meats like ham, roast beef, sliced turkey, and salami. Sometimes I get a "mixed meat" sandwich and have one piece of each meat!

There is a story behind how sandwiches came to be. It is said that theFourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, who lived in the 1700's, was heavily into gambling. Apparently, he was so focused on a particular round that instead of leaving play to go eat dinner, he requested that someone bring him some meat placed between two slices of bread.

The other gentlemen at the table followed his lead, having what "Sandwich" was having. There are other possible explanations, such as the common practice of workers carrying them, or perhaps some connection with the Sandwich Islands, which are now the Hawaiian Islands. Whatever the case, the sandwich has evolved into a "handy"

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way to enjoy a variety of food in a generally neat package. Go make your favorite sandwich today!

I'll Have What Sandwich is Having.

CC.1.2.4.C Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. E04.B K.1.1.3‐

Running For The Bus – Using Context ( 2 pts for written responses)Seatwork- Wednesday

___/ 22

1. Which of the following sandwich varieties is NOT listed in the story?

A. Chicken Salad B. Peanut butter C. All-veggie D. Tuna fish

2. What type of bread does the Mom use on her tuna sandwiches?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does the writer feel about sandwiches? How do you know?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. The writer's favorite sandwich is peanut butter and banana.A. True B. False

5. What is one name for a sandwich made on a long roll?

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Put the items in the order they should be done to make a sandwich.

A. Spread peanut butter on each slice of bread.B. Take out sandwich bread.C. Cut bananas and lay slices on peanut butter.D. Put slices together and eat.

7. The Hawaiian Islands were formerly named the _________________ Islands.

8. Why did the Earl of Sandwich request bread and meat?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Running For The Bus – Using ContextHomework- WednesdayCircle the letter of the best meaning for the underlined word as it is used in context.

1. My brother said, “I just freed myself from a very loquacious history professor. All he seemed to want was an audience.”a. pompous b. grouchy c. talkative d. worried

2. There is no doubt that the idea of living in such a benign climate was appealing. The islanders seemed to keep their vitality and live longer than Europeans.

a. windy b. rainy c. kind d. favorable

3. It is difficult to imagine a surfeit of talent in one individual, yet Leonard Bernstein simply does not have the time to make complete use of his talent as conductor, performer, writer, and lecturer.

a. excess b. lack . superiority d. effort

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4. There is a large demand all over the United States for plants indigenous to the desert. Many people in Arizona have made a good business of growing and selling cacti and other local plants.

a. native b. necessary c. foreign d. alien

5. After the Romans left, a millennium and a half passed before people again lived in such comfort. Churchill wrote, “From the year 400 until the year 1900 no one had central heating and very few had hot baths.”

a. a decade b. many years c. 1000 years

6. Many years before, Caesar’s men had tried and failed to invade Britain. No doubt this contributed to the xenophobia of the Romans. They were cautious about strangers who entered their country.

a. honesty b. fear of foreigners c. kindliness d. stubbornness

7. Such are the vicissitudes of history. Nothing remains the same. Three hundred yearsof peace ended in darkness and confusion.

a. evils b. mistakes c. changes d. rules

8. The purpose of the psychiatrist is to mitigate the suffering of the patient.

a. make milder b. beautify c. increase d. entertain

9. We knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, because he had been doomed from the beginning. One night he met his ineluctable fate.

a. forgotten b. inevitable c. hidden d. unhappy

Running For The Bus – Using ContextHomework- WednesdayCircle the letter of the best meaning for the underlined word as it is used in context.

The reindeer is definitely one of the world's greatest winter survivors! Wearing a densely packed fur coat, reindeer have no problem fighting off the bitter weather near the Arctic. When reindeer need to travel in search of food, they walk on icy and slippery ground gracefully. They are sociable animals, so they live in herds. Both male and female reindeer have long, branched antlers. In fact, this physical feature is what sets reindeer apart

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from other types of deer – the females of other types of deer don't have antlers. Reindeer have another identity - caribou. Why do they have two names? Well, the answer to that question is "geography." People inEurope and Asia call these animals reindeer, but people in North America call them caribou. Aside from having two names, there is another difference between reindeer and caribou - reindeer have been domesticated animals for hundreds of years, while caribou have always roamed freely in the wild. Every year, reindeer must walk for thousands of miles to look for food - grasses, mosses, lichens, birch and willow leaves, and fungi. We call this animal behavior "migration." During the spring and summer months, reindeer head north. As the snow gradually melts to give way to newly grown grasses and other plants, reindeer find themselves plenty of fresh food by migrating northward. As reindeer keep walking north, they reach the Arctic tundra, an open plain so far north that no trees can grow there. Reindeer don't stay in one specific area. Instead, they are always on the move to have access to fresh food all the time and to prevent overgrazing. When autumn arrives, reindeer start moving south. They return to their winter residences in forested areas where snow accumulation is less. Reindeer use their hooves to paw away snow to uncover lichens, their main food supply during the winter months. Reindeer mate once a year around October. During the breeding season, male reindeer eagerly show off their beautiful antlers. In order to attract the attention of the females, a male reindeer must fight with other male reindeer to prove that he is the strongest. We call this fight for dominance "rutting." When two male reindeer rut, they lower their heads and run straight at each other. BOOM! They smash and interlock their antlers, shoving and pushing each other. After a few minutes, the weaker male accepts his misfortune and retreats, leaving all the females of the territory to the winner. Once the mating (rutting) season is over, male reindeer are ready to shed their antlers. Around December and January, the males lose their antlers. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth to their calves in spring. Reindeer shed old and grow new sets of antlers every year. For the females, shedding their antlers after their male counterparts is a great advantage - female reindeer use their antlers to drive the males out of their feeding grounds. As spring comes, reindeer make their annual trip to the north, and the males begin to grow new pairs of antlers. While migrating, pregnant female reindeer find safe areas, called calving grounds, to give birth to their young. The young are able to walk within an hour after birth. They must keep up with their mothers during migration, or they may become easy prey to other animals.

CC.1.2.4.C Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. E04.B K.1.1.3‐

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Running For The Bus – Using Context___/19

Homework- Wednesday

Questions1. What are reindeer also known as?A. Moose B. Sambar C. Elk D. Caribou

2. Where can we find reindeer?A. In a tropical rain forest B. In Antarctica C. Near the Arctic D. In a desert

3. Reindeer belong to the family of deer.A. True B. False

4. People in Europe and Asia call reindeer "caribou."A. False B. True

5. Which of the following statements is true?A. People in Europe and Asia call reindeer "caribou."B. People in North America call reindeer "reindeer."C. Reindeer have been domesticated animals for hundreds of years.D. Caribou have been domesticated animals for hundreds of years.

6. Every year, reindeer must travel for thousands of miles to search for food. What do we call this animal behavior?A. Torpor B. Metamorphosis C. Migration D. Hibernation

7. How often do reindeer shed their antlers?A. Once a year B. Once a month C. Once a decade D. Once a week

8. What is the term used to describe two male reindeer fighting for dominance?A. Dancing B. Rutting C. Trotting D. Migrating

9. The word domesticated is used to describe reindeer, as opposed to caribou, who roam freely. Using this context, what does the word domesticated mean?A. meat eaters B. live in captivity C. wild D. not dangerous

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10. Which of the following is NOT true about reindeer's migration?A. Reindeer travel to the north during spring and summer.B. Reindeer find their homes in forested areas during the winter months.C. Reindeer find their homes in the tundra during the spring and summer months.D. Pregnant female reindeer give birth to their young while migrating south.

http://wps.ablongman.com/long_licklider_vocabulary_2/0,6658,416421-,00.html

Running For The Bus –Seatwork- Thursday

Similes and MetaphorsCan you tell the difference between a simile and a metaphor? An easy way to remember how to tell the difference is to think of the word “similar” when you think of similes.

Similes use the word like or as to describe things because they are saying that the subject is like or as something. In other words, the subject is similar to something else.

Metaphors say the subject is something else.For example: Jill is like a diamond in the rough. (Simile)Jill is a jewel. (Metaphor)

In the sentences below, write the word “simile” or “metaphor” after the sentence. Circle the word that lets you know if it is a simile or a metaphor.

That dot is as big as a horse!Jenny is as quiet as a mouse.That man is over the hill.Steve turned as white as a ghost when his father caught him!That car is a boat!Her singing sounds like a cat dying.His shoes are skis!It’s as hot as an oven in here.

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My room is a hazardous zone!She is as sharp as a tack.

See if you can create a simile and a metaphor of your own:

Running For The Bus – Similies___/20

Seatwork- Thursday

Similes are a way to compare two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example, if I want to say that somebody swims well, I can say they swim like a fish because fish swim well. There are two basic patterns that you can use.

How could I say that somebody:

runs fast

is pretty

jumps well

is strong

How could I say that something:

is hard

feels soft

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is sweet

feels rough

is heavy

sounds noisy

is light

CC.1.3.4.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level text, including figurative language. E04.A V.4.1.1‐ E04.A V.4.1.2‐

Running For The Bus – SimiliesHomework- Thursday

Similes use the word like or as to describe things because they are saying that the subject is like or as something. In other words, the subject is similar to something else.

Simile examples:She is as sweet as candy.Bob runs like a deer.The willow’s music is like a soprano.She slept like a log.He is as thin as a rail.

Topic: Identifying SimilesDirections: Complete the simile by filling in the blank.

1. The car was as dirty as a____________.

2. The candy was like__________________.

3. His hands were as big as________________.

4. My little brother sounds like a ____________.

5. My room is as messy as ________________.

6. School is like______________.

7. The chair was as hard as a __________.

8. Her hair looked like ______________.

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9. The monster’s breath was like ____________.

10. The water was as cold as ________________.

Complete the following Similes:

A friend is like ____________.

A friend is as ___________ as _____________.

When I am tired, I am as ________________.

When I am sad, I am like ________________.

The dog was as fast as __________________.

Running For The Bus – Similes and Metahphors ___/23

Homework- Thursday

Write the meaning of the sentence.1. The rain left our yard as muddy as a marsh.

This sentence means:

2. That dancer is as light as a jockey.This sentence means:

3. Bill's mood is as sour as vinegar.This sentence means:

4. The trees were swaying like ships in a storm on the ocean.This sentence means:

5. Maurice seemed as wild as a runaway bulldozer.This sentence means:

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6. Bill found fifth grade spelling to be as easy as 1-2-3.This sentence means:

7. The assignment was as easy as ABC so I completed it quickly.This sentence means:

8. Grandpa asks everyone to talk louder because he thinks he is as deaf as a haddock.This sentence means:

CC.1.3.4.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level text, including figurative language. E04.A V.4.1.1‐ E04.A V.4.1.2‐

Running For The Bus Comprehension Questions /16 literal /16 inferential

Each question is worth 4 points.

1. What does Tommy think is worse than missing the bus?

___/4 lit

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. How did the students raise money?

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___/4 lit____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Who trains Tommy to run?

___/4 lit_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What ideas do Tommy’s parents have for how he can raise money?

___/4 lit

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________CC.1.2.4.C Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. E04.B K.1.1.3‐

5. What do you think Tommy proved to himself after he started training? What makes you think that?

___/4 inf_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why do you think Adam has a carefree attitude about many things?

___/4 inf____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Do you think Tommy should have washed Mr. Dent’s car? What makes you think that?

___/4 inf____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. How are you and Tommy alike? Make a connection

___/4 inf_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________________________CC.1.3.4.B Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences. E04.A K.1.1.1‐

11. My lunch tasted like ____________.12. The rabbit was as soft as ______________.

Running For The Bus – Seatwork- Thursday

___/ 12Here is another example of expository writing. Read the passages and answer the questions that follow.

Imagine if your body could change its shape and the things it could do. You might start out walking on the ground with two legs and then later develop wings to fly. Maybe you begin your life with gills and fins so you can breathe and swim under water and then later grow a set of lungs and legs so you could live on dry land. Does this sound like a fantastic and unbelievable story to you? It isn’t. In fact, there are animals

that make these types of changes every day as part of a process called metamorphosis.The word “metamorphosis” comes from the Greek and means to transform. There are a lot of examples of this type of change. Frogs start out as eggs, then become tadpoles before becoming adults.

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Not just for insects! Other animals can go through stages of metamorphosis.

Fish, such as salmon, must transform so they can move from fresh water to salt water and back to freshwater. Both of these changes are impressive, but maybe the most amazing animal transformation happens in the insect world.

For some insects it is possible to begin life crawling and eating and later change into an amazing flying animal. In fact, many insects experience extreme changes as they grow and develop to become adults.

Adult ladybeetle laying eggs. Ladybeetles begin as eggs, then go through a larva and pupa stage before reaching their adult form.

People change too, but our development is not as impressive as that of insects. Humans have a skeleton on the inside of their bodies, where the bones can grow longer and thicker as they get older. Insects have an exoskeleton, which means that their skeleton is on the outside of their body.An exoskeleton is made of a strong and hard material. Unlike human skin, it is not stretchy and insects must make new skeletons as they grow larger. To do this, they will grow and change as they go through different stages. This transformation is called a metamorphosis.

Most insects begin life as an egg and hatch within a few days of being laid. But there are some insects that will live through an entire season as an egg before hatching. The insects that stay in the egg longer need more time to grow and become strong enough to live outside of the egg. When the temperature becomes warm and comfortable these tiny insects will break out of their eggs, and depending on the species, will go through an incomplete or a complete metamorphosis.

How are insects different

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There are many types of insects that can be different in many ways. One way in which insects can be different is by the type of life cycles they have. Some insects will undergo an incomplete metamorphosis and will change from a nymph to an adult. The nymph is basically a small version of the adult insect. This is very similar to how a child looks like his or her parents. Insects that have an incomplete metamorphosis life cycle include true bugs, grasshoppers, cockroaches, termites, praying mantises, crickets, and lice

There are other insects that will go through a complete metamorphosis that has many stages and will become a newly formed insect emerging from a pupa. Insects with complete metamorphosis include beetles, bees, ants, butterflies, moths, fleas and mosquitoes. It is no surprise that entomologists enjoy studying the fascinating world of insects.

In grasshopper metamorphosis, you

can see that young grasshoppers (1-

5) look very similar to the adults (6)

as they grow larger.

The Quiz1. The Greek word metamorphosis means to _____.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Scientists that study insects are called _______.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Describe the exoskeleton on insects

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Complete and Incomplete insect metamorphosis have...

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Only insects undergo metamorphosis. True False

6. When a nymph outgrows its exoskeleton it undergoes a process called ________.

7. At which stage can insects eat several times their body weight in one day?

8. True bugs undergo compete metamorphosis. True or False

9. Complete metamorphosis includes these stages.

10. Name at least three insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis are...

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Running For The Bus – Distinguish Genres: Expository Writing

Seatwork- Thursday___/ 12

Can 'Invisibility Cloaks' Protect Buildings From Earthquakes?

Scientists have been intrigued with the concept of making objects and even events disappear ever since J.K. Rowling planted the seed with Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. They have had limited success in both so far, by manipulating light waves - bending them to makes objects invisible, and making events disappear by changing their speed. Now, some mathematicians are proposing the same principle to protect buildings from earthquake damage.

The bold idea is the brainchild of a team of researchers led by Dr. William Parnell from the University of Manchester. Their proposal, which so far is largely theoretical, is based on changing the course elastic or seismic waves, similar to what scientists have done with light waves.

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The researchers believe that if large buildings in earthquake-prone regions are padded with pressurized rubber at their bases, it could keep specific types of elastic waves from traveling through the ground, which in theory would result in the waves traveling around the building, rather than through it.

While it may sound like science fiction, the idea behind it is not too far-fetched, because of the way seismic waves travel through the ground. While there is no stopping them when they are rippling through dense rock and

soil, the waves get deflected when they encounter any pressurized object and end up going around them instead of through them, similar to how light waves behave through a prism or water.

So, if we placed a giant rubber padding filled with air or some pressurized fluid around the foundation of any structure, it should in theory, be able to deflect the seismic waves, making the building invisible and therefore, invincible, when faced with even the largest shakers!

While it would be impractical to cloak every building with rubber, it would certainly help to protect important ones like nuclear power plants, thus averting the recent Japan –like crises. Though scientists have a long way to go before this becomes a reality, the fact that it is even a possibility, is quite exciting.

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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10. A combination of fog and industrial smoke, called smog, has vitiated the air in and around many big cities.a. concentrate b. fill up c. replace d. contaminate

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