Earthquake Reading Comprehension Worksheet
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Earthquake Reading Comprehension Worksheet
The Longest Minute
On Saturday morning, Maia and her older brother Finn were helping their neighbour carry boxes into a community hall in a small New Zealand town. The hall was being prepared as a meeting place for the weekend market. Outside, clouds drifted over the hills, and the first stalls were beginning to open. A deep rumble rolled beneath the floor. The hall shuddered, and a stack of empty boxes toppled over. Maia froze. Finn quickly remembered the safety advice they had practised: Stay low, protect yourself beneath a sturdy table, and hold on. He crouched beneath a sturdy table and called to Maia. She crawled over and held on as the floor shook. The rumbling seemed to last for ages, but it stopped after less than a minute. When it was safe to move, Finn checked that Maia was all right. A shelf had fallen, blocking the hall’s side door. Their neighbour, Hana, was waiting near the main entrance. Finn wanted to rush outside, but Maia took a breath and said, “Let’s check for hazards first.” Together, they made sure nobody was hurt and kept away from the broken shelf. Hana calmly guided everyone out through the clear main entrance. Outside, people gathered in an open space, well away from buildings and power lines. A few minutes later, a smaller aftershock made the ground tremble again. This time Maia did not freeze. She followed Hana’s instructions and stayed in the safe open area. The market did not open that day. Maia felt disappointed, but she also felt proud. At first, she had been frightened and unsure what to do. Now she knew that remembering a plan, staying calm and helping one another could make a difficult moment safer.
Check your understanding
Answer each question about the story.
- Run to the side door
- Stay low, protect himself beneath a sturdy table, and hold on
- Move the fallen shelf
- Open the market stalls
- A smaller earthquake that happens after the first shaking
- A sound made by a falling box
- A warning before an earthquake
- A storm that follows cloudy weather
3 printable pages
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
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