Natural disasters: Floods

Flooding near Key West, Florida, United States from Hurricane Wilma's storm. October 2005.

Philipines, 2013. Tropical Storm Trami.

The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993

Tsunami. Miyako, Japan 2011.

 Concrete seawalls, breakwaters or other structures are meant to protect the country against high waves, typhoons or even tsunamis.

The Great Vargas Landslide, Venezuela. 1999.

The Great Vargas Landslide, Venezuela. 1999.

The Great Vargas Landslide, Venezuela. 1999.

The Great Vargas Landslide, Venezuela. 1999.

The Great Vargas Landslide, Venezuela. 1999.

- The mudslides significantly altered more than 60 kilometres (37 mi) of the coastline in Vargas.

-The disaster caused estimated damages of USD $1.79 to $3.5 billion.

 - More than 8,000 homes were destroyed, displacing up to 75,000 people.

The Great Vargas Landslide, Venezuela. 1999.

- Over 70% of the population of the state of Vargas was affected by the disaster. Public services, like water, electricity, phone lines, and land transportation (roads and bridges) completely disappeared in some places.

- There were no supplies of food and water for months, so most of the population had to be evacuated.

- Looting and sacking sprouted up everywhere, forcing the military to implement martial law for more than a year.

- The death toll was considered to be between 10,000 and 30,000 — some say 50,000. (New government had just been elected). The exact number of casualties is difficult to determine as there was no reliable census data.

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curbstone: row of stones (curb shaped). Edge between side walk and road.christening: the Christian sacrament.

dangle: hang loosely and swing.

pansies: a kind of flower with petals of various colors.perilous: dangerous or risky.

leap: to move quickly or jump.

surge: rise.

ingrain: made of fibers.

plow: farm implement used to till the ground.tilting: inclining.

shudder: trembling motion or vibration.

gush: to flow in great volume.

jagged: irregular.

gable: triangular part of roof.

whirling: spinning.

by David McCullough

gruesome: horribly repugnant.

ominous: threatening.

Answer:

1.- What is James Quinn worried about?

2.- How does his sister-in-law respond to his concerns?

3.- Why didn’t Mr. Quinn move his family to the hill in the morning?

Answer:

4.- What was the Quinn’s house like?

5.- Why does the author describe the big house and playhouse in such detail?

6.- What happened to the playhouse, and to Gertrude’s aunt?

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In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes

certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and

descriptions.

Usually, mood is referred to as the atmosphere of a

literary piece, as it creates an emotional situation that

surrounds the readers. Mood is developed in a literary

piece through various methods. It can be developed

through setting, theme, tone and diction.

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The manner in which a writer approaches this theme and

subject is called the tone. The readers always rely on the

writer’s point of view of the events taking place in a story.

They observe the story through his eyes. They feel the way

the writer feels about the events taking place and the

description provided. Therefore, the attitude of the writer

evokes feelings and emotions in the readers. Diction is the choice of words a writer uses.

Diction or choice of words conveys deep

feelings as well as represents the events,

places and characters in a literary work in

specific colors, having an effect on the way the

readers feel about them.

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What mood do the unusual details create?

1.- Reread lines 22 to 28

The detail that tells about how Gertrude dangled her feet in the water, which covered the yard, creates a mood of impending danger.

The water, which is already rising, should not be high enough for Gertrude to dangle her feet in it from the porch.

The datail of purple pansies floating face up in the yellow wáter creates a mood of doom because the flowers were no longer in the ground. The water as it is described yellow is contaminated.

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2.- Reread lines 37 to 50

What details help create a mood of terror? Some of the details that create a mood of terror

include Gertrude’s father’s intructions to run for their

lives, his face “white and terrified-looking”, his

repeated command not to go back for anything, and

the water being close to Rosemary’s chin.

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3.- Reread lines 116 to 122

What do details about the dead horse contribute to mood of the passage? The incongruous image of the dead horse “bobbing up and down ”like a gigantic gruesome rocking horse” intensifies the mood of hopelessness and panic.

A rocking horse is a symbol of childhood fun, the contrast makes the situation seem even more surreal and ominous.

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In literature, a conflict is a literary element

that involves a struggle between two opposing

forces usually a protagonist and an antagonist.

 An internal conflict arises as soon as a character experiences two opposite emotions or desires; usually virtue or vice, or good and evil inside him. This disagreement causes a character to suffer mental agony.

External conflict, on the other hand, is marked by a characteristic involvement of an action wherein a character finds himself in struggle with those outside forces that hamper his progress.

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4.- Reread lines 148 to 177

a.- How is the conflict resolved?b.- What builds suspense just before this resolution?a.- The conflict is resolved when Mr. McAchren throws Gertrude to Mr. Koch, and he catches her.

b.- The men’s failed attempt to reach the raft and the unsure attempt to catch Gertrude build suspense.

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After you finish reading the story, order the events chronologically. Use your notebook.

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How can luck, chance or quick thinking save you from a disaster?

Critical Thinking