Learning English

Powerful earthquake hits Japan on New Year's Day  

At least 64 people have died so far, and rescuers race to find trapped survivors in the rubble. 

ነቲ ቪድዮ ብምዕዛብ ነቲ ስራሕ ዕመምዎ

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(Images: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP, STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP, Ahmet Furkan Mercan/Anadolu, via Getty Images)

The story  

Emergency services are searching for trapped survivors following powerful earthquakes in Japan.

At least 64 people have died so far after the series of quakes on New Year’s Day.

Images taken by helicopters show many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Key words and phrases

battle against time 
rush to complete something

• The surgeon raced to save the car crash survivor in a battle against time.
• Residents were in a battle against time to evacuate their homes during the floods.

rocked by
moved from one side to another or shaken emotionally

• Boats were rocked by the huge storm as it hit the harbour.
• The international community was rocked by the terrorist attack.

aftershock
a smaller, secondary earthquake

• The aftershock following the main earthquake made rescue efforts more difficult.
• Earthquake victims were advised to stay vigilant in case of aftershocks.

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