Crabs and Cars Answers

 Hi all,

Here are the answers to the vocabulary and questions in the Crabs and Cars post. I hope you enjoyed the topic - I thought it was fun and thanks to Science Daily for putting up such fantastic little video clips for us to share.

Nimbly – quick, light and agile in movement or action¹

Tricky – involving snags or difficulties ; requiring caution or skill²

Strain – to stretch or force³

Guages – scales of measurement⁴

Wiggling – to move back and forth with irregular movements⁵

To set the stage – to make ready for further developments

Common – ordinary⁶

^1,2,3,4,5,6are from The Free Dictionary.com

What is the main theme of this video clip ?

The study of animal movement witha view to applying it to engineering projects.

Why do the scientists want to study animals in particular ?

They are spectacular performers.

What sort of surfaces can the animals move through ?

All kinds of terrain – sand, rocks

In what two ways are their movements measured ?

- Ghost Crab – a backpack with strain guages

- Lizard – high speed camera

What is the other thing that the physicists are measuring ?

They are measuring how other different forces impact unstable materials.

Why are they doing this ?

To make devices that can better move through the different types of terrain.

On what sort of creature is the robot designed by engineers at Pennsylvania University

based?

The common cockroach

Do they know how to design a car based on this technology yet ?

No (not at the time the video clip was made).

In what way is motion said to be changing ?

One step at a time !

Keep checking back for more posts!

About Tsunamis

Hi all,

Here I am with another link and questions about it to help with your listening and vocabulary. I hope there won't be a problem with it as it comes from National Geographic originally and doesn't appear on their site now which I think is a shame as it's interesting and has nice graphics.

It's loooong!!!!


As it is so long, I decided to break it up for you so you can go off for a coffee (see, that is why the coffee bit is in my blog domain name!) and come back to it when you feel refreshed! I have also started the vocabulary and questions from 3.50 as the first bit is just the introduction and although a very good one, is not going to challenge you enough!

Part A starts at 3.50 and as usual,  I have put some vocabulary up first for you to check out in a dictionary if you don't know it already. Part B starts at 6.03. -->

Part A (3.50)

To trigger something	To sweep onto
To shift	To engulf
A landslide	To near
To be thrust up	To brake
The body of water	onshore
The ripples

 Here is the link: About Tsunamis
Watch the clip up to about 6.03 then stop it. Now try to answer Part A questions. Keep going back over it if you have forgotton stuff.
  -->

How is an ocean wave caused ?

What 3 things can cause a tsunami and what makes it so different from an ordinary wave ?

Exactly what happens to the ocean bed when an earthquake cracks the ocean floor ?

What is the effect of this on the water above it ?

Describe the height and length of a tsunami.

What 3 things happen as it reaches land ?

How is the wave described ?

Does it break onshore ? If not, what does it do ?

 
Now either go and have a coffee....or not....then start Part B with the next set of vocabulary. 
  -->

Part B (6.03)

A slab	Saw-tooth
Sheer	To loom
A geological fault	A spring
Sharp

 
When you are ready, start watching again and at the end, try to answer Part B questions. 

-->

On what date did the tsunami being described, take place ?

Why was it of interest to scientists ?

What was below the ship ?

How have these been formed and over how many years ?

What did the scientists use to investigate the seabed ?

What did they find first ?

What did they discover next ?

What did this give evidence of ?

What is the magnitude of this kind of earthquake ?

Why did it happen on this particular date ?

Too short????!!!!
Yep...I know! You were getting really interested and the clip just stopped suddenly! But there is Part 2, so go ahead, watch some more!!

Here are the answers: Answers About Tsunamis

Keep checking back - you never know what I will post next!!! 

;-)