TEXT FOR KENNEDY'S STUDENTS
Autor: Gilberto | Publicado: 2010-08-03T15:30:00-07:00

Lula promises massive north-east Brazil flood aid Lula is leading the aid effort Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has promised a massive relief effort for north-eastern regions devastated by floods. After a visit to the worst-hit areas, President Lula approved more than $300m (£200m) in emergency aid. Entire towns and villages were swept away as rivers burst their banks after heavy rains in Alagoas and Pernambuco states. More than 150,000 people have been left homeless, and 46 are confirmed dead. "What we saw on the streets was very different to what you see on television or in the newspapers," Lula said after visiting flood-ravaged towns by helicopter. Continue reading the main story “Start QuoteWe have the political, human and moral obligation to help rebuild what has been destroyed”End Quote President Lula da Silva 'War-like' scenes in flood-hit statesIn pictures: Flood destruction"We have the political, human and moral obligation to help rebuild what has been destroyed." ________________________________________________________________There’s no place like homeI'm in a car with my friend and her mom when a tornado hits. We get past it, then hide in a ditch until it's gone. - Cara, 13, New York City When a tornado appears in a dream, it often means there’s emotion distress in your waking life. It’s obvious this distress somehow involves your friend and her mom. But it doesn’t mean they’re the cause of it. Maybe you’ve been fighting with your mom and you feel like your household’s being torn apart. If your friend and her mom have a good relationship, it might explain why you’re with them when the storm hits. You’re having a rough time, but just the way Glinda (the good witch of Oz) helped Dorothy, your friend and her mom have been there for you and are leading you to shelter.  _________________________________________________________________An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor, temblor or seismic activity) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are measured with a seismometer; a device which also records is known as a seismograph. The moment magnitude (or the related and mostly obsolete Richter magnitude) of an earthquake is conventionally reported, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale.At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacing the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami. The shaking in earthquakes can also trigger landslides and occasionally volcanic activity.In its most generic sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event — whether a natural phenomenon or an event caused by humans — that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The term epicenter refers to the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter._________________________________________________________that's all folks