- Volcono Erupts

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nears you can coHnt on -ÿ Monday, May 19, 1980

Volcano Eruptsby Lisa CollinsStaff Writer

Clouds of dark volcanic ash

continue to cover the sky in eastern

Washington following yesterday's

eruption of Mount St. Helens. Mount

St. Helens had been an inactive

volcano for 123 years. The eruption

brought many changes to the land

around the volcano.

Before the eruption, the area around

the mountain was full of life. Visitors

from all over the world came to

camp, hike, and admire the natural

beauty of the mountain. Flying

squirrels, spotted owls, deer, and

bears made their homes in the forests

surrounding the mountain. Mountain

goats were found on the rocky slopes

of Mount St. Helens.

Spirit Lake, located at the base of

the mountain, was so clear that you

could see straight to the bottom.

It was a very cold lake, great for

fishing and boating.

In March, scientists noticed small

Mount St. He[ensbefore the eruption

earthquakes near the mountain.

By April there was a large bulge

in the side of Mount St. Helens.

Gases were building up inside the

volcano causing it to swell. Scientists

were concerned that something

catastrophic might happen.

The event scientists feared occurred

yesterday morning. An earthquake

shook Mount St. Helens. The

earthquake measured 5.1 on the

Richter scale. The Richter scale is

the scale scientists use to measure

the strength of an earthquake. This

earthquake was very strong, and the

bulge in the side of the volcano could

no longer hold the rising gases. The

north side of the mountain exploded!

m see Volcano Erupts, page 2

Vol. 8 / Issne 122

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Volcano Erupts

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Volcano Erupts, cont'd from page 1

A massive avalanch_________2e of rock, ice,

snow, and soil slid from the volcano

toward Spirit Lake and the valley

below. The blast was so strong that

some trees were thrown as far as six

miles! Other trees snapped in half or

were knocked over.

Mud and logs from broken trees filled

Spirit Lake. The lake also became

much warmer when the avalanche hit

because the volcano temperature was

so hot!

Page 2

Unfortunately some people still lost

their lives in the explosion.

Many animals died in the avalanche

and mudflow. Some small animals

survived. Rodents, frogs, and crawfish

managed to survive because they

were underground or below the

surface of the water.

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A mushto°re=shaped cloud of ash rose

thousands of feet into the sky. It drifted

over the eastern part of Washington.

Mount St. Helens continued to spew

ash for about nine hours.

The ash mixed with the snow and

ice from the mountain and began to

move downward. As the snow and ice

melted, a mudfiow formed and slid

down the mountain at speeds of up

to 30 miles per hour. The mudfiow

ripped down bridges and carried away

houses. More than 200 homes were

buried in the mud.

Mount St. Helens is usually crowded

with tourists. Most campers and

visitors were not around when

the mountain erupted because it

happened on a Sunday morning.

Today the sky is dark in eastern

Washington. School is closed. In some

areas the streets are covered with ash

so thick you cannot even drive your

car. Swimming pools are full of ash.

Ash also covers the roofs, and it almost

looks like snow. The only difference is

that this "snow" is gray and black.

It will take many years to restore

the beauty of Mount St. Helens. It

may never be the same. Hopefully,

one day visitors will come back to the

mountain and enjoy what remains.

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o2008 MentoringMinds.com

46Level 4 J

NameVolcano Erupts

1o What is this article mainly about?

@ Mount St. Helens before and afterits eruption

® How to get to Mount St. Helens

© People who have camped at MountSt. Helens

@ What happens when a volcanoerupts

® Lava

@ Volcanic ash mixed with snowand ice

® A mushroom-shaped cloud of ashand cinders

@ An earthquake

What caused the mudflow after MountSt. Helens exploded?

0

3, Why were few people hurt on the day ofthe eruption?

@ It was too cold for most people tocamp.

® Most children were in school.

© The earthquake frightened people,and they stayed home.

@ Mount St. Helens has fewer visitorson Sunday than on other days.

4o Which words in paragraph 4 help thereader understand what bulge means?

® small earthquakes near themountain

@ the side of Mount St. Helens

® something catastrophic mighthappen

@ causing it to swell

@2008 MentoringMinds.com 47 Level 4

JFÿ ..... ÿ : ,--ÿ

• .... Volcano Erupts

5° In paragraph 1, what does the prefixmean in the word inactive?

Which of the following was not an effectof the Mount St. Helens eruption?

@ Before

® Not

© Full of

@ With

@ Ash covered eastern Washington

® A mudflow

© An avalanche

@ Spirit Lake turned cold

6. What is the purpose of this article?8. How did some of the small animals

survive the eruption?

®

@

®

To entertain the reader with afiction story about Mount St. Helens

To inform the reader about inactivevolcanoes in Washington

To persuade the reader to visitMount St. Helens

® To inform the reader about theeruption of Mount St. Helens

® They did not survive.

@ They were underground or

underwater.

@ They were high in the trees.

® They were able to outrun themudflow.

Level 448

© 2008 MentoringMinds.com

NomeVolcano Erupls

9. Lisa Collins organizes information inthis article by-

11o In paragraph 6, what does the wordavalanche mean?

@ explaining the steps of a volcaniceruption

® telling about the events of theeruption in the order of importance

@ explaining the good effectsresulting from the MountSt. Helens eruption

10. This article was written --

® yesterday

@ more than 20 years ago

@ 123 years ago

@ last week

describing Mount St. Helensbefore, during, and after theeruption

12.

©

® A trembling or shaking of theground due to activity withinthe mountain

® Lava flowing from a volcano

© A mushroom-shaped cloud of ashrising into the sky

@ Large amounts of snow, ice, orearth that slide down a mountain

Which of the following is an opinionabout Mount St. Helens?

® Mount St. Helens was the mostbeautiful mountain in Washington.

@ An earthquake occurred before thevolcano erupted.

® Spirit Lake is located at the base ofMount St. Helens.

® Trees were destroyed by theeruption of Mount St. Helens.

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r- Volcano Erupts

Nÿme

13o Look at the chart below. Use it to answer the question.

lSpirit Lake was]warmer. 1

After the Eruption of Mount St. Helens

School wasclosed.

Many animalsdied.

Which idea belongs in the empty box?

@ Houses were covered with white snow.

® Mount St. Helens began to bulge.

© Many bridges and houses were destroyed.

@ The Richter scale showed strong winds.

14. Which sentence from the article showsthe reader that Mount St. Helens haderupted before?

® By April there was a large bulge inthe side of Mount St. Helens.

@ Mount St. Helens continued to spewash for about nine hours.

® It will take many years to restorethe beauty of Mount St. Helens.

® Mount St. Helens had been aninactive volcano for 123 years.

Level 4 50 ©2008 MentoringMinds.com