Big Earthquake in Northern California

北加州發生大地震

Jun 24, 2026, 16:44
USWorld

Introduction

A strong earthquake hit Northern California on Wednesday morning. Many people felt the ground shake.

週三上午北加州發生了一場強震，許多人都感覺到地面在搖晃。

Main Body

The earthquake started at 8:10 AM near the town of Willits. People in San Jose and San Francisco felt it. Some people got warnings on their phones before the shaking started.

地震於上午 8 點 10 分在 Willits 小鎮附近開始。聖荷西和三藩市的人們也感覺到了。有些人在搖晃開始前就收到了手機警告。

Some walls had small cracks. Things fell off shelves in houses. Many people lost electricity for a short time. Some shops closed for a few hours.

部分牆面出現了細小裂縫。家中架上的物品掉落。許多人短暫失去電力供應。部分商店關店數小時。

City workers checked the roads and old buildings. Governor Gavin Newsom and emergency teams helped the people. There were no tsunamis and no big waves in the ocean.

市府人員檢查了道路與舊建築。州長 Gavin Newsom 和緊急救援團隊協助民眾。海邊沒有發生海嘯，也沒有大浪。

Conclusion

No one was badly hurt and no buildings fell. Experts are still watching the area for more small shakes.

無人嚴重受傷，也沒有建築物倒塌。專家仍持續監測該地區是否會有餘震。

Vocabulary Learning

⚡ Quick Win: The 'Past' Secret

To talk about things that already happened (like this earthquake), we often just add -ed to the end of the action word.

Look at these changes:

  • Start →\rightarrow Started*
  • Check →\rightarrow Checked*
  • Help →\rightarrow Helped*

📦 Describing 'Small Amounts'

When we don't want to say 'a lot', we use these two words from the story:

  1. Some (a few/a little) →\rightarrow "Some walls had small cracks."
  2. Few (not many) →\rightarrow "Some shops closed for a few hours."

🌍 Useful Places

  • Town: A small city (Willits)
  • Area: A part of a place (Northern California)

Vocabulary Learning

earthquake (n.)
When the ground shakes suddenly
Example:The earthquake made the windows shake.
warnings (n.)
Messages that tell you a danger is coming
Example:I got a warning on my phone about the storm.
cracks (n.)
Small, thin lines on a surface where it has broken
Example:There are small cracks in the old wall.
electricity (n.)
The power that makes lights and machines work
Example:The electricity went out during the rain.
emergency (n.)
A dangerous situation that needs quick action
Example:Call the emergency team if there is a fire.
tsunamis (n.)
Very large ocean waves caused by earthquakes
Example:The city is safe because there were no tsunamis.
experts (n.)
People who know a lot about a subject
Example:The experts are studying the earthquake.
Practice A2 words in a crossword→