Earthquakes in Iran and World News

May 13, 2026, 09:57

Introduction

Nine small earthquakes happened east of Tehran. At the same time, leaders are trying to stop wars in the region.

Main Body

The earthquakes happened near the city of Tehran. The biggest one was 4.6. No people died and no buildings broke. But some experts are worried. Tehran has 14 million people and old buildings. A big earthquake could hurt many people. Now, Donald Trump is in China. He is talking to President Xi Jinping. They want to stop the fighting between the US, Israel, and Iran. They also want ships to move safely in the water. But there are problems. Some news says Iran is preparing missiles again. The US government is very angry about these news reports.

Conclusion

Tehran is in danger from earthquakes. Also, the US and Iran are still in a difficult situation.

Learning

⚡️ THE 'S' RULE: Things vs. People

Look at how we describe amounts in this story:

Nine small earthquakes (More than one $\rightarrow$ add -s)
14 million people (More than one $\rightarrow$ add -s)
Some news (Wait! 'News' always has an -s, but it is treated as one thing).

🛠️ WORD BUILDING: Making opposites

We can change the meaning of a sentence by using simple 'opposite' words found in the text:

$ext{Big}$ $\rightarrow$ $ext{Small}$ $ext{Safely}$ $\rightarrow$ $ext{Danger}$

Example from text: "The biggest one was 4.6" $\rightarrow$ This means it was not the smallest.

🚩 QUICK PATTERN: 'Is' vs. 'Are'

Use this simple map to avoid mistakes:

$ext{One person/thing}$ $\rightarrow$ IS (Example: Tehran is in danger)

$ext{Two or more}$ $\rightarrow$ ARE (Example: Leaders are trying to stop wars)

Vocabulary Learning

earthquake (n.)

a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement of the earth's crust

Example:The earthquake shook the whole city for five minutes.

city (n.)

a large town or a place with many people and buildings

Example:I live in a city with many restaurants.

building (n.)

a structure with walls and a roof where people live or work

Example:The building on the corner was damaged by the quake.

expert (n.)

a person who knows a lot about something

Example:She is an expert in earthquakes and helps people prepare.

worry (v.)

to feel nervous or concerned about something

Example:I worry about my parents when there is bad weather.

million (n.)

a number equal to one thousand thousand (1,000,000)

Example:There are 14 million people living in Tehran.

hurt (v.)

to cause pain or injury to someone or something

Example:The fall could hurt your knee if you don't watch where you step.

ship (n.)

a large boat that travels on water

Example:The ship sailed across the sea to a new port.

problem (n.)

a difficult situation that needs a solution

Example:Traffic congestion is a problem in this town.

danger (n.)

a risk or threat that can cause harm

Example:The storm created a danger for the hikers.