App Feels Earthquakes Through Mobile Phones

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

vibration

Noun

vaɪˈbreɪʃən

a continuous shaking movement or feeling

Some animals feel vibrations much better than people.

alert

Verb

əˈlɜːrt

to inform or warn

He alerted us about the accident down the road.

accelerometer

Noun

ækˌsɛləˈrɑːmɪtər

a device that detects its own acceleration and is used in mobile phones to determine the phone’s orientation

Some smart watches use accelerometers.

tracker

Noun

ˈtrækər

a device that follows and records the movements of someone or something

I use a tracker to record how many steps I walk every day.

seismic

Adjective

ˈsaɪzmɪk

relating to, or caused by an earthquake

The researchers noted seismic activity in the area.

program

Verb

ˈproʊɡræm

to give (a computer) a set of instructions to perform a particular action: to create a program for (a computer)

I programmed this application.

developer

Noun

dɪˈvɛləpər

a person or a company that designs and creates new products

The developers are reading the plans.

We are looking for a developer for this project.

During the meeting, a group of community activists challenged the developer's plans.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

App Feels Earthquakes Through Mobile Phones

A new phone app uses vibrations from smartphones to alert people about earthquakes.

The phone app recognizes sudden shaking of the earth’s surface through sensors in smartphones.

The new app is called MyShake. It is the work of four researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. They said they created a worldwide warning system.

The MyShake app is available only for Android phones.

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

How MyShake Works

Smart phones are equipped with accelerometers. These instruments measure movement, like that of a car or airplane. They can also measure the shaking of a machine, building or other structure.

Accelerometers are used in activity trackers and apps that count steps or other exercise. They also are used in GPS.

MyShake uses phone accelerometers to measure seismic activity. It has been programmed to know the difference between normal activity and earthquake movement. The software developers say their app is right 93 percent of the time.

MyShake uses very little power, according to its developers.

Exercise 3

Questions

How is the app that alerts people about earthquakes called?

What does the app use to measure seismic activity?

What kind of phones is the app available for?

Exercise 4

Discussion

Do you live in an area with many earthquakes?

Do you think that MyShake is a useful app?

What kind of apps do you use most often?

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.