STAYING SAFE

When you ask more people about the benefits of apps on their smartphone, they say they use them to play games, surf the net, keep in touch with people and organise social events. But Jenny Harlow, a scientist from London, has got an app that does something much more important: it warns her when she is in danger. The app is called Safety Tips and it gives users real-time earthquake and tsunami warnings. The Japan Tourist Agency had the idea for the app after the 2011 earthquake in Japan, when many foreign tourists in the country were confused about what was happening and what they should do. Jenny was on a business trip to Japan when the earthquake struck. 'Although there are a lot of earthquakes in Japan, it was the first time I experienced one. All the warnings and information on the internet, radio and TV were in Japanese, and I couldn't understand. It was really confusing and I didn't know what to do.' She had to rely on Japanese colleagues to help her. The Safety Tips app sends an alert to users when a major earthquake happens, and also tells them if a tsunami is likely to arrive at the coast. The-app gives lots of tips about what to do, where to go and how to stay safe, as well as a list of useful Japanese phrases such as 'Is this an earthquake?' and 'Is it safe here?' Importantly, all the information is in English, and there are plans to add other languages. The Japan Tourist Agency plans to advertise the app at airports and tourist information centres in Japan. In order to get the app, people visit a website and download it. 'I'm coming to Japan again next year and I will definitely watch out for alerts from the app,” says Jenny.

1: What is the main purpose of the Safety Tips app?

A. To help users organize social events

B. To provide real-time earthquake and tsunami warnings

C. To help users play games and surf the net

D. To teach Japanese language

2: Which word has the same meaning as "confused" in the text?

A. Alerted B. uncertain C. safe D. simple

3: Which word is the OPPOSITE of “SAFE” as used in the text?

A. Confusing B. dangerous C. helpful D. important

4: Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text?

A. The Safety Tips app was created after the 2011 earthquake in Japan.

B. Jenny understood Japanese warnings during the earthquake.

C. The app provides earthquake and tsunami alerts in English.

D. Jenny plans to use the app on her next trip to Japan.

5: Why did Jenny find the 2011 earthquake confusing?

A. She didn’t know earthquakes were common in Japan.

B. The warnings were in Japanese, which she couldn't understand.

C. She didn’t have a smartphone to get alerts.

D. She wasn’t in Japan during the earthquake.

6: What does the Safety Tips app provide besides earthquake and tsunami alerts?

A. Weather forecasts for Japan B. A list of helpful Japanese phrases

C. Social event organization tools D. Directions for downloading other apps