Essay. An essay is a short nonfiction work that expresses a writer’s thoughts about a single subject. A good essay develops a single idea, or thesis, and is organized into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. As you read the essay, identify the thesis.
Chronological Order. Events arranged in order of the time when they happened are said to be in chronological order. This organization is used in informative nonfiction writing that describes processes, cause-and-effect relationships, and historical events. As you read, look for the main part of the essay where the author uses chronological order.
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• Science Connection. A volcano is a break, or vent, in the earth’s crust where heat, gas, and molten rock can escape. Volcanoes can take many shapes, including a cone, which forms when lava and solid matter are ejected through the vent from the interior of the earth. Solid materials fall around the vent, while lava streams from the vent. The lava and other materials harden into a cone that slopes outward away from the vent. Mount Vesuvius is an example of a cone-shaped volcano. Many volcanoes are born underwater on the sea floor. Mount Vesuvius—like the vast cones of the Hawaiian Islands—began as an underwater volcano.
• In a violent eruption of a volcano, lava is highly charged with steam and other gases, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The steam and other gases continuously escape from the surface of the lava with violent explosions. Lava shoots up and forms a fiery fountain of drops of ash. The lava rises in the vent and flows over the rim of the crater. After an eruption the volcano may return to an inactive, or dormant, state. Mount Vesuvius is one of many active volcanoes in the world today, having exploded many times since the fateful explosive eruption that hit Pompeii, Italy, in ad 79. The most recent eruption occurred in 1944.
Write about a natural disaster you have experienced or heard about.
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