THEEARTHQUAKEINJAPANTheearthquakethatshookJapanwithhistoricstrengthonFridaycreatedatsunami([tsu'nɑ:mi]n.海啸)wavetenmetershigh.Thewaterwashedawayboats,carsandhousesincoastalareasnorthofTokyo.ItalsoledtotsunamiwarningsacrossthePacific.Scientistsrecordedthemagnitudeoftheearthquakeat8.9.TheUnitedStatesGeologicalSurveysaysitwasthefifthlargestearthquakesincenineteenhundred.Thelargest,witha9.5magnitude,shookChileinnineteensixty.ThequakestruckneartheeastcoastofHonshu,Japan'smainisland.ItwascenteredundertheseaaboutonehundredthirtykilometerseastofSendai.ThetsunamiwashedawaywholeneighborhoodsinSendai.PresidentObamaofferedwhateverassistanceJapanneeds.HehadalreadyplannedtomeetwithreportersFriday,andbeganbytalkingaboutthedisaster.Awarehouse(['wεəhaus]n.仓库；货栈；大商店)andvehicles(['vi:ikl]n.车辆；交通工具；)arewashedawayinKesennumaBARACKOBAMA:"Firstandforemost,ourthoughtsandourprayersarewiththepeopleofJapan.Thisisapotentiallycatastrophic([,kætə'strɔfik]adj.灾难的；悲惨的)disasterandtheimagesofdestructionandfloodingcomingoutofJapanaresimplyheartbreaking."Japanis,ofcourse,oneofourstrongestandclosestallies(['ælaiz]n同盟国)andthismorningIspokewithPrimeMinister[Naoto]Kan.OnbehalfoftheAmericanpeople,Iconveyedourdeepestcondolences([kən'dəuləns]n.哀悼；慰问),especiallytothevictimsandtheirfamilies.AndIofferedourJapanesefriendswhateverassistanceisneeded.WecurrentlyhaveanaircraftcarrierinJapanandanotherisonitsway."Japanesemediasaidthetsunamicarriedawayashipcarryingonehundredpeople.Televisionimagesshowedawholecommunityonfire.Thequakehasproducedpowerfulaftershocks.Italsoraisedconcernsaboutpossibleeffectsontheworld'sthird-largesteconomy.TheeconomywasthesecondlargestuntilChinarecentlymovedintothatposition.Japanhasinvested([in'vest]vt.投资；耗费；)alotofresourcesinpreparingforearthquakes.Still,thenineteenninety-fiveearthquakeinKobecausedanestimatedonehundredbilliondollarsindamage.ThevalueoftheyendroppedFridaybutthenrecovered.Japanistheworld'sthird-largestimporterofoil.Worldpricesforoilfellafterthequake.Thisfollowedwee