Comprehension Questions on Buildings on the Coast:

1. What are some of the ways in which coastal erosion can impact buildings and people's lives?
2. How did the local people in Dunwich attempt to prevent erosion from affecting their town in the
past?
3. What types of rocks are mentioned and how does their composition influence erosion rates on the
British Isles' coasts?
4. What significant event led to the transformation of Dunwich from a large port to a small village?
5. In which country did people reclaim land from the sea, and what methods did they use to achieve
this?
6. What are polders, and what crops do the Dutch grow on them?
7. Describe the erosion situation on the east coast of England, specifically regarding the erosion of
cliffs in Yorkshire.
8. What is unique about Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, and how was it constructed?
9. What are some of the features and facilities located on Palm Jumeirah?
10. Can you deduce why houses along the Californian coast are particularly vulnerable to erosion?

Answer Key:

1. The waves erode cliffs and other coastal features quickly, posing a risk to people's lives and making
buildings unsafe to use.
2. They piled up brushwood, weighted with stones, at the foot of the cliffs to prevent erosion.
3. Cliffs made of soil or soft rocks, like chalk and clay, erode quickly, while the western coasts with hard
rocks erode more slowly.
4. The storm in January 1326 swept away three churches and 400 houses, leading to the decline of
Dunwich.
5. The Netherlands reclaimed land from the sea using dykes and pumps.
6. Polders are the fields reclaimed from the sea, and the Dutch grow wheat, barley, sugar beet, and
other crops on them.
7. The cliffs on the east coast of England are eroding at about 2 meters per year, with approximately
36 villages lost to the sea.
8. Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is the world's largest man-made island, constructed in the shape of a palm
tree using sand dredged from the Arabian Gulf and rock from local quarries.
9. Waterfront apartments, villas, restaurants, and hotels with views of the sea are located on Palm
Jumeirah.
10. The cliffs are made of soft rock, making houses along the coast prone to falling onto the beach as
the cliffs erode.