Read the text about earthquakes and tsunamis.
On what should we blame earthquakes? They are the fault of faults, of course! The cracks and gaps in the tectonic plates that form Earth’s surface are known as faults. Earth's tectonic plates are slowly and constantly sliding past and colliding with each other. Sometimes the rough edges of the plates get stuck as the rest of the plates keep moving. Earthquakes occur when the edges suddenly become unstuck and slip along a fault.
Earthquakes can cause another type of natural disaster known as a tsunami. A tsunami is a series of enormous sea waves often caused by earthquakes that occur on the seafloor. The energy produced by an earthquake creates the force behind a tsunami. Tsunami waves can travel thousands of miles across the ocean.
A tsunami wave begins deep underwater and speeds quickly toward shore. As the ocean becomes shallower, the wave appears above the surface. The biggest tsunamis can be as tall as a ten-story building. Waves this large can destroy entire cities.
Which is the best statement to include in a summary of the central idea?
A.
Earthquakes and tsunamis are two of the worst natural disasters on Earth.
B.
Tsunamis are more destructive than the earthquakes that produce the waves.
C.
Earth and tsunamis share a common cause, the shifting of tectonic plates, but tsunamis originate in the ocean.
D.
Faults in the Earth’s surface are responsible for earthquakes, which can cause giant destructive waves known as a tsunami.