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Preparing for PT3 English 2021 

18 May 2021

7 minutes to read

• 01. PT3 2021 Examination Latest Format 
• 02. PT3 English Examination Marking Scheme
• 03. PT3 English Essay Writing Tips and Format
• 04. PT3 Past Year Papers and References

Whoot whoot ~ How are you guys today? Getting hyped to get one step closer to finishing your secondary school? Well done. 

I know some of you are getting depressed over the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Who won’t?

While some students are cheering that the school has been shut down for so long and some of them have been crying because they miss out on the chances to gain more knowledge to prepare for their future, just remember – Things happen. 

Never cry over spilt milk . What we can do is to learn how to move forward. 

What’s important for the PT3 candidates to know is that PT3 isn’t the only examination that you are going to take. There is one other big examination coming in just about 2 years time!  

For you, the milk hasn't been spilled yet! The time has come for you to seriously think about your future. How important your future is especially in this turbulent time, where more people are becoming jobless and even more people have nothing to eat on their plate. 

As a student, your only job and responsibility is to become a better human being. Learn more to achieve more and you will be able to help a lot of people in the future. Here, we at Superprof are dedicated to help you in your journey. 

In this article, we are going to cover the PT3 latest format, where to find PT3 past year papers, tips on answering essay papers and how PT3 is marked. 

PT3 2021 Examination Latest Format 

Do you know, nearly a decade ago, the Form 3 Assessment (PT3) wasn't known as what it is now? Before, the form 3 students sat for the Lower Secondary Examination (PMR). 

Yes, the difference is between ‘Assessment’ and ‘Examination’. It looks the same right? But it isn’t. Assessment is done by the teacher throughout the year and the weightage for the marking is higher in the final PT3 Assessment Test for the overall mark. Besides, Assessment is also school based, meaning that your examination paper will be marked by your school teachers. 

Meanwhile the Examination, just as it sounds, the student will sit for one final examination to mark the end of their lower secondary school journey. All the subject weightage falls in that one examination paper. So PMR was more exam oriented. Nonetheless, the exam paper will be marked externally by external markers just like how SPM is executed. 

The good thing about this type of examination is that the students took the exam very seriously and were willing to go to all lengths to prove themselves worthy to choose any streams they would want to take in the higher secondary form. 

Frankly, I can say that the PT3 assessment test has been taken lightly by the majority of parents and students. Most of the instrument tests haven't been done and it takes a toll on the teachers to search for students who are falling behind. However, that is the best thing about PT3, ‘No students are left behind’. Teachers can recognize weak students early on and will focus more on them. 

Throughout the year of the implementation of PT3 in 2014, MOE has made several revisions on the way the assessment is done. In 2019, another revision has been made and supposedly the 2020 PT3 candidate should be the first to sit for the test. 

The changes made recently is more towards the administration of PT3. This time, schools are responsible to make the instruments instead of it being given by MOE like the years before. This is a good shift as the teacher can tailor the instruments according to their student’s level. 

Check out more in depth on PT3's latest format . 

PT3 English Examination Marking Scheme

The interesting part of the latest PT3 assessment test is that MOE has aligned themselves with The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) measuring system. 

If you haven’t heard about CEFR before, this measuring system has been adapted in most of the international English as Second Language standard scores. Therefore, Malaysia has moved one step forward to be on par with all other international English levels. 

Previously, there were only 2 tests to sit for in the English subjects – Written test (Writing & Reading Comprehension) and Oral Test. Today you’ll only be sitting in 1 test but with 4 different papers. 

The papers are as follows:- 

• Paper 1 – Reading
• Paper 2- Essay
• Paper 3 – Speaking
• Paper 4 – Listening

Quite similar right? The difference is in the weightage of each paper in which the total scores are divided equally to 25%. So, the assessment is more comprehensive than before. Today, we can focus on 4 important types of linguistic properties. 

Previously, PMR students will only focus on their reading and writing. So their speaking and listening skills are rather low. Forward to today, I can see that most of the Generation Z are able to speak up their mind in English!

There are more tips on scoring PT3 papers following the latest PT3 Marking Scheme . 

PT3 English Essay Writing Tips and Format

I realized with the latest format in Malaysia English as Second Language, Bahasa Inggeris in PT3, writing isn’t one of the favourite papers to answer. Yes, I admit that even before, writing was the hardest part of the English Examination.

However, with the previous format, we don't have any choice than to score writing as the weightage is 50% of the overall marks. Today, with the division of English subjects into 4 papers with the equal weightage of 25%, students are able to at least focus on their best 3 papers to pass the English subjects. The probability to get at least 75% is high. 

But should we neglect the essay writing? Obviously NOT! Writing is also one of the core principles in English. Without the ability to write, your English skills won’t make it for further studies or for any kind of job which requires fluency in English.

Fret not, compared to before, English writing papers are not as flowery as they used to be. Today, straightforward writing is the best way to score. Why the flowery and why the changes? 

As you may know, the Malay Language is poetic, soft and flowery (not straight to the point). The previous format has assimilated Malay Language into English Language style of writing. Therefore, since MOE has changed and aligned the format to follow the international standard, we should also follow the international style of writing. 

Here Superprof has identified a few tips to follow while answering PT3 Essay Writing . 

• Every answer and point given should be simple and easy to understand
• Avoid using excessive jargon and complicated words
• Speak more English with your peers so you can adapt to use natural words and sentences in your essay
• Read more books to increase your vocabularies
• Don't rush when writing and maintain a good and easy to read handwriting
• Learn from experts

PT3 Past Year Papers and References

Past year papers are mostly sought by students nearing the examination. It is proven to help a lot of them in their answering skills and building up confidence. In contrast to those who never even wonder what the test paper looks like or the structure of the exam, they won’t find it hard or difficult to answer. 

“To succeed, you must first improve, to improve, you must first practice, to practice, you must first learn, to learn, you must first fail!” -Wesley Woo

So here, Superprof will help you out in finding the best PT3 Past Year Papers and References . 

First you should know how to search for it.

• Check out our Ministry of Education’s website to know any updates relating to the examination. 
• Do not simply take papers or questions from non-reputable websites as your stepping stone to success. It might backfire on you as they might not use the latest format and not give you the best questions to focus for your test. 
• Getting a book from a reputable publisher is the best way to get the best model questions. Most of the publishing companies hire experienced teachers and some of them have experience in compiling or making exam papers. 
• Check out Superprof blog for more downloadable papers and tips. 

It is understandable that more and more of us opt to get free-references on the net. However, one thing you should be aware of is that some of the non-reputable websites contain viruses, excessive marketing pop-up, download our data without consent and many more. 

Therefore, never fall victim to this kind of trap. 

Do you know Superprof is one of the best education platforms globally? We have more than a million teachers available for any online or face-to-face tutoring. You can easily choose your own favourite tutor. 

The rate is also affordable compared to the market price in tuition centres and other private tutoring in Malaysia. Our rate starts as low as RM30 per hour! Yes this is real! Most of our tutors are the best in their field. 

One of the best investments you can make for your future is EDUCATION . Remember, examination is just one way to measure your knowledge and skills in certain subjects. Thus, only by achieving good results can you pave your future easily and you’ll be able to achieve greater things earlier than the rest of your peers. 

Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!

Alia Jamaludin is known as a passionate environmentalist and animal lover. By being both educator and writer, she can reach out her positive thought to almost every being on this planet.

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thanks about your sharing , maybe some words i don’t understand but i will trans it and i try to remember that.

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• Your Health
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• Health Inc.
• Public Health

Mental health care is hard to find, especially for people with Medicare or Medicaid

Rhitu Chatterjee

With rates of suicide and opioid deaths rising in the past decade and children's mental health declared a national emergency , the United States faces an unprecedented mental health crisis. But access to mental health care for a significant portion of Americans — including some of the most vulnerable populations — is extremely limited, according to a new government report released Wednesday.

The report, from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, finds that Medicare and Medicaid have a dire shortage of mental health care providers.

The report looked at 20 counties with people on Medicaid, traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which together serve more than 130 million enrollees — more than 40% of the U.S. population, says Meridith Seife , the deputy regional inspector general and the lead author of the report.

Medicaid serves people on low incomes, and Medicare is mainly for people 65 years or older and those who are younger with chronic disabilities.

The report found fewer than five active mental health care providers for every 1,000 enrollees. On average, Medicare Advantage has 4.7 providers per 1,000 enrollees, whereas traditional Medicare has 2.9 providers and Medicaid has 3.1 providers for the same number of enrollees. Some counties fare even worse, with not even a single provider for every 1,000 enrollees.

"When you have so few providers available to see this many enrollees, patients start running into significant problems finding care," says Seife.

The findings are especially troubling given the level of need for mental health care in this population, she says.

"On Medicare, you have 1 in 4 Medicare enrollees who are living with a mental illness," she says. "Yet less than half of those people are receiving treatment."

Among people on Medicaid, 1 in 3 have a mental illness, and 1 in 5 have a substance use disorder. "So the need is tremendous."

The results are "scary" but "not very surprising," says Deborah Steinberg , senior health policy attorney at the nonprofit Legal Action Center. "We know that people in Medicare and Medicaid are often underserved populations, and this is especially true for mental health and substance use disorder care."

Among those individuals able to find and connect with a provider, many see their provider several times a year, according to the report. And many have to drive a long way for their appointments.

"We have roughly 1 in 4 patients that had to travel more than an hour to their appointments, and 1 in 10 had to travel more than an hour and a half each way," notes Seife. Some patients traveled two hours each way for mental health care, she says.

Mental illnesses and substance use disorders are chronic conditions that people need ongoing care for, says Steinberg. "And when they have to travel an hour, more than an hour, for an appointment throughout the year, that becomes unreasonable. It becomes untenable."

"We know that behavioral health workforce shortages are widespread," says Heather Saunders , a senior research manager on the Medicaid team at KFF, the health policy research organization. "This is across all payers, all populations, with about half of the U.S. population living in a workforce shortage."

But as the report found, that's not the whole story for Medicare and Medicaid. Only about a third of mental health care providers in the counties studied see Medicare and Medicaid patients. That means a majority of the workforce doesn't participate in these programs.

This has been well documented in Medicaid, notes Saunders. "Only a fraction" of providers in provider directories see Medicaid patients, she says. "And when they do see Medicaid patients, they often only see a few."

Lower reimbursement rates and a high administrative burden prevent more providers from participating in Medicaid and Medicare, the report notes.

"In the Medicare program, they set a physician fee rate," explains Steinberg. "Then for certain providers, which includes clinical social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, they get reimbursed at 75% of that rate."

Medicaid reimbursements for psychiatric services are even lower when compared with Medicare , says Ellen Weber , senior vice president for health initiatives at the Legal Action Center.

"They're baking in those discriminatory standards when they are setting those rates," says Steinberg.

The new report recommends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) take steps to increase payments to providers and lower administrative requirements. In a statement, CMS said it has responded to those recommendations within the report.

According to research by Saunders and her colleagues at KFF, many states have already started to take action on these fronts to improve participation in Medicaid.

Several have upped their payments to mental health providers. "But the scale of those increases ranged widely across states," says Saunders, "with some states limiting the increase to one provider type or one type of service, but other states having rate increases that were more across the board."

Some states have also tried to simplify and streamline paperwork, she adds. "Making it less complex, making it easier to understand," says Saunders.

But it's too soon to know whether those efforts have made a significant impact on improving access to providers.

CMS has also taken steps to address provider shortages, says Steinberg.

"CMS has tried to increase some of the reimbursement rates without actually fixing that structural problem," says Steinberg. "Trying to add a little bit here and there, but it's not enough, especially when they're only adding a percent to the total rate. It's a really small increase."

The agency has also started covering treatments and providers it didn't use to cover before.

"In 2020, Medicare started covering opioid treatment programs, which is where a lot of folks can go to get medications for their substance use disorder," says Steinberg.

And starting this year, Medicare also covers "mental health counselors, which includes addiction counselors, as well as marriage and family therapists," she adds.

While noteworthy and important, a lot more needs to be done, says Steinberg. "For example, in the substance use disorder space, a lot of addiction counselors do not have a master's degree. And that's one of their requirements to be a counselor in the Medicare program right now."

Removing those stringent requirements and adding other kinds of providers, like peer support specialists, is key to improving access. And the cost of not accessing care is high, she adds.

"Over the past two decades, [in] the older adult population, the number of overdose deaths has increased fourfold — quadrupled," says Steinberg. "So this is affecting people. It is causing deaths. It is causing people to go to the hospital. It increases [health care] costs."

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• mental health

PT3ENGLISH.com

For teachers and students, fast and easy ways to write your email/note/postcard: question 3(j).

Previously, I’ve posted  an entry on How to start and end question 3(J) and it’s been well received and I’ve also gotten some valuable feedbacks from our readers. I also mentioned that I might share with you a cycle that I normally introduce to my learners.  So, why not now? The test is closer now that it is July, I am sure you guys are feeling more anxious now. Maybe this could help you.

*The usefulness of this cycle is very subjective, if you do not think it will work with your learners, I welcome you to write to me and we can chat 🙂

PT3 Papers have certain ways of constructing this question. There is almost a pattern in the things they ask for.

In almost all the question types that have been asked out there, you will most probably be asked to :

• invite/suggest/recommend
• give 1 or more reasons
• encourage someone to take action

It does not run away from this. Therefore, all you need to do is to link all of them together and try to make your writing sound as natural and interesting as you can.

In my previous post  How to start and end question 3(J),  I have explained how you can start and end with some ready-to-go phrases.

In here you will find some more help for you to go about with your content:

• This is to make sure you are on the right direction. It also helps you to make sure you answer the question.
• It is very important that you give AT LEAST 2 reasons to show that you understand what the question asks.
• In 2017, the question changed its format and ASK FOR ONLY 1 REASON . It killed many students and it showed that many students either don’t read the question properly or don’t understand the difference between ‘REASONS’ and ‘REASON’ 
• As TEACHERS , it’s extremely important to brief your students on this and make it a point for them to READ the questions. EVERY QUESTION should be READ and DISSECTED!
• Use connecting words to help arrange your points. 
• Some suggested sentence starters are there to help you build around the notes given from given text.
• REASON 3 is optional but highly recommended if you feel that you don’t have much to say
• Here are some very useful sentences I introduce to my student:
• I know you like ______ right?
• You are going to love it. 
• We can have fun together.
• We can take a lot of pictures there.
• What are you waiting for? Come and join me.

These may sound simple but they could be life saver for your weaker groups. They feel more confident when they have some sentences up their sleeve.

Just remind them try not to repeat the same sentence too often.

ENCOURAGEMENT

• They always ask for this in the question. If you worry your students can’t understand the word, make it a point for them to write this in. I mean, it can’t be wrong, can it?
• Just a sentence to end the whole writing. 

The picture below may help you to better understand what I am talking about here:

From my experience, students feel less lost when they have a guideline like this.

The positive side of it:

• It comes most useful with the weaker groups. They will be able to come up with something instead of nothing.
• Some students like playing safe. This is SAFE.
• They write quicker. Once they get used to the pattern, it’s faster for them to get it done.
• Avoid a lot of weird language (grammar and tenses comedy)

The negative side of it:

• You take away students’ creativity. They might stick with your samples language. If you want genuine products from them, this might not be what you’re looking for.
• Expect a lot of similar answers. But hey, if it gets them to the shore, why not?
• Also, many will still get it wrong. I’ve seen many learners still not able to connect the phrases into meaningful language. For this, I’m still looking for ways to help them, any ideas from you?

9 thoughts on “ Fast and Easy ways to write your Email/Note/Postcard: Question 3(J) ”

Very useful indeed as were the others you have sent. Thank you Grace.

Kudos to a wonderful teacher for her refreshing ideas. Much thought too given to cater to different set of students. Keep up the good work. May God bless you with more great sharings.

Thank you so much for your updates. This is the best site that supports tchrs and i appreciate yiur prompt replies and guides!!

Santhimuru,

Appreciate your kind words! Let’s spread the love! 🙂

this is so useful. even advance students need base guideline. thanks so much

This is waaaaayy helpful than looking at those emails on the guidebooks

appreciate your kind words!

appreciate your kind words! however, with the implementation of the new format, we’re going to change the content of this post to better fit the new requirements of the new format. stay tuned!

Thanks. Easy way. May I share to my students?

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Strong Taiwan Quake Kills 9, Injures Hundreds

The earthquake was the most powerful to hit the island in 25 years. Dozens of people remained trapped, and many buildings were damaged, with the worst centered in the city of Hualien.

• Share full article

• Hualien, Taiwan A landslide after the quake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Books flew off shelves as a home shook. @Abalamindo via Storyful
• Taipei, Taiwan Passengers waiting at a train station as some services were suspended. Chiang Ying-Ying/Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan People are rescued from a building that had partially collapsed. TVBS via Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan Firefighters rescuing trapped residents from a building. CTI News via Reuters
• Taipei, Taiwan Students evacuated to a school courtyard after the earthquake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• Guishan Island, Taiwan Rocks tumbling down one side of an island popular for hiking. Lavine Lin via Reuters
• Hualien, Taiwan A building leaned to one side after the quake. Randy Yang via Associated Press
• Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan Watching news on a rooftop of a hotel after a tsunami warning. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
• Hualien, Taiwan Motorbikes damaged in the quake. TVBS via Associated Press
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Damage in an apartment Fabian Hamacher/Reuters
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Water cascading down a building during the quake. Wang via Reuters

Meaghan Tobin and Victoria Kim

Here’s what you need to know about the earthquake.

Taiwan was rocked Wednesday morning by the island’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century, a magnitude 7.4 tremor that killed at least nine people, injured more than 800 others and trapped dozens of people.

The heaviest damage was in Hualien County on the island’s east coast, a sleepy, scenic area prone to earthquakes. Footage from the aftermath showed a 10-story building there partially collapsed and leaning heavily to one side, from which residents emerged through windows and climbed down ladders, assisted by rescuers. Three hikers were killed after being hit by falling rocks on a hiking trail in Taroko National Park, according to the county government.

By late afternoon, officials said rescue efforts were underway to try to rescue 127 people who were trapped, many of them on hiking trails in Hualien.

One building in Changhua County, on the island’s west coast, collapsed entirely. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan and set off at least nine landslides, sending rocks tumbling onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. Rail services were halted at one point across the island.

The earthquake, with an epicenter off Taiwan’s east coast, struck during the morning commute, shortly before 8 a.m. Taiwanese authorities said by 3 p.m., more than 100 aftershocks, many of them stronger than magnitude 5, had rumbled through the area.

In the capital, Taipei, buildings shook for over a minute from the initial quake. Taiwan is at the intersection of the Philippine Sea tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, making it vulnerable to seismic activity. Hualien sits on multiple active faults, and 17 people died in a quake there in 2018.

Here is the latest:

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people there were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, a holiday across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn the dead and make offerings at their graves. Officials warned the public to stay away from visiting tombs in mountain areas as a precaution, especially because rain was forecast in the coming days.

TSMC, the world’s biggest maker of advanced semiconductors, briefly evacuated workers from its factories but said a few hours later that they were returning to work. Chip production is highly precise, and even short shutdowns can cost millions of dollars.

Christopher Buckley

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s vice president, who is also its president-elect, visited the city of Hualien this afternoon to assess the destruction and the rescue efforts, a government announcement said. Mr. Lai, who will become president in May, said the most urgent tasks were rescuing trapped residents and providing medical care. Next, Mr. Lai said, public services must be restored, including transportation, water and power. He said Taiwan Railway’s eastern line could be reopened by Thursday night.

Meaghan Tobin

Taiwan’s fire department has updated its figures, reporting that nine people have died and 934 others have been injured in the quake. Fifty-six people in Hualien County remain trapped.

Shake intensity

Taiwan’s fire department reports that nine people have died and 882 others have been injured in Taiwan. In Hualien County, 131 people remain trapped.

Agnes Chang

Footage shows rocks tumbling down one side of Guishan Island, a popular spot for hiking known as Turtle Island, off the northeast coast of Taiwan. Officials said no fishermen or tourists were injured after the landslide.

The death toll has risen to nine, according to Taiwan government statistics.

Meaghan Tobin, Siyi Zhao

Officials in Taiwan warned residents to not visit their relatives' tombs, especially in the mountains, this weekend during the holiday, known as Ching Ming, meant to honor them. There had already been 100 aftershocks and the forecast called for rain, which could make travel conditions on damaged roads more treacherous.

Crews are working to reach people trapped on blocked roads. As of 1 p.m. local time, roads were impassable due to damage and fallen rock in 19 places, according to the Ministry of Transportation. At least 77 people remain trapped. A bridge before Daqingshui Tunnel appeared to have completely collapsed.

Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in decades — a train derailment in 2021 that killed 49 people — took place on the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday period that year, in the same region as the earthquake.

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people here were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, or Ching Ming, a day across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn their dead, especially by making offerings at their graves. Now those plans will be disrupted for many Taiwanese.

The holiday weekend would typically see a spike in travel as people visit family across Taiwan. Currently, both rail transport and highways are blocked in parts of Hualien, said Transport Minister Wang Guo-cai. Work is underway to restore rail transportation in Hualien, and two-way traffic is expected to be restored at noon on Thursday, he said.

Taiwan’s preparedness has evolved in response to past quakes.

Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness has evolved over the past few decades in response to some of the island’s largest and most destructive quakes .

In the years after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in 1999, the authorities established an urban search-and-rescue team and opened several emergency medical operation centers, among other measures .

And in 2018, after a quake in the eastern coastal city of Hualien killed 17 people and caused several buildings to partially collapse, the government ordered a wave of building inspections .

Taiwan has also been improving its early warning system for earthquakes since the 1980s. And two years ago, it rolled out new building codes that, among other things, require owners of vulnerable buildings to install ad-hoc structural reinforcements.

So how well prepared was Taiwan when a 7.4 magnitude quake struck near Hualien on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds more?

Across the island, one building collapsed entirely, 15 others were in a state of partial collapse and another 67 were damaged, the island’s fire department said on Wednesday afternoon . Structural engineers could not immediately be reached for comment to assess that damage, or the extent to which building codes and other regulations might have either contributed to it or prevented worse destruction.

As for search-and-rescue preparedness, Taiwan is generally in very good shape, said Steve Glassey, an expert in disaster response who lives in New Zealand.

“ The skill sets, the capabilities, the equipment, the training is second to none,” said Dr. Glassey, who worked with Taipei’s urban search-and-rescue team during the response to a devastating 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. “They’re a very sharp operation.”

But even the best urban search-and-rescue team will be stretched thin if an earthquake causes multiple buildings to collapse, Dr. Glassey said.

Taiwan has options for requesting international help with search-and-rescue efforts. It could directly ask another country, or countries, to send personnel. And if multiple teams were to get involved, it could ask the United Nations to help coordinate them, as it did after the 1999 earthquake.

Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the United Nations, said on Wednesday afternoon that no such request had yet been made as a result of the latest earthquake.

Meaghan Tobin contributed reporting.

At least seven people have died and 736 have been injured as a result of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Another 77 people remained trapped in Hualien County, many of them on hiking trails. Search and rescue operations are underway, said the fire department.

Aftershocks of magnitudes between 6.5 and 7 were likely to occur over the next three or four days, said Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, at a news conference.

As of 2 p.m., 711 people had been injured across Taiwan, the fire department said, and 77 people in Hualien County remained trapped. The four who were known to have died were in Hualien.

Victoria Kim

Hualien County is a quiet and scenic tourist destination.

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. It also happens to sit on several active faults , making it prone to earthquakes.

The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. It is one of the most sparsely populated parts of Taiwan. About three hours by train from the capital, Taipei, the city describes itself as the first place on the island that’s touched by the sun.

Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

According to the state-owned Central News Agency, three hikers were trapped on a trail near the entrance to the gorge on Wednesday, after the quake sent rocks falling. Two of them were found dead, the news agency said. Administrators said many roads within the park had been cut off by the earthquake, potentially trapping hikers, according to the report.

Earthquakes have rattled Hualien with some regularity. In 2018, 17 people were killed and hundreds of others injured when a magnitude 6.5 quake struck just before midnight, its epicenter a short distance northeast of the city of Hualien.

Many of the victims in that quake were in a 12-story building that was severely tilted, the first four floors of which were largely crushed, according to news reports from the time. The next year, the area was shaken by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that injured 17 people.

The area has some of the highest concentrations of Taiwan’s aboriginal population, with several of the island’s Indigenous tribes calling the county home .

The county government in Hualien released a list of people that had been hospitalized with injuries, which stood at 118 people as of midday Wednesday.

Across Taiwan, one building fell down entirely, in Changhua County on the west coast, and 15 buildings partially collapsed, Taiwan’s fire department said. Another 67 buildings were damaged. One of the partially collapsed structures was a warehouse in New Taipei City where four people were rescued, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Another 12 were rescued at a separate New Taipei City building where the foundation sank into the ground.

Peggy Jiang, who manages The Good Kid, a children’s bookstore down the street from the partially collapsed Uranus Building in Hualien, said it was a good thing they had yet to open when the quake struck. The area is now blocked off by police and rescue vehicles. “Most people in Hualien are used to earthquakes,” she said. “But this one was particularly scary, many people ran in the street immediately afterward.”

Lin Jung, 36, who manages a shop selling sneakers in Hualien, said he had been at home getting ready to take his 16-month-old baby to a medical appointment when the earthquake struck. He said it felt at first like a series of small shocks, then “suddenly it turned to an intense earthquake shaking up and down.” The glass cover of a ceiling lamp fell and shattered. “All I could do was protect my baby.”

Chris Buckley ,  Paul Mozur ,  Meaghan Tobin and John Yoon

The earthquake damaged buildings and a highway in Hualien.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday damaged many buildings and a major highway in Hualien, a city on the eastern coast, and it knocked out power as it rocked the island.

Across Taiwan, the quake and its aftershocks caused one building to completely collapse and 15 others to partially collapse, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Sixty-seven other buildings sustained damage.

Two tall buildings in Hualien that sustained particularly extensive damage were at the center of the rescue efforts there. Most damage across the city was not life-threatening, said Huang Hsuan-wan, a reporter for a local news site.

Where buildings were reported damaged in Hualien City

“A lot of roads were blocked off. There are a lot of walls toppled over onto cars,” Derik du Plessis, 44, a South African resident of Hualien, said shortly after the earthquake. He described people rushing around the city to check on their houses and pick up their children. One of his friends lost her house, he said.

One of the damaged buildings in Hualien, a 10-story structure called the Uranus Building that housed a mix of homes and shops, was tilted over and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Many of its residents managed to flee, but some were missing, said Sunny Wang, a journalist based in the city. Rescuers were trying to reach the basement, concerned that people might be trapped there.

Photographs of the initial damage in Hualien showed another building, a five-story structure, leaning to one side, with crushed motorcycles visible at the ground-floor level. Bricks had fallen off another high-rise, leaving cracks and holes in the walls.

The quake also set off at least nine landslides on Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, which said part of the road had collapsed.

Taiwan’s fire department said four people had been killed in the earthquake.

Across Taiwan, 40 flights have been canceled or delayed because of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Taiwan’s national emergency response center this morning, where she was briefed about the response efforts underway by members of the ministries of defense, transportation, economic affairs and agriculture, as well as the fire department.

A look at Taiwan’s strongest earthquakes.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning was the strongest in 25 years, the island’s Central Weather Administration said.

At least four people died after the quake struck off Taiwan’s east coast, officials said.

Here’s a look back at some of the major earthquakes in modern Taiwanese history:

Taichung, 1935

Taiwan’s deadliest quake registered a magnitude of 7.1 and struck near the island’s west coast in April 1935, killing more than 3,200 people, according to the Central Weather Administration. More than 12,000 others were injured and more than 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Tainan, 1941

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in December 1941, which struck southwestern Taiwan, caused several hundred deaths, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chi-Chi, 1999

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in September 1999. The quake, which struck about 90 miles south-southwest of Taipei, was the second-deadliest in the island’s history, according to the U.S.G.S. and the Central Weather Administration. More than 10,000 people were injured and more than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Yujing, 2016

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in February 2016 caused a 17-story apartment complex in southwestern Taiwan to collapse, killing at least 114 people . The U.S.G.S. later said that 90 earthquakes of that scale or greater had occurred within 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, of that quake’s location over the previous 100 years.

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