After inventing dynamite, Swedish-born Alfred Nobel became a very rich man. However, he foresaw its universally destructive powers too late. Nobel preferred not to be remembered as the inventor of dynamite, so in 1895, just two weeks before his death, he created a fund to be used for awarding prizes to people who had made worldwide contributions to mankind. Originally there were five awards: literature, physics, chemistry, medicine and peace. Economics was added in 1968, just sixty-seven years after the first awarded ceremony.
Nobel’s original legacy of nine million dollars was invested, and the interest on this sum is used for the awards which vary from 30.000 dollars to 125.000 dollars.
Every year on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death , the awards (gold medals, illuminated diploma and money) are present to the winners. Sometimes politics plays an important roles in the judges’ decision. American have won numerous science awards, but relatively few literature prizes.
No awards were presented from 1940 to 1942 at the beginning of World War II. Some people have won two prizes, but this is rare; other have shares their prizes.

(26) an earthquake happens, people can die from lack of food, water, and medical supplies. The amount of destruction (27) by an earthquake depends on where it happens, what time it happens, and how strong it is. It also depends on types of buildings, soil conditions and population. Of the 6,000 earthquakes in the world each year, only about 15 cause great damage and many deaths.
If seismologists could (28) earthquakes, we could save about 20,000 human lives each year. Man can control (29) things about nature, (30) we cannot control earthquakes.