Most earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earth’s surface. But earthquakes can and do occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their number decreases as the depth increases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may run as high as 100 in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparison with the total number of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.
5 ^; H: i. y1 d' y7 k1 ~, a The extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a toy house with an erect set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it completely destroyed the city. Many stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a building is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earthquakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very serious factor is panic. When people rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.. c0 m5 C4 S1 G4 n1 A
The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have studied the nature of the ground and the type of most practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous earthquakes almost a thing of the past., M6 [9 e% u8 c, {8 }, m1 y8 Z/ J
There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caused by seismic sea waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrect. They have nothing to do with tides.)1 d0 x& P6 F; n0 b4 n7 e
In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. These submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because of their long wave length. But when they roll into harbors, they pile up into walls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them “tsunamis”, meaning “harbor waves”, because they reach a sizable height only in harbors.6 \# a+ \$ a& \! P9 Y/ ~' W! s
Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adequate warning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves.
_. l: r0 [: j& z But this only enables people to leave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.% @3 v8 H6 [. l! A0 m
1. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?
* u- K# w* }) b. t A. The number of earthquakes is closely related to depth.$ J. H, Y# j. m/ z
B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.4 n" H% i% [5 T w. l
C. Earthquakes are impossible at depths over 460 miles.( ?1 Z, A0 [2 l, x0 y6 }" L
D. Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces." a5 ~; J6 s2 X
2. The destruction of Agadir is an example of* a1 J/ I6 E, m; g6 C8 ^
A. faulty building construction& I* k1 Y6 `; G0 i* c
B. an earthquake’s strength
1 E% f7 q. L' T; X C. widespread panic in earthquakes6 D$ @7 Z, k; h& m
D. ineffective instruments
|7 e5 v" w: L8 F. x2 |' F 3. The United Nations’ experts are supposed to_______
& s# ~: Y, ` M A. construct strong buildings
* l' F" `' @8 y2 U9 ? B. put forward proposals
8 Q$ p5 o8 r& Z0 [ C. detect disastrous earthquakes/ R" g. C3 K9 E3 A' J1 u& f
D. monitor earthquakes% Z/ `! Z. `& \% r
4. The significance of the slow speed of tsunamis is that people may5 [- U, k7 O1 Z. q! c) C: ?
A. notice them out at sea
& q! w# [/ B9 C, n& A B. find ways to stop them
9 G5 Y, X% B! k6 h5 y; ~; { C. be warned early enough
4 U. |0 m: \$ k ^1 w& `2 U D. develop warning systems
" \+ A$ w& U$ D. P( n- ^9 S 1. C)+ Q( S! H2 _1 e2 l+ G* a/ Y
可用排除法来找出此题的答案。题干要求找出无法从文章中得出结论的一项。根据文章第一段第一句到第三句可知“随着深度的增加，地震的数量随之减少”，可得出结论选项A“地震的数量和深度密切相关”，故排除。根据文章第一段第五行“…9 h) k2 F9 ^* d2 E( z6 V) Z
in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much.”（接近地表处地震的发生频率可高达每月一百多次，但是年平均地震数量却变化不大。）可排除选项B．& k% V5 M. r2 |+ Z
# F9 v; P5 B% a, D# X! j Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.（每年发生的地震数量大致相同）；根据文章第一段可得出以下结论：地震主要发生在离地表十五公里的范围之内，尽管深达460公里的深处也有地震发生，但是每隔几年才发生一次。故可排除选项D Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces.（地震主要发生在地表处）。综上可知，选项 C 为正确答案。 |
发表于 2012-8-14 11:20:45
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