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  3. After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report; the damage and death

After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report; the damage and death

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问题     After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report; the damage and death toll (死亡人数) could have been much worse.
    More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25 000 victims.
    Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 am. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways, making them more resistant to quakes.
    Despite the good news, civil engineers aren’t resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints (蓝图) f°r improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place.
    In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations (振动,摆动). The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake’s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction.
    The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.
One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was comparatively low is that
选项 A、new computers had been installed in the buildings
B、it occurred in the residential areas rather than on the highways
C、large numbers of Los Angeles residents had gone for a holiday
D、improvements has been made in the construction of buildings and highways
答案D
解析 本题是一道具体细节题。问洛杉矶地震造成的损失和伤亡比较小的一个原因是什么。利用查阅式阅读法，根据文章第三段内容，地震发生在休假日的凌晨，公路上车辆不多；由于建筑规程的修改，近20年来洛杉矶城市楼房和公路建筑都加固了，防震性能提高了。所以，本题的正确答案应是D“原因之一是楼房和公路建筑的防震性有了很大的提高”。
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