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  3. Earthquakes may rightly be ranked as one of the most destructive forces known to man: since records began to be written down, it

Earthquakes may rightly be ranked as one of the most destructive forces known to man: since records began to be written down, it

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问题     Earthquakes may rightly be ranked as one of the most destructive forces known to man: since records began to be written down, it has been estimated that earthquakerelated fatalities have numbered in the millions, and that earthquakerelated destruction has been beyond calculation. The greater part of such damage and loss of life has been due to collapse of buildings and the effects of rockslides, floods, fire, disease, tsunamis (gigantic sea waves), and other ob servable events resulting from earthquakes, rather than from the quakes themselves.
    The great majority of all earthquakes occur in two specific geo graphic areas. One such area covers the Pacific Ocean and its bordering landmasses. The other extends from the East Indies to the Atlas Mountains, including the Himalayas, Iran, Turkey, and the Alpine regions. It is in these two great belts or zones that ninety percent of all earthquakes take place; they may, however, happen anywhere at any time.
    This element of the unknown has for centuries added greatly to the dread and horror surrounding earthquakes, but in recent times there have been indications that earthquake forecast may be possible. By analyzing changes in animal behavior, patterns of movements in the earth’s shell, variations in the earth’s force of attraction, and the frequency with which minor earth shakes are observed, scientists have shown increasing success in expecting when and where earth quakes will strike. As a result, a worldwide earthquake warning net work is already in operation and has helped to prepare for (and thus lessen) the vast destruction that might otherwise have been totally unexpected.
    It is doubtful that man will ever be able to control earthquakes and get rid of their destructiveness altogether, but as how and why earthquakes happen become better understood, man will become more and more able to deal with their possible damage before they occur.
The phrase "this element of the unknown"(Paragraph 3) refers to ______.
选项 A、the extension of earthquake zones
B、the percentage of earthquake occurrences
C、when and where earthquakes may occur
D、what big damage earthquakes may cause
答案C
解析 原文理解题。通过回原文定位可知，本题答案应在第二段中找。选项C)正好符合本段最后一句话，当然选C)。
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