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  3. As a nation, Japan is unusually well prepared for natural disasters. In the years since World War II ,successive governments hav

As a nation, Japan is unusually well prepared for natural disasters. In the years since World War II ,successive governments hav

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问题     As a nation, Japan is unusually well prepared for natural disasters. In the years since World War II ,successive governments have invested in stronger buildings, forecasting technology for earthquakes and storms, and regular training of its citizens.
    The result, say some social scientists, is a shift in the nation’s mentality from a centuries old passivity or even fatalism to a belief that Japan’ s elected leaders can—and should—make decisions that protect people from the elements.
(41)______
    The 6. 8 magnitude earthquake and a series of powerful aftershocks continued to sway buildings through Monday in the region of Niigata on the Japan Sea coast. Local reports said at least 25 people were dead and thousands injured. Tens of thousands of people have already spent three nights in evacuation centers or in the open air as the temperature fell below 50 degrees.
(42)______
    Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active areas, accounting for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude six or greater. As a result, the government has invested heavily in state-of-the-art earthquake and volcano warning systems and—much to the annoyance of nature lovers and foreign tourists—it has sealed with concrete almost every river in urban areas in an effort to mitigate typhoon related flooding.
(43)______For example, the world’s most powerful supercomputer — the NEC Earth Simulator in Yokohama, which came online in 2002—is used primarily to predict global changes in weather patterns.
    But despite such resources, Japanese authorities admit their ability to predict earthquakes has not made the same strides. And even with adequate warnings, this latest bout of typhoons has hit Japanese farmers hard.
(44)______
    While modern Japanese look to the government to get them through such situations, calamities such as earthquakes and typhoons have long been part of the national psyche and local folklore and haven’t always been considered a negative.
(45)______ Some say it has given them the ability to recognize the impermanence(无常) of the physical world more easily than other peoples, as they constantly had to rebuild lives and structures destroyed by natural forces.
    But the 6,400 deaths and massive damage to infrastructure that occurred as a result of the 1995 Kobe quake prompted criticism of the nation’s preparedness and building standards.
    "The response this time wasn’t perfect, but it definitely was much better than in 1995, "says Takehiko Yamamura, head of the private Disaster Prevention System Institute. "The government is making every effort for disaster relief and reconstruction so that those affected can return to their livelihoods with peace of mind. "
[A] In recent years, typhoon forecasting has improved, helping to save lives and reduce the economic costs. Satellites and radar systems have, improved forecasts, and Japan continues to invest in weather research.
[B] But now, houses are very expensive to rebuild. As Japan has industrialized, people expect the government to look after them.
[C] But this year, the nation’s resolve—and, to a degree, confidence in its leadership—has been tested by no less than 10 typhoons, and a major earthquake on Saturday.
[D] Before Japan installed the highest weather radar in the world on top of Mount Fuji in 1964, there was little time to prepare for the whipping winds and heavy downpours of a major typhoon.
[E] The prevalence of natural disasters throughout Japan’s history is said to partly shape the traditional character of the Japanese.
[F] The quake came hard on the heels Typhoon Tokage, which cut a swath of destruction across the country last week. At least 83 people died in the path of the storm, causing what the government Cabinet Office described as the worst typhoon damage in 25 years.
[G] Crops such as apples and rice were ruined just before the autumn harvest season. The price of a head of lettuce has soared eight-fold in just a few months and the normally busy Tokyo produce markets were strangely quiet as vegetables lay rotting in fields.
选项
答案E
解析 根据上下文，考虑段落的衔接，并寻找线索词。上段提到，自然灾难，如地震和台风已成为日本国家心理及民间传说的一部分，而且并不总被认为是坏事。此处(not)a negative是关键词。空白后又讲，一些人说它使他们(日本人)具有一种能力，他们能比其他民族的人更容易认识到自然界的变化无常。由此可知其中it指代的内容肯定在前文提到过。由此可判断，E是此处的正确选项。E意为：日本历史上自然灾难的大量出现被认为在一定程度上形成了日本人的传统性格。下文的it指的就是the tradition character。
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