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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.
The function of the computer mentioned in the passage is to______.
选项 A、counterbalance an earthquake’s action on the building
B、predict the coming of an earthquake with accuracy
C、help strengthen the foundation of the building
D、measure the impact of an earthquake’s vibrations
答案A
解析 本题也是一道具体细节题。问文章中提到的电脑的功能是什么。利用查阅式阅读法，我们可以在文章的第五段中找到相关信息。这部分指出，在地震发生时，房子如果向前倾斜，电脑可以控制房子向相反的方向倾斜回来。所以电脑起了平衡的作用。因此，本题的正确答案应选A“可以平衡地震对建筑物的作用”。
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