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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(强度)that shook America in 1988 claimed 25,000 victims.
    Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4s 31 a. m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes (法规，法典) in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways,making them more resistant(耐......)to quakes.
    Despite the good news, civil engineers aren’t resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints(蓝图)for 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(影响) of ground vibrations(振动). The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete(混凝土) and steel supports, called smart buildings. The structures respond like living organisms (有机体) to an earthquake’s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward (向前倾) ,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 (比较而言)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 number of Los Angeles residents had gone for a holiday
D、improvements had been made in the construction of buildings and highways
答案D
解析 In addition，changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years havestrengthened the city’s buildings and highways，making them more resistant to quakes．D选择项与之吻合。在其他选项中，C具有相当的干扰。但是文章第三段第一行、第二行中只是提到地震发生在假期中，这个时候城市高速公路上车辆较少，并没有明确指出地震死亡人数少是因为大批洛杉矶居民都去度假。所以C应排除。
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