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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 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 a. m. 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 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 of ground vibrations. 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 earthquake.
The main purpose of this passage is mostly to______.
选项 A、compare the consequences of the earthquakes that occurred in the US
B、encourage civil engineers to make extensive use of computers
C、outline the history of the development of quake-resistant building materials
D、report new developments in constructing quake-resistant buildings
答案D
解析 主旨题。文章前三段介绍洛杉矶1994年的地震造成伤亡较小，第四段用Despite一词引出新信息，表明专家们正在设计更加抗震的建筑。随后两段对这种新型建筑进行更加详细的介绍。因此，文章主题句应为第四段第一、二句，由此可以推出答案为D)。在实际考试中，考生可以利用第四段中的Despite，should及第六段中的However等词，轻松判断出文章主题。
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