A new phone app uses shaking from smartphones to warn people about earthquakes. The new app is called MyShake, which is the work of four researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Smartphones are equipped with accelerometers (加速器).MyShake uses phone accelerometers to measure seismic (地震的)activity. It has been programmed to know the difference between normal activity and earthquake movement. The software developers say their app is right 93 percent of the time. A smartphone sends seismic information to the app developers. If the developers receive several warnings from one area it recognizes that an earthquake may be taking place or will take place soon. Using information sent from the app, the network then judges the location and strength of the quake in real time. MyShake can record 5. 0 earthquakes at distances of 10 kilometers or less.
MyShake uses very little power according to its developers. Only when seismic activity is sensed by the app does it become active and sends data to the network. The app works best when your phone is resting on a flat surface like a table.
The developers hope that MyShake can add to information collected by the US Geological Survey. That US agency has created the Earthquake Early Warning System also known as the EEW. The EEW has used sensors for measuring quakes in many areas. In places where no such equipment exists MyShake may be the only method of early quake detection(发现). The app also shows ways to stay safer during an earthquake. The developers say it will become more effective as more people use it.
The developers say they hope to add a feature that will warn people about a possible tsunami(海啸)after an earthquake.
【小题1】What's the main idea of the first two paragraphs?A.What seismic activity is, |
B.What MyShake is and how it works. |
C.When accelerometers record earthquakes. |
D.MyShake plays an important role in reporting earthquakes. |
A.Only when smart phones are placed on a flat surface can it work. |
B.The smart phone can warn its owner when it senses an earthquake. |
C.MyShake can quickly send seismic information to the app's developers. |
D.MyShake can sense the difference between normal activities and earthquakes every time. |
A.To better the EEW. |
B.To combine the EEW and MyShake. |
C.To add its function to warn the possible damage after an earthquake. |
D.To use the information by the U.S. Geological Survey to better MyShake. |
A.MyShake will Be Used in Earthquakes |
B.MyShake Is on the Way to Predict Earthquakes |
C.MyShake Has Been Developed to Predict Earthquakes |
D.MyShake Makes Earthquake Prediction More Accurate |