There is a saying that “earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do.” It seems sadly true. Thousands of people died under bricks (砖块) of the damaged (毁坏的) buildings during the recent earthquakes. Is there a way to build earthquake-proof (抗震) buildings? Engineers have some life-saving ideas.
“Lift” the house up
To prevent earthquake waves from going through the building, one way is to “lift” the building’s foundation above the ground. The building can be built on top of pads (垫状物), which are usually made up of steel and rubber. During earthquakes, only the pads move and the building stays steady (平稳的). This can reduce the strength of earthquake waves by 13 to 15 percent, according to the website Bethinking the Future.
Right materials
Earthquake-proof materials must be easy to bend (弯曲) without breaking. Some of these materials include steel, wood and bamboo. In Japan, most traditional houses are built with wood. During earthquakes, wooden buildings bend to avoid building up stress. Steel is one of the main materials of modern tall buildings because it can increase their ductility (延展性).
Dome house
A Japanese company has made dome-shaped houses with styrofoam. Styrofoam is a very light material. The whole house weighs only 80 kilograms. So when earthquakes happen, the house will not hurt people.
Besides, there are many other good ideas on building earthquake-proof buildings. For example, a company in America is developing magnetic field (磁场) technology that can raise houses above ground when earthquakes happen. We hope these ideas can be put in action and more people’s lives can be saved.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
【小题1】How does the writer lead into the passage in Paragraph 1?
| A．By telling a joke. | B．By using a saying. | C．By asking a question. | D．By making a survey. |
| A．They can sound a warning when earthquakes happen. |
| B．They are strong enough to stand earthquakes. |
| C．They can be easily damaged in earthquakes. |
| D．They are all built with wood instead of bricks. |
| A．Because they can stop the ground movement. |
| B．Because they can lift up buildings far from the ground. |
| C．Because they can reduce the strength of earthquake waves. |
| D．Because they can make the buildings’foundations hold onto the ground. |
| A．Bamboo is the most common material used for the houses. |
| B．Most are hard to bend thanks to the use of steel. |
| C．Most are built with wood which is easy to bend without breaking. |
| D．They have great ductility because of the wide use of steel. |
| A．It reduces the weight of the houses. | B．It raises the houses above the ground. |
| C．It increases the strength of the houses. | D．It increases the ductility of the house. |
Every 30 seconds there is an earthquake(地震). But don’t worry because most are so weak that we cannot feel them. Only a few big ones hurt people.
Many earthquakes happened in China, such as the big one in Sichuan in 2008. Thousands of people died in it. So it’s important to know when one hits. Here are some tips on how to stay safely in an earthquake.
When an earthquake has ended, be careful because aftershocks may still happen. These are just as dangerous as the earthquake.
| A．If you are in a shop and far away from the door, don’t try to rush out. |
| B．If you are at home and you smell gas, open the windows and get out of the building as quickly as you can. |
| C．If you are indoors during an earthquake, hide under a desk. |
| D．So stay under the desk until you make sure it’s safe to get out. |
| E．If you are outdoors, move to a clear place. |
1). Clothes.
If you live in a cold place, you must keep warm. You might not have heat after an earthquake.
Think about your warm clothes.
2).Flashlights(手电筒) and spare batteries.
Keep a flashlight beside you bed, at your office and in your car. Do not use matches(火柴) after an earthquake until you are sure that no gas leaks(气体泄漏).
Prepare a radio and some spare batteries. Most telephones will be out of order, so radios will be your best source of information(信息来源).
3). Food and medicine.
It’s always a wonderful idea to keep some food on hand. For example, some biscuits, some canned food, milk and some other drinks for at least 72 hours. You’d better get some necessary medicine for your family.
4).Water.
A person needs at least 1/2 gallon(加仑) of water daily just for drinking. Store at least 1 gallon of water for a person every day and be prepared for 72 hours. It is suggested that you buy bottled water. Do not open the bottle until you need it. Also, do check the “use by”date.
【小题1】Why should people prepare themselves for an earthquake?
| A．Because earthquakes can be know before they happen. |
| B．Because earthquakes usually take place in the neighborhood. |
| C．Because we don’t know when and where an earthquake will happen. |
| A．some hot water | B．some warm clothes | C．some batteries |
| A．we need to prepare some things only at home |
| B．a telephone is the most important source of information |
| C．flashlights but not matches are first used after earthquakes |
| A．milk | B．fresh vegetables | C．biscuits |
| A．A person should drink at least 1 gallon of water in a day. |
| B．You shouldn’t open the bottled water until you need it. |
| C．You’d better keep some hot water for 72 hours. |
A sandstorm is a kind of strong wind that blows over the desert. It raises sand and dust into the air and makes it difficult to see the sun and it reduces visibility (能见度) of most to zero. It is also known as a dust storm. Some storms are usually the result of convection currents (对流气流) caused by the strong heating of the ground. Then wind is usually strong enough to move a small hill of sand. It can make travel very difficult and can even destroy roads in flat dry areas such as those in the United States.
The Simoom is the strong hot wind that comes across the Sahara and Arabian Desert. This wind is the reason for much of the dust in the air over Europe. Evidence of the dust from Simoom wind has also been found at the bottom of the sea at a long distance from the shore. Alasksi is the strongest sandstorm. It can destroy all the things in his way. It is very dangerous. It has killed more than one hundred people in the area. The Haboob is a sandstorm that often happens in the area of Sudan around Khartoum.
Sandstorms, the height as 50000ft (1,525m), also happened, although not often in the United States. It is stronger than the Simoom. One that appeared near Tucson, Arizona, on July 16, 1971, was widely proved by meteorologists (天文学家).
【小题1】Which of the following are the effects of sandstorm?a. It raises sand and dust in to the air. b. It makes it difficult to see the sun.
c. It reduces visibility of most to zero. d. It destroys roads in all flat areas.
| A．abc | B．bcd | C．abd | D．acd |
| A．Simoom is a strong hot wind that comes from the deserts |
| B．the strongest Alaskis has killed over one hundred people in all |
| C．the Haboob causes much of the dust in the air over Europe |
| D．Simoom wind was found at the sea surface that is far from the shore |
| A．the bad effects of sandstorms | B．how to protect the environment |
| C．an introduction of sandstorms | D．how to reduce the sandstorms |
| A．A fiction book. | B．A history book. | C．A science book. | D．A comic book. |
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