After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994 , earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll ( 四亡人數(shù) ) 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 ( 藍(lán)圖 ) 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 earthquakes.

　　1 . One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was comparatively low is that __________.

　　A) new computers had been installed in the buildings

　　B) it occurred in the residential areas rather. than on the highways

　　C) large numbers of Los Angeles residents had gone for a holiday

　　D) improvements had been made in the construction of buildings and highways

　　2 . The function of the computer mentioned in the passage is to _________.

　　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

　　3 . The smart buildings discussed in the passage __________.

　　A) would cause serious financial problems

　　B) would be worthwhile though costly

　　C) would increase the complexity of architectural design

　　D) can reduce the ground vibrations caused by earthquakes

　　4 . It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing the damage caused by earthquakes attention should be focused on __________.

　　A) the increasing use of robber and steel in capital construction

　　B) the development of flexible building materials

　　C) the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations

　　D) early forecasts of earthquakes

　　5 . The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to __________.

　　A) compare the consequences of the earthquakes that occurred in the U. S.

　　B) encourage civil engineers to make more 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： 1.D 、 2.A 、 3.B 、 4.C 、 5.D

    2015年新陽光同等學(xué)力輔導(dǎo)班已于9月開班，經(jīng)過一段時(shí)間的學(xué)習(xí)，很多學(xué)員反映復(fù)習(xí)效果良好。為了服務(wù)更多的學(xué)員，幫錯(cuò)過前期報(bào)班的學(xué)，現(xiàn)已開通輔導(dǎo)二班，立志于繼續(xù)攜手北大、人大等名校師資集中講給考生傳授授考試重點(diǎn)、難點(diǎn)，幫助學(xué)員短時(shí)間內(nèi)獲得提升，并最終順利通過考試。詳情請點(diǎn)擊：/zhuanti/tdxlkb.html

    更多同等學(xué)力英語真題請瀏覽同等學(xué)力英語單科頻道，關(guān)于2015同等學(xué)力申碩院校招生開班的詳細(xì)信息可以聯(lián)系我們的在線老師獲取。