2010年12月四級(jí)閱讀理解模擬試題及答案詳解(10)

       After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll(死亡人數(shù)) could have been much worse. More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, and earthquake of similar __1__ that shook America in 1998 claimed 25,000 victims.

　　Injuries and deaths were __2__ less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. On a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highway. In addition, __3__ made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways, making them more __4__ to quakes.

　　In the past, making structures quake-resist-ant meant firm yet __5__ 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 __6__ the impact of ground vibrations. The most __7__ 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 ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would __8__ the building to shift in the opposite direction. The new designs should offer even greater __9__ to cities where earthquakes ofen take place.

　　The new smart structures could be very __10__ to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.

　　[A]changes

　　[B]flexible

　　[C]decrease

　　[D]recent

　　[E]push

　　[F]reduce

　　[G]relatively

　　[H]safety

　　[I]resistant

　　[J]expensive

　　[K]force

　　[L]accordingly

　　[M]intensity

　　[N]security

　　[O]opposed

　　Answers：

　　1.選M)。此處應(yīng)填名詞，作介詞of的賓語，作為后置定語修飾earthquake，說明該名詞是“地震”的自然屬性。選項(xiàng)中的名詞有changes，safety，intensity和security，只有intensity可以表示地震的強(qiáng)度，故選M)。

　　2.選G)。此處應(yīng)填副詞，用來修飾形容詞less。選項(xiàng)中的副詞有relatively“相對(duì)的”和accordingly“相應(yīng)的”，第一段說這次地震和1998年的那次地震程度一樣，但造成的損失卻小很多，再從后句中“高速路上的車輛不是很多”可以推斷：這次的地震造成的“死傷人數(shù)”與1998年比少很多，即少是相對(duì)的，故選G)relatively。

　　3.選A)?？崭裰幸畹脑~是本句話中的主語，應(yīng)為名詞。這句話的主干是have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways,從第三段的內(nèi)容和注釋3的解析可知：建筑結(jié)構(gòu)發(fā)生了變化，故應(yīng)選擇A)changes。

　　4.選I)。此處應(yīng)填形容詞，和其前面的more構(gòu)成形容詞的比較級(jí)，描述新型建筑與地震有關(guān)的性能。them = the city’s buildings and highways, have strengthened "被加固"說明他們更有抵御風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的能力了。選項(xiàng)中的四個(gè)形容詞只有resistant符合這個(gè)意思，故選I)。

　　5.選B)。此處應(yīng)填形容詞，修飾名詞materials。從后面的...bent without breaking "即使彎曲也不會(huì)折斷"，說明是有韌性的材料。選項(xiàng)中的四個(gè)形容詞只有flexible表示“柔韌的，可變形的”，故B)正確。