問題詳情

Passage FourAfter the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists hadgood news to report; the damage and death toll (死亡人数) could have been much worse.More than 60 people died in this earthquake. Be comparison, an earthquake of similarintensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25, 000 victims. Injuries and deaths wererelatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday, whentraffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codesin 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 theirdrawing boards are blueprints (蓝图的) for improved quake-resistant buildings. The newdesigns should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place. In thepast, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel andwood, which 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 ofground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete andsteel supports, called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to anearthquake’s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computerwould force the building to shift in the opposite direction. The new smart structures could bevery expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to bedamaged during earthquakes.
56. One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was comparatively lowis 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

參考答案

答案：C
難度：適中0.5
統計：A(0),B(0),C(0),D(0),E(0)

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