大学英语四级篇章词汇 15

　　导读：
　　After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll(死亡人数) could have been much worse. More than 60 people died in this earthquake.(The damage and death toll could have been much worse.此句为虚拟语气，“地震所造成的伤亡和损失本来应该更大。”说明实际上这次地震的损失并不大。)By comparison, an earthquake of similar M)intensity that shook America in 1998 claimed 25,000 victims.（这句的主干是an earthquake...claimed...
　　25,000 victims。）
　　Injuries and deaths were G)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 highway. In addition, A)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 I)resistant to quakes.
　　In the past, making structures quake-resist-ant meant firm yet B)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 F)reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most D)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 ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would K)force the building to shift in the opposite direction. The new designs should offer even greater N)security to cities where earthquakes ofen take place.（In the past...,Later...,The most...designs,这里是一个世间顺序上的描述，说明了从以前到现在，建筑物的结构一直在不断变化。）
　　The new smart structures could be very J)expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.
　　全文翻译：
　　1994年洛杉矶发生强烈大地震后，地震学家报告了一个好消息：地震所造成的伤亡和损害并不大。此次地震有60多人丧生。相较而言，美国1998年发生的相似强度的地震造成的伤亡多达25，000人。
　　洛杉矶地震伤亡人数相对较少，是因为地震发生在凌晨4：31，而当天是个假日。当时城市公路上的车辆稀少。此外，在过去的20年中洛杉矶市对建筑法规所做的修订使城市的建筑和道路系统更加坚固，增强了抗震能力。
　　在过去，防震建材指的是坚固并且有弹性的材料，如钢材和木材，它们即使弯曲也不会折断。后来，人们尝试着将建筑物从地基上提起来，然后在建筑物和地基之间填充橡胶和钢材，从而减少地面震动对建筑物的影响。最新的建筑设计不仅为建筑提供水泥和钢筋支撑，而且还赋予它智能，从而成为智能建筑，让建筑物能像生命有机体那样对地震做出反应。当地面震动而导致建筑物顶部向前倾斜时，计算机将会迫使建筑物向相反方向移动。这种新的建筑设计能够使处于地震多发区的城市更为安全。
　　这种新型的智能型建筑造价高昂。然而，它可以挽救许多人的生命，而且在地震中不大可能受到损害。