Passage 3
Everyone has heard of the San Andreas fault (断层), which constantly threatens California and the West Coast with earthquakes. But how many people know about the equally serious New Madrid fault in Missouri?
Between December of 1811 and February of 1812, three major earthquakes occurred, all centered around the town of New Madrid, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. Property damage was severe. Buildings in the area were almost destroyed. Whole forests fell at once, and huge cracks opened in the ground, allowing smell of sulfur(硫磺)to filter upward.
The Mississippi River itself completely changed character, developing sudden rapids and whirlpools. Several times it changed its course, and once, according to some observers, it actually appeared to run backwards.Few people were killed in the New Marid earthquakes, probably simply because few people lived in the area in 1811; but the severity of the earthquakes are shown by the fact that the shock waves rang bells in church towers in Charleston, South Carolina, on the coast. Buildings shook in New York City, and clocks wer stopped in Washington, D.C. Scientists now know that Americas two major faults are essentially different. The San Andreas is a horizontal boundary between two major land masses that are slowly moving in opposite directions. California earthquakes result when the movement of these two masses suddenly lurches (倾斜) forward.
The New Madrid fault, on the other hand, is a vertical fault; at some points, possibly hundreds of millions of years ago, rock was pushed up toward the surface, probably by volcanoes under the surface. Suddenly, the volcanoes cooled and the rock collapsed, leaving huge cracks. Even now, the rock continues to settle downwards, and sudden sinking motions trigger (触发) earthquakes in the region. The fault itself, a large crack in this layer of rock, with dozens of other cracks that split off from it, extends from northeastArkansas through Missouri and into southern lllinois.
Scientists who have studied the New Madrid fault say there have been numerous smaller quakes in the area since 1811; these smaller quakes indicate that larger ones are probably coming, but the scientists say have no method of predictingwhen a large earthquake will occur.
11. This passage is mainly about .
A)the New Madrid fault in Missouri
B)the San Andreas and the New Madrid faults
C)the causes of faults
D)current scientific knowledge about faults
12. The New Madrid fault is .
A) a horizontal fault
B) a vertical fault
C) a more serious fault than the San Andreas fault
D) responsible for forming the Mississippi River
13. We may conclude from the passage that .
A) it is probably as dangerous to live in Missouri as in California
B) the New Madrid fault will eventually develop a mountain range in Missouri
C) California will become an island in future
D) A big earthquake will occur to California soon
14. This passage implies that .
A) horizontal faults are more dangerous than vertical faults.
B) Vertical faults are more dangerous than horizontal faults
C) Earthquakes occur only around fault areas
D) California will break into pieces by an eventual earthquake
15. As used in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph, the word essentially means .
A) greatly
C) basically
B) extremely
D) necessarily
2019年12月四级作文预测:大学生是否该独自居住
弘扬“社会主义核心价值观”
国内英语资讯:Economic Watch: Chinas tourism market has big potential for intl travel agents
《小妇人》剧组迷惑爆料:梅姨为了省钱点外卖吃。她要省这点钱???
体坛英语资讯:Guangzhou R&F striker Zahavi extends lead in top scorers of Euro 2020 qualifiers
比利时9岁神童将从大学毕业
国内英语资讯:Chinas civil aviation industry posts robust growth in first 10 months
新型神经网络可以用快1亿倍速度解决"三体问题"
夫妇生产销售“毒血旺”获刑
2019年12月英语四级作文范文:按时出勤
政府工作报告中提到的各项“改革”
剑桥词典2019年度词汇出炉 “升级回收”体现环保关切
幼儿园给孩子集体服用“病毒灵”
高检将加强“追逃追赃”
体坛英语资讯:Philippines holds China to draw at FIFA World Cup qualifier
共享单车消停了,但共享电滑板又在欧洲火了
“利率市场化”近一两年能够实现
失联客机“搜索区域”扩大
体坛英语资讯:Bilbao possible host for future Tour de France Grand Depart
政协开幕为昆明恐暴案遇难者“默哀”
湖北人大代表呼吁加快建立“生态补偿机制”
将我国建成“网络强国”
人大发言人:将对“贿选”零容忍
“周边外交”进入新阶段
国内英语资讯:Commentary: Pompeos hypocritical face on Hong Kong
两会接待“简化服务”
2017政府工作报告要点(双语)
体坛英语资讯:Brazil crowned at FIVB mens World Cup with 11 straight wins
“弃婴岛”试点工作将继续推行
解读2017两会工作报告:4个“首次”[1]
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |