2014考研英语阅读习题及答案3

考研网

Passage3
    EveryonehasheardoftheSanAndreasfault(断层),whichconstantlythreatensCaliforniaandtheWestCoastwithearthquakes.ButhowmanypeopleknowabouttheequallyseriousNewMadridfaultinMissouri?
    BetweenDecemberof1811andFebruaryof1812,threemajorearthquakesoccurred,allcenteredaroundthetownofNewMadrid,Missouri,ontheMississippiRiver.Propertydamagewassevere.Buildingsintheareawerealmostdestroyed.Wholeforestsfellatonce,andhugecracksopenedintheground,allowingsmellofsulfur(硫磺)tofilterupward.
    TheMississippiRiveritselfcompletelychangedcharacter,developingsuddenrapidsandwhirlpools.Severaltimesitchangeditscourse,andonce,accordingtosomeobservers,itactuallyappearedtorunbackwards.FewpeoplewerekilledintheNewMaridearthquakes,probablysimplybecausefewpeoplelivedintheareain1811;buttheseverityoftheearthquakesareshownbythefactthattheshockwavesrangbellsinchurchtowersinCharleston,SouthCarolina,onthecoast.BuildingsshookinNewYorkCity,andclockswerstoppedinWashington,D.C.ScientistsnowknowthatAmerica'stwomajorfaultsareessentiallydifferent.TheSanAndreasisahorizontalboundarybetweentwomajorlandmassesthatareslowlymovinginoppositedirections.Californiaearthquakesresultwhenthemovementofthesetwomassessuddenlylurches(倾斜)forward.
    TheNewMadridfault,ontheotherhand,isaverticalfault;atsomepoints,possiblyhundredsofmillionsofyearsago,rockwaspusheduptowardthesurface,probablybyvolcanoesunderthesurface.Suddenly,thevolcanoescooledandtherockcollapsed,leavinghugecracks.Evennow,therockcontinuestosettledownwards,andsuddensinkingmotionstrigger(触发)earthquakesintheregion.Thefaultitself,alargecrackinthislayerofrock,withdozensofothercracksthatsplitofffromit,extendsfromnortheastArkansasthroughMissouriandintosouthernlllinois.
    ScientistswhohavestudiedtheNewMadridfaultsaytherehavebeennumeroussmallerquakesintheareasince1811;thesesmallerquakesindicatethatlargeronesareprobablycoming,butthescientistssayhavenomethodofpredictingwhenalargeearthquakewilloccur.
    1.Thispassageismainlyabout.
    A)theNewMadridfaultinMissouri
    B)theSanAndreasandtheNewMadridfaults
    C)thecausesoffaults
    D)currentscientificknowledgeaboutfaults
    2.TheNewMadridfaultis.
    A)ahorizontalfault
    B)averticalfault
    C)amoreseriousfaultthantheSanAndreasfault
    D)responsibleforformingtheMississippiRiver
    3.Wemayconcludefromthepassagethat.
    A)itisprobablyasdangeroustoliveinMissouriasinCalifornia
    B)theNewMadridfaultwilleventuallydevelopamountainrangeinMissouri
    C)Californiawillbecomeanislandinfuture
    D)AbigearthquakewilloccurtoCaliforniasoon
    4.Thispassageimpliesthat.
    A)horizontalfaultsaremoredangerousthanverticalfaults.
    B)Verticalfaultsaremoredangerousthanhorizontalfaults
    C)Earthquakesoccuronlyaroundfaultareas
    D)Californiawillbreakintopiecesbyaneventualearthquake
    5.Asusedinthefirstsentenceofthefourthparagraph,thewordessentiallymeans.
    A)greatly
    C)basically
    B)extremely
    D)necessarily
    Answer
    1.B2.B3.A4.C5.C