The goal of earthquake prediction is to give early enough warning. The U.S. Geological Survey conducts and supports research on the likelihood of future earthquakes. Scientists estimate earthquake probabilities in two ways: by studying the history of large earthquakes in a special area and the rate at which strain（拉力）accumulates（积累）in the rock.
Scientists study the past frequency of large earthquakes in order to determine the future likelihood of similar large shocks. For example scientists researched the large earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region during the 75 years between 1836 and 1911. For the next 68 years, no earthquakes of magnitude (震级) 6 or large occurred in the region. Beginning with a magnitude 6 shock in 1979, the earthquakes in the region increased dramatically; between 1979 and 1989, there were four magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. So scientists estimated that the probability of a magnitude 6.8 or larger earthquake occurring during the next 30 years in the region is about 67 percent.
Another way to predict earthquakes is to study how fast strain accumulates. When plate movements build the strain in rocks to a critical level, like pulling a rubber band too tight, the rocks will suddenly break and slip to a new position. Scientists measure how much strain accumulates along a fault (断层) each year, how much time has passed since the last earthquake, and how much strain was released in the last earthquake. This information is used to calculate the time required for the accumulating strain to build to the level that results in an earthquake. This simple model is so complicated that such detailed information about faults is rare. In the United States, only the San Andreas Fault System has adequate records for using this prediction method.
Scientific understanding of earthquakes is of vital importance to the Nation. As the population increases, expanding urban development and construction encroach (侵蚀) upon areas susceptible(易受影响的) to earthquakes. With a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from this destruction.
小题1:What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．What an earthquake is like. | | B．How to predict earthquakes. | | C．Where earthquakes often happen. | | D．When a fault is formed. |
小题2:That scientists study the history of large earthquakes in certain areas is to ultimately_________.| A．do research on the past frequency of large earthquakes | | B．estimate the magnitude of similar earthquakes | | C．forecast the possibilities of similar earthquakes | | D．judge the specific location of future earthquakes |
小题3:Which is TRUE according to the passage?| A．There were four magnitude 6 earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region between1979 and1989. | | B．The accumulating strain of the fault to a certain level results in the earthquake. | | C．About 68 years after 1911, no earthquakes occurred in the San Francisco Bay region. | | D．The fast increasing population on the earth is the main cause of the earthquake. |
小题4:What is the critical factor of forming a fault?| A．The material of rocks. | | B．The existing time span of the rocks. | | C．The plate movements around the rocks. | | D．The amount of strain released in the last earthquake. |
小题5:According to the passage, we can know that the San Andreas Fault System____.| A．has a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes | | B．stores much more information about the history of large earthquakes | | C．offers the potential for doing research on the faults where strain accumulates | | D．illustrates specifically how rocks along a fault are formed |
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小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:C
小题5:C |
试题分析：这篇文章讲的是如何预测地震，可以通过特殊地区大型地震来预测，也可以研究某个地方拉力的累积的情况知道地震的可能性。
小题1:主旨题：从第一段的句子：The goal of earthquake prediction is to give early enough warning.可知这篇文章讲的是如何预测地震。选B
小题2:细节题：从第二段的句子：Scientists study the past frequency of large earthquakes in order to determine the future likelihood of similar large shocks.可知科学家研究大地震是为了预测相似地震的可能性。选 C
小题3:细节题：从第三段的句子：This information is used to calculate the time required for the accumulating strain to build to the level that results in an earthquake.可知拉力累积到一定程度会导致地震，选B
小题4:细节题：从第三段的句子：When plate movements build the strain in rocks to a critical level, like pulling a rubber band too tight, the rocks will suddenly break and slip to a new position. 可知板块运动是形成断层的关键因素。选C
小题5:细节题：从第三段的句子：In the United States, only the San Andreas Fault System has adequate records for using this prediction method. 可知San Andreas Fault System对研究在拉力累积的地方形成断层提供可能。选C 。
点评：这篇文章讲的是如何预测地震，第一段指主题，第二段可以通过特殊地区大型地震来预测，第三段是研究某个地方拉力的累积的情况知道地震的可能性，结构非常清晰，便于学生找到答案，是这篇文章题型有细节题也有推理题，在答题中，应首先略读每题的信息，把几个选项含义理解透，抓住关键信息，要求学生在把握文章主旨的基础上，也要留意细节，对一些长难句的理解要准确。 |
核心考点
试题【The goal of earthquake prediction is to give early enough warning. The U.S. Geol】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
In the past, man didn’t have to think about the protection of his environment. There were few people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be 1 .
Today things are 2 , and the world has become too 3 . We’re using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are 4 our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue to do this, human life on the earth 5 survive.
Everyone 6 today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing 7, more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, 8 will disappear and nothing will grow on the land. Yet, we 9 to use bigger and more powerful machines to 10 more and more trees.
We know that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we’ll die. 11 , in most countries wastes are 12 put into rivers or into the sea, and there are 13 laws to stop this.
We know, too, that if the 14 of the world continues to rise at the present rate, in a few years there will not be enough 15 . What can we do to solve these problems?
If we eat more vegetables and less 16 there will be more food available for every one. Land that is used to grow crops 17 five times more people than land where animals are kept.
Our natural resources will 18 longer if we learn to recycle them.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth 19 .
Finally, if we educate people to think about the problems, we shall have a better and cleaner 20 in the future.
| 小题1: | | A．beautiful | B．unlimited | C．rare | D．valuable |
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| 小题2: | | A．common | B．the same | C．changeable | D．different |
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| 小题3: | | A．crowded | B．small | C．dirty | D．busy |
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| 小题4: | | A．protecting | B．saving | C．polluting | D．fighting |
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| 小题5: | | A．may not | B．will not | C．shall not | D．could not |
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| 小题6: | | A．wonders | B．realizes | C．considers | D．discovers |
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| 小题7: | | A．poles | B．boats | C．methods | D．ideas |
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| 小题8: | | A．mountains | B．seas | C．trees | D．forests |
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| 小题9: | | A．continue | B．have | C．ought | D．go on |
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| 小题10: | | A．cut away | B．cut off | C．cut up | D．cut down |
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| 小题11: | | A．Thus | B．However | | C．Generally speaking | D．Therefore |
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| 小题12: | | A．still | B．even | C．also | D．certainly |
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| 小题13: | | A．too many | B．a few | C．some | D．few |
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| 小题14: | | A．production | B．pollution | C．population | D．revolution |
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| 小题15: | | A．houses | B．vegetables | C．food | D．lives |
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| 小题16: | | A．fruit | B．meat | C．fish | D．grain |
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| 小题17: | | A．feeds | B．increases | C．supplies | D．helps |
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| 小题19: | | A．control | B．born | C．place | D．reward |
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| 小题20: | | A．star | B．sea | C．planet | D．forest |
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完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Most people think of birds as feathered animals that fly. Scientists, 36 , do not define (给…下定义) birds as animals that fly, because some birds do not. Of the 10,000 or so species of birds, 46 cannot 37 . Flight plays a key role in 38 for most birds. It allows them to find food over a 39 area and to get away from enemies. Ancestors of flightless birds may have 40 their ability to fly because they had no regular predators (捕食者) or did not need to fly to find food. Rather than fly, some of these birds developed other 41 to catch food and avoid enemies. Two examples of 42 birds are penguins and ostriches.
43 birds that fly, penguins do not have wide wings or large feathers. In order to catch the fish they feed on, penguins use their powerful wings to swim 44 . And when they swim, they look as if they are flying through the water. The 45 of penguins’ bodies makes it possible for them to dive deep underwater, 46 their thick feathers protect them from the cold.
Ostriches are known for their long legs, long necks, and large size. To 47 themselves, they stay in groups and use their excellent sight and hearing to 48 enemies. As soon as 49 approaches, they can run at a speed of more than 65 kilometers per hour to 50 . In addition to using their strong legs to run, they can kick powerfully.
Not all flightless birds have been 51 in protecting themselves. Flightless birds on some islands had no enemies until people 52 . These birds were hunted and easily caught by people and the animals 53 by people. Human land development has 54 the habitats of some birds. A number of flightless birds 55 because they were unable to adapt to new conditions and new enemies.
| 小题1: | | A．thus | B．however | C．therefore | D．otherwise |
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| 小题3: | | A．growth | B．communication | C．health | D．survival |
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| 小题4: | | A．wide | B．familiar | C．crowded | D．special |
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| 小题5: | | A．developed | B．improved | C．lost | D．proved |
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| 小题6: | | A．parts | B．habits | C．ways | D．tools |
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| 小题7: | | A．wild | B．interesting | C．rare | D．flightless |
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| 小题8: | | A．Instead of | B．Because of | C．Besides | D．Unlike |
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| 小题9: | | A．quickly | B．carefully | C．differently | D．gradually |
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| 小题10: | | A．shape | B．color | C．bone | D．skin |
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| 小题12: | | A．help | B．feed | C．protect | D．hide |
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| 小题13: | | A．kill | B．notice | C．confuse | D．frighten |
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| 小题14: | | A．dawn | B．darkness | C．danger | D．food |
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| 小题15: | | A．look | B．escape | C．move | D．fight |
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| 小题16: | | A．successful | B．natural | C．unusual | D．positive |
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| 小题17: | | A．realized | B．acted | C．stopped | D．arrived |
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| 小题18: | | A．brought | B．found | C．bought | D．hunted |
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| 小题19: | | A．provided | B．formed | C．destroyed | D．controlled |
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| 小题20: | | A．flew away | B．watched out | C．gave away | D．died out |
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In New Britain, Connecticut, a new official in charge of schools named Kelt Cooper wants to end high truancy (逃学) rates among public school students, and he’s suggesting financial punishments to get job done. A plan to fine students up to $75 for each day they skip school is now being considered by New Britain authorities.
The concept of fining kids for skipping school may come as a shock, but it’s not new. In Ohio, the parents responsible for a student guilty of habitual truancy can be fined up to $500 and/or be required to perform up to 70 hours of community service. Until recently, students in Los Angeles could be hit with a $250 punishment for each count of truancy; in early 2012 the law was changed and the heavy fines were removed, though a $20 punishment may still be handed out if a student truants for the third time.
Fines for truancy are also in effect overseas. In the UK, The Guardian reports, parents can be fined ￡50 (about $80) per skipped school day. The punishment doubles if it’s not paid within 28 days.
The question is: Do fines like this work? The vast majority of authorities in the UK said that, indeed, they do. The fines were believed either “very successful” or “fairly successful” by 79% in reducing truancy, according to a survey.
If the plan is passed in Connecticut, it’s unclear how effective the law might be, how to make parents and students obey the law and what might happen if they refuse to pay. However, local officials seem to be willing to give it a shot. According to the Hartford Courant:
“The mayor agrees that truancy is a real issue in New Britain schools, and what’s been done in the past hasn’t been working to reduce truancy.” said Phil Sherwood, assistant to Mayor Timothy O’ Brien.
And what do the students think? In the New Britain Herald, one 17-year-old entering her senior year called the plan “ridiculous” and predicted that the punishments will bring about negative effects on the court system. Besides, “I don’t see the point,” she said. “Kids will just try harder not to get caught.”
小题1: The passage mainly discusses whether __________.| A．schools have the right to punish students | | B．authorities should consider protecting kids | | C．students should be fined for skipping school | | D．parents are responsible for children’s truancy |
小题2: If a British kid skips two school days and fails to pay fines in a month, the punishment will be __________.| A．two hundred pounds | B．fifty pounds | | C．eighty pounds | D．a hundred pounds |
小题3: We can learn from the passage that ___________.| A．truancy is a serious problem in New Britain | | B．Cooper’s plan has been passed in Connecticut | | C．fining kids for truancy is a new idea in America | | D．little has been done to reduce truancy in New Britain |
小题4: The underlined part “give it a shot” most probably means _____________.| A．get used to it | B．help improve it | | C．try to carry it out | D．fight against it |
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Speak, speak, speak!
Practise speaking as often as you can. Speaking to yourself is good practice.
Try recording yourself whenever you can.
Compare your pronunciation with the master version（原版）to see how you can do better and have another go. If you do this several times, you will find that each time is better than last.
Why not learn with someone else?
It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or family member to study with you, it will make you keep working.
Don"t get stuck by a word you don"t know.
Practise improving ways of getting your meaning across when speaking spontaneously（本能地），even if you don"t know the exact words or phrases. Think of things you might want to say whenever you have spare time. Use facial expressions, hand movements, anything to make yourself understood.
Language learning is also about intuition（直觉）．
Guesswork is an important way to learn a new language. When listening to recorded material, you aren"t expected to understand everything first time round. If you play the same piece several times, you will most probably understand something new each time.
Build up your vocabulary.
A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don’t try to learn too much at once. It’s best to study frequently, for short periods of time. Take at most six or seven items of vocabulary and learn them. Put them into sentences to fix them in your mind, and then come back to them later.
And above all, have fun!
小题1: What’s the purpose of this passage?| A．To tell us the importance of practicing speaking as often as we can. | | B．To tell us a few tips to help us learn a new language well. | | C．To tell us that guesswork is an important way to learn a new language. | | D．To tell us that a wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning. |
小题2: What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase in the first part?| A．Have another try or attempt. | | B．Move away from a place to another. | | C．Enter a certain state or condition. | | D．Follow or take a certain course. |
小题3: To learn English well, we shouldn’t _______ according to the passage.| A．practice speaking as often as possible | | B．study frequently, for short periods of time to build up our vocabulary | | C．try to understand everything and stop when we meet a new word | | D．try to persuade a friend or family member to study with us |
小题4: According to the passage, to learn a new language well, the most important thing is ______.| A．speaking as much as possible | B．having fun | | C．a wide vocabulary | D．guesswork |
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There are many wetlands(湿地) in China and some of them have become the world’s important wetlands. The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are among them. They are in Yancheng，Jiangsu Province. They are home of many different kinds of birds and animals. The world’s largest Milu Deer Nature Reserve(自然保护区) is in them. More than 700 milu deer live freely there.
The temperature in the wetlands is usually neither too high nor too low. There is a lot of rain and sunshine，too. They are really good places for wildlife. Offering food and home for some special kinds of animals and birds is not the only reason why we need to protect wetlands.
Wetlands are important because they also prevent flood. But some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
Luckily, more and more people are beginning to realize the important of wetlands and wildlife. Every year, on February 2nd many activities are held to tell people more about wetlands around the world.
小题1: Which animal is mentioned in the passage?
   
A B C D
小题2:Usually the weather in the wetlands is ____.小题3:The reasons for protecting wetlands are the following except that ______| A．they are home of wildlife | | B．they can prevent flood | | C．they offer food to the wildlife | | D．they will be good farmland |
小题4: What can be the best title for the passage?| A．China’s wetlands –the Biggest One in the World | | B．Wetlands --- Home of Wildlife and Human Beings | | C．Special Animals --- Found in Yellow Sea Wetlands | | D．Wetlands --- the Last Valuable Land on the Earth |
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