单选题 Text 2
You'd think that if the San Andreas Fault went to the trouble of having a perfectly good earthquake, the folks on the US West Coast might at least notice. A new study reveals, however, that in 1992, what should have been a China-smashing 4.8 Richter-scale quake hit central California, and yet nobody felt a thing. The explanation for the odd shadow-quake was published last week in the journal Nature and may help improve science's understanding of earthquakes in general.
According to Alan T. Linda, a geophysicist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the study's leader, what makes seismic events so destructive is not just that the earth moves but the speed with which it does so. In many quakes the earth's surface movement that leads to shaking takes only seconds to unfold, sending energy exploding in all directions. But recent analysis of data from strain gauges along the San Andreas Fault reveals that four years ago, a skip occurred that took a week to play out. Such slow sliding almost eliminates an earthquake's quaking.
Exactly what determines the speed with which the earth's plates move is unclear, but scientists have some ideas. "The fault material may play a role," Linda says, "Rock with holes containing water can move more smoothly than other rock. The pressure the plates are under can make a difference too: the bigher the stress, the likelier the fault will fail suddenly."
Linda's work may never help seismologists determine which type of temblor is likely to strike which region, but he still believes the research has value. There may be no better way of understanding destructive quakes, he feels, than to learn what makes them less destructive.

单选题 ______ has noticed the 4.8 Richter-scale quake in Central California in 1992.
A. West Coast folks B. Nobody
C. Geophysicists D. People in California

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】在第一段有一句话“…yet nobody felt a thing…”说明答案是nobody。

单选题 According to Linda, what makes seismic events so destructive is ______.
A. the earth movement B. the energy explosion
C. the speed of the earth movements D. the earthquake

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】第二段“According to Alan T．Linda，a geophysicist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the study’s leader，what makes seismic events so destructive is not just that the earth moves but the speed with which it does so．”说明Linda认为地震具有破坏性是因为速度。

单选题 In Linda's view, which of the following does NOT determine the speed with which the earth's plates move?
A. Fault material. B. Rock with holes.
C. Pressure. D. Energy.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】第三段列举了几个影响地壳运动的因素：the fault material，rocks with holes，the pressure the plates are under。但没有提及energy。

单选题 Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Slow sliding of the San Andreas eliminates an earthquake's quaking.
B. Rock with holes can move more smoothly than other rock.
C. What determines the speed with which the earth's plates move is unclear.
D. Linda's study helps seismologists determine the type of temblor.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】第二段“Such slow sliding almost eliminates an earthquake's quaking．”证明A 是正确论述。第三段“Rock with holes containing water can move more smoothly than other rock．”说明B是正确论述。“Exactly what determines the speed with which the earth's plates move is unclear, but scientists have some ideas．”说明C是正确论述。最后一段“Linda's work may never help seismologists determine which type of temblor is likely to strike which region．” 说明D是错误论述。

单选题 The word "temblor" (Par. 4, sentence 1) can best be replaced by ______.
A. movement B. earth C. quake D. rock

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】整篇文章讲的是earthquake。从temblor的后面句子来看，“There may be no better way of understanding destructive quakes”能和该词照应的是quakes。所以答案选C。