单选题 Earthquakes may rightly be ranked as one of the most destructive forces known to man. Since records began to be written down, it has been estimated that earthquake-related fatalities have numbered in the millions, and that earthquake-related destruction has been beyond calculation. The greater part of such damage and loss of life has been due to collapse of buildings and the effects of rockslides, floods, fire, disease, tsunamis (gigantic sea waves), and other observable events resulting from earthquakes, rather than from the quakes themselves.
The great majority of all earthquakes occur in two specific geographic areas. One such area covers the Pacific Ocean and its bordering landmasses. The other extends from the East Indies to the Atlas Mountains, including the Himalayas, Iran, Turkey, and the Alpine regions. It is in these two great belts or zones that ninety percent of all earthquakes take place; they may, however, happen anywhere at any time.
This element of the unknown has for centuries added greatly to the dread and horror surrounding earthquakes, but in recent times there have been indications that earthquake forecast may be possible. By analyzing changes in animal behavior, patterns of movements in the earth's shell, variations in the earth's force of attraction, and the frequency with which minor earth shakes are observed, scientists have shown increasing success in expecting when and where earthquakes will strike. As a result, a worldwide earthquake warning network is already in operation and has helped to prepare for (and thus lessen) the vast destruction that might otherwise have been totally unexpected.
It is doubtful that man will ever be able to control earthquakes and get rid of their destructiveness altogether, but as how and why earthquakes happen become better understood, man will become more and more able to deal with their possible damage before they occur.

单选题 Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. Earthquake destruction is declining.
B. Earthquake forecast is improving.
C. Man is no longer fearful of earthquakes.
D. Man is capable of conquering earthquakes.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。题干意为：“根据文章，下面哪项叙述是正确的?”A项意为“地震的破坏性降低了”；B项意为“地震预测得到提高”；C项意为“人类不再畏惧地震”；D项意为“人类能够征服地震了”。该题可根据选项线索词定位原文来确定答案。由第一段第一句可推知，地震对人类来讲依然是最具破坏力的自然灾害之一，其破坏性并未降低。A项与其意思相违背，可排除A。文中最后一段前半句提到，人类能否控制地震并消除其破坏性，这点仍然值得怀疑。由此推知，人类对地震应该仍然充满恐惧，也无法征服地震，故C、D项不符合原文意思，可将其排除。由第三段倒数第二句可推知，科学家预测地震的成功率增加了。B项与其意思相符，因此为正确答案。

单选题 We can infer from the passage that quakes ______.

A. may happen anywhere at any time
B. mostly strike in oceans and mountains
C. are unobservable in masses of land
D. are hardly the direct cause of fatalities

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 推理题。题干意为“我们从文章中可以推断出地震”。A项意为“可能随时随地发生”；B项意为“大多发生在海洋和山脉地区”；C项意为“在陆地区域是无法观测到的”；D项意为“不是导致大量死亡的直接原因”。该题可采用排除法作答。A项和D项分别在文章第二段最后一句和第一段最后一句提及，不属于推理内容，故排除A、D。而文章第三段第三句中提到，可通过观测动物行为变化、地壳运动、地心引力的变化等来预测地震。由此推知，地震在陆地区域是可以观测到的。C项意思与其相违背，故可排除C项。文中第二段所提的两个地震频发带分别在海洋地带和山脉地区。由此推知，地震大多数发生在海洋和山脉地区。B项与其意思一致，因此为正确答案。

单选题 The phrase "this element of the unknown" (Paragraph 3) refers to ______.

A. the extension of earthquake zones
B. the percentage of earthquake occurrences
C. when and where earthquakes may occur
D. what big damage earthquakes may cause

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 释义题。题干意为“短语‘这种未知因素’是指”。A项意为“地震区域的扩展”；B项意为“地震发生的频率”；C项意为“地震发生的时间和地点”；D项意为“地震可能造成的巨大损害”。该题应结合原文语境作答。其上文即第二段最后一句提到，地震可能会发生在任何时间任何地点。由此推知，承接该句的第三段首句“这种未知因素”应该是指地震发生的时间和地点这种不可知的因素。故C为正确答案。

单选题 Man's research on earthquake forecast at present is to ______.

A. reduce the loss from earthquake disasters
B. lower the frequency of earthquakes
C. release the energy that causes earthquakes
D. analyze the relationship between different earthquakes

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。题干意为“人类目前对地震预测的研究是为了”。A项意为“降低地震灾害所造成的损失”；B项意为“降低地震发生频率”；C项意为“释放导致地震的能量”；D项意为“分析不同地震之间的关系”。文中最后一段最后一句提到，随着对地震发生的过程和原因有了更多的了解，人类将更有能力在地震发生前去处理它可能带来的损害。由此推知，人类对地震预测的研究是为了降低其所可能造成的灾害。A项与其意思相近，故A为正确答案。

单选题 Which of the following describes the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A. Inform the reader.
B. Entertain the reader.
C. Disprove a concept.
D. Question a concept.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 推理题。题干意为：“以下哪个选项可以用来描述作者写这篇文章的目的?”A项意为“告知读者”；B项意为“愉悦读者”；C项意为“反驳一种观念”；D项意为“质疑一种观念”。本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了地震的破坏性、发生的主要区域以及对地震预测的研究。由此推知，作者写作目的应是向读者介绍一些关于地震方面的科普性知识。故A为正确答案。