Scientists have found evidence that an
overlooked fault in the eastern Mediterranean is likely to produce an earthquake
and tsunami every 800 years as powerful as the one that destroyed Alexandria in
AD 365. Using radiocarbon dating techniques, simulations and
computer models, the researchers recreated the ancient disaster in order to
identify the responsible fault. "We are saying there is probably a repeat time
of 800 years for this kind of earthquake," said Ms. Beth Shaw, an earthquake
scientist at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. Scientists study
past earthquakes in order to determine the future possibility of similar large
shocks. Identifying the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and
tsunami is important for the tens of millions of people in the region, Ms. Shaw
said. The fault close to the southwest coast of Crete last produced a big enough
quake to generate a tsunami about 1300, which means the next powerful one could
come in the next 100 years, she added in a telephone interview.
Ms. Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the
motion of either side of the fault to find how often such large earthquakes
would have to occur to account for that level of motion, she said. Their
computer model suggested an 8 magnitude quake on the fault would produce a
tsunami that floods the coastal regions of Alexandria and North Africa, the
southern coast of Greece and Sicily all the way up the Adriati to Dubrovnik.
This would be similar to the ancient quake in AD 365 that caused widespread
destruction in much of Greece and unleashed a tsunami that flooded Alexandria
and the Nile Delta, likely killing tens of thousands of people, she said.
单选题
The fault, which was overlooked before, has been closely studied by
scientists.
单选题
It is fun to identify the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第三段第一句identifying the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami is important for the tens of millions of people in the region可知，确定断层造成了公元365年的地震和海啸对这个地区的人们是很重要的，题干将important换成了fun，所以叙述错误。故本题选B。
单选题
Radiocarbon dating techniques can be used to identify the age of the
earth.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 全文没有涉及the age of the earth，故本题选C。
单选题
Scientists predict that the next powerful earthquake in the eastern
Mediterranean may take place some time before 2100.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第二段第二句“we are saying there is probably a repeat time of 800 years for this kind of earthquake”和第三段最后一句“the fault close to the southwest coast of Crete last produced a big enough quake to generate a tsunami about 1300, which means the next powerful one could come in the next 100 years”可知，地震的周期为800年，而上一次发生的时间约是1300年，所以下一次发生的时间大约在2100年，由in the next 100 years也可推测约在2100年的某个时候，所以题干叙述正确，故本题选A。
单选题
Ms. Shaw has her colleagues help her in the study of earthquake
prediction.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第四段第一句“Ms. Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion”可知，Shaw女士和同事计算了超强地震发生的间隔，所以题干叙述正确，故本题选A。
单选题
Ms. Shaw measured the movement of either side of the fault to identify
the magnitude of the earthquake taking place in AD 365.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第四段第一句“Ms. Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion”可知，Shaw女士的目的是为了计算地震发生的间隔，而不是确定the magnitude of the earthquake taking place in AD 365，所以题干叙述错误，故本题选B。
单选题
The earthquake prediction devices developed by Ms. Shaw are being
widely used in the world.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 文章并未提及关于the earthquake prediction devices developed by Ms. Shaw，故本题选C。