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A Great Quake Coming?
Everyone who lives in San Francisco knows that earthquakes are common in the bay area and they can be devastating.In 1906，for example，a major quake destroyed about 28，000 buildings and killed hundreds，perhaps thousands of people.Residents now wonder when the next"Big One"will strike.It's bound to happen someday.At least seven active fault(断层)lines run through the San Francisco area.Faults are places where pieces of Earth's crust(地壳)slide past each other.When these pieces slip，the ground shakes.
To prepare for that day, scientists are using new techniques to reanalyze the 1906 earthquake and predict how bad the damage might be when the next one happens.
One new finding about the 1906 earthquake is that the San Andreas fault split apart faster than scientists had assumed at the time.During small earthquakes，faults rupture(断裂)at about 2.7 kilometers per second.During bigger quakes，however，ruptures can happen at rates faster than 3.5 kilometers per second.
At such high speeds.massive amounts of pressure build up，generating underground waves that can cause more damage than the quake itself.Lucky for San Francisco，these pressure pulses(脉冲)travel away from the city during the 1906 event.As bad as the damage was，it could have been far worse.
Looking ahead，scientists are trying to predict when the next major quake will occur.Records show that earthquakes were common before 1906.Since then，the earthquake has been relatively quiet.Patterns in the data，however，suggest that the probability of a major earthquake striking the Bay Area before 2032 is at least 62 percent.
New buildings in San Francisco are quite safe in case of future quakes.Still，more than 84 per-cent of the city's buildings are old and weak.Analyses suggest that another massive earthquake would cause extensive damage.
People who live there tend to feel safe because San Francisco has remained pretty quiet for a while.According to the new reseaych，however，it's not a matter of"if the Big One will hit".It's just a matter of when.
16.The San Francisco area is located above several active fault lines.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
17.The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco is the most severe one in American history.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
18.The highest speed of fault ruptures in the 1906 quake was more than 3.5 kilometers per second.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
19.Earthquakes rarely happened before 1906.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
20.San Francisco is fully prepared for another big earthquake.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
21.Scientist will be able to predict the exact time of an earthquake soon.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
22.A major earthquake striking San Francisco someday is inevitable.
A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
参考答案：
16.B [解析]本题给出的信息是错误的。原文是："At least seven active fault lines run through the San FranciSCO area."
17.C [解析]文章没有谈到这方面信息。文章只提到1906年地震破坏性大，没说是最严重的。
18.A [解析]本题给出的信息是正确的。原文是："During bigger quakes，baowever，ruptures can laappen at rates faster than 3.5 kilometers per secona."由于1906年洛杉矶地震属于大地震，因此本句"1906年洛杉矾地震断层最高速度超过每秒3.5公里"是正确的。
19.B [解析]本题给出的信息是错误的。原文是："Recorcls show that earthquakes were common before 1906."
20.B [解析]本题给出的信息是错误的。原文是："still，more than 84 percent of the city's buildings are old and weak."既然大多数房屋不能抵挡地震，那么洛杉矶并没有为地震的来临做好准备。
21.C[解析]文章没有谈到这方面信息。
22.A[解析]本题给出的信息是正确的。原文是："According to the new research，however，it's not a matter of'if the Big 0ne will hit'.It's just a matter of wllen."既然问题是"地震什么时候会发生"，那么这一地震是无法避免的了。
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