湖南省邵阳市2016高考英语二轮复习 阅读理解基础练习（6.docVIP

湖南邵阳市2016高考英语（二轮）阅读理解基础练习（6） 高考英语冲刺阅读理解。 After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report. The damage and death toll (伤亡) could have been much worse. 　　More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25,000 victims. 　　Injures and deaths were relatively less in Los Angles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways, making them more resistant (有抵抗力的) to quakes. 　　Despite the good news, civil engineers aren’t resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints (蓝图的) for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place. 　　In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible (柔韧的) materials, such as steel and wood, which bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact (影响) of ground vibrations (颤动). The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports, called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake’s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the buildings tip forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction. 　　The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes. 1. One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was comparatively low is that ______. 　A. new computers had been installed in th