《悦读教材》2017-2018学年高一英语人教版必修1 Unit 4 Earthquakes Word版含解析.docVIP

Unit 4 Earthquakes （一）Earthquakes 地震 Earthquakes, also called temblors, can be so tremendously destructivet’s hard to imagine they occur by the thousands every day around the world, usually in the form of small tremors. 地震的另一个表达是＂temblors＂，是有可能造成极大破坏的灾难。世界上各个角落每天都在发生着的小型地震。 Some 80 percent of all the planet’s earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the ＂Ring of Fire＂ because of the preponderance of volcanic activity there as well. Most earthquakes occur at fault zones, where tectonic plates — giant rock slabs that make up the Earth’s upper layer — collide or slide against each other. These impacts are usually gradual and unnoticeable on the surface; however, immense stress can build up between plates. When this stress is released quickly, it sends massive vibrations, called seismic waves, often hundreds of miles through the rock and up to the surface. Other quakes can occur far from faults zones when plates are stretched or squeezed. 世界上80%左右的地震和火山发生在太平洋沿岸，因为此地区火山爆发很多，所有又叫环太平洋火山地震带。大多数地震发生在带——也就是大陆板块的交界处，当两块板块移动相撞的时候就会引发地震或火山爆发。尽管这些影响通常很缓慢也不明显我们感觉不到但是板块移动相撞的会不断积聚当剧增的时候会出大量震波震波会通过岩石从数百英里深传达到地表。这种波叫做地震波。而不发生在带上的地震是由板块扩张或压缩所引起的。 Scientists assign a magnitude rating to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. A quake measuring 3 to 5 is considered minor or light; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is great. 根据地震的强度和地震波的辐射范围，科学家把地震分成不同的级别：3-5级是，5-7级是中强震，7-8级被定义为强震，8级以上就是特大地震了。 On average, a magnitude 8 quake strikes somewhere every year and some 10,000 people die in earthquakes annually. Collapsing buildings claim by far the majority of lives, but the destruction is often compounded by mud slides, fires, floods, or tsunamis. Smaller temblors that usually occur in the days following a large earthquake can complicate rescue efforts and cause further deaths and destruction. 一般来说，每年都会发生一次八级地震，而因地震死亡的人数也会在1万人。地震引起的房屋倒塌通常造成了绝大多数的伤亡，而地震带来的危害还包括由此引发的泥石流、火灾、洪灾和海啸。在一次大地震过后的数日里总是会发生一些规模稍小的余震，余震会加大救援难度会造成