托福听力荟萃 30

Now, you've been reading articles about the tremendous damage done to life and property by earthquakes.That's why ______ have been working so hard to develop methods of earthquake ______.We can now predict earthquake [assertively] fairly well, but the predictions only locate potential areas of danger. They don't predict the specific time and location at which an earthquake is likely to occur. Today I want to introduce to you three prediction models that have been developed.

The first prediction model looks along earthquake fawlts, those ______ in the Earth's ______,to find what are known as seismic¹ gaps. Seismic gaps are places where the ______has shown little or no ______ activity for a long time. This theory ______ that such places are due for a major shock.

The second model relies on phenomena² --- like ground flit. Using long ______ tubes containing water, observers noted³ that ground tilt⁴ tended to occur before major earthquakes. That led them to correctly predict the big Haicheng [HI CHUNG]quake of 1975 --- the first successful earthquake prediction scientists have ever made. A million people were ______ from that Chinese city before the earthquake struck. Unfortunately, this method hasn't worked ______, so we can'tsay it's been perfected.

The third modelis based on the theory that major earthquakes closely follow a series of minorones. Starting with the measurements and timing⁵ of the smaller quakes, acomplex ______ calculates the "times of increased probability" of amuch larger quake. Right now, this method, like the first method, cannotpredict specific times and places, but that may change as it is further developed.

For the moment, none of these models can predict with reasonable levels of confidence.

 

 

【填空答案】

seismologist: n.［C］地震学家

prediction: n. ［C］预测，预报

crack: n. ［C］裂缝

crust: n. ［C］外壳

fault: n. ［C］断层

seismic: adj. 地震的

postulate⁶: v. 假定

cylindrical⁷: adj. 圆柱的

evacuate⁸: v. 疏散

consistently: adv. 一贯地，一向，始终如一地

formula: n. 公式，规则

【听力原文】

Now, you've beenreading articles about the tremendous damage done to life and property by earthquakes.That's why seismologists have been working so hard to develop methods ofearthquake prediction. We can now predict earthquake [assertively] fairly well,but the predictions only locate potential areas of danger. They don't predictthe specific time and location at which an earthquake is likely to occur. TodayI want to introduce to you three prediction models that have been developed.

The firstprediction model looks along earthquake fawlts, those cracks in the Earth's crust,to find what are known as seismic gaps. Seismic gaps are places where the faulthas shown little or no seismic activity for a long time. This theory postulatesthat such places are due for a major shock.

The second modelrelies on phenomena --- like ground flit. Using long cylindrical tubescontaining water, observers noted that ground tilt tended to occur before majorearthquakes. That led them to correctly predict the big Haicheng [HI CHUNG]quake of 1975 --- the first successful earthquake prediction scientists haveever made. A million people were evacuated⁹ from that Chinese city before theearthquake struck. Unfortunately, this method hasn't worked consistently, so wecan't say it's been perfected.

The third modelis based on the theory that major earthquakes closely follow a series of minorones. Starting with the measurements and timing of the smaller quakes, acomplex formula calculates the "times of increased probability" of amuch larger quake. Right now, this method, like the first method, cannotpredict specific times and places, but that may change as it is further developed.

For the moment, none of these models can predict with reasonable levels of confidence.

1 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

2 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 postulate   

n.假定，基本条件；vt.要求，假定

参考例句：

• Let's postulate that she is a cook.我们假定她是一位厨师。
• Freud postulated that we all have a death instinct as well as a life instinct.弗洛伊德曾假定我们所有人都有生存本能和死亡本能。

7 cylindrical   

adj.圆筒形的

参考例句：

• huge cylindrical gas tanks 巨大的圆柱形贮气罐
• Beer cans are cylindrical. 啤酒罐子是圆筒形的。

8 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

9 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。