英语听力精选进阶版 14005

California earthquake drill

Summary

22 October 2012

Millions of people in the US have taken part in an earthquake drill to raise awareness¹ of how to react if a huge quake was to hit. Scientists studying the San Andreas fault say a huge earthquake is long overdue² in California.

Reporter:

Alastair Leithead

Report

They played the tape in railway stations, school classrooms and offices. More than nine million people in California took part in the annual 'shake out'; an earthquake drill to remind people what to do if the 'big one' hits. The scientists say it's almost certain the San Andreas fault will cause an earthquake measuring higher than a seven on the Richter scale in the next thirty years, and that it's long overdue. 

Dr Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the US Geological³ Survey, says people have to remember the risks: "We've had a rather quiet time in LA for the last 15 years, we haven't had a lot of big earthquakes, that's not going to last and so we need to have ways of getting people to think about it, take responsibility, because a lot of the damage is preventable."

The biggest earthquake on the San Andreas fault in recent history was 1906, which destroyed huge areas of San Francisco and killed thousands of people. More recently, motorway⁴ bridges have been brought down, but it's been 18 years since the last major quake. Organisers of the shake out want to remind people their reflex action should be to get on the ground and under a table. More people get hurt, it seems, trying to race outside where the risks are often higher.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

3 geological   

adj.地质（学）的

参考例句：

• aeons of geological history 数以亿万年计的地质史
• The workers skirted the edge of the cliff on a geological survey. 工人们沿着崖壁作了一次地质勘察。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 motorway   

n.高速公路，快车道

参考例句：

• Our car had a breakdown on the motorway.我们的汽车在高速公路上抛锚了。
• A maniac driver sped 35 miles along the wrong side of a motorway at 110 mph.一个疯狂的司机以每小时110英里的速度在高速公路上逆行飙车35英里。