[外语类试卷]大学英语六级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷240及答案与解析.doc

1、大学英语六级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 240及答案与解析 Section B 0 Tsunamis A Up until December of 2004, the phenomenon of tsunami was not on the minds of most of the worlds population. That changed on the morning of December 24, 2004 when an earthquake of moment magnitude 9.1 occurred along the oceanic trench off the coast

2、of Sumatra in Indonesia. This large earthquake resulted in vertical displacement of the sea floor and generated a tsunami that eventually killed 280,000 people and affected the lives of several million people. B Although people living on the coastline near the epicenter of the earthquake had little

3、time or warning of the approaching tsunami, those living farther away along the coasts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and East Africa had plenty of time to move to higher ground to escape. C But, there was no tsunami warning system in place in the Indian Ocean, and although other tsunami warning cen

4、ters attempted to provide a warning, there was no effective communication system in place. Unfortunately, it has taken a disaster of great magnitude to point out the failings of the worlds scientific community and to educate almost every person on the planet about tsunami. How Tsunamis Are Generated

5、 D There is an average of two destructive tsunamis per year in the Pacific basin. Pacific wide tsunamis are a rare phenomenon, occurring every 10-12 years on the average. Most of these tsunamis are generated by earthquakes that cause displacement of the seafloor. E Earthquakes cause tsunami by causi

6、ng a disturbance of the seafloor. Thus, earthquakes that occur along coastlines or anywhere beneath the oceans can generate tsunami. The size of the tsunami is usually related to the size of the earthquake, with larger tsunami generated by larger earthquakes. F But the sense of displacement is also

7、important. Tsunamis are generally only formed when an earthquake causes vertical displacement of the seafloor. The 1906 earthquake near San Francisco California had a Richter Magnitude of about 7.1, yet no tsunami was generated because the motion on the fault (断层 ) was strike-slip, motion with no ve

8、rtical displacement. Thus, tsunamis only occurs if the fault generating the earthquake has normal or reverse displacement. G Because of this, most tsunamis are generated by earthquakes that occur along the subduction boundaries of plates, along the oceanic trenches. Since the Pacific Ocean is surrou

9、nded by plate boundaries of this type, tsunamis are frequently generated by earthquakes around the margins of the Pacific Ocean. Examples of Tsunamis Generated by Earthquakes H May 22, 1960 A moment magnitude 9.5 earthquake occurred along the subduction zone off South America. Because the population

10、 of Chile is familiar with earthquakes and potential tsunamis, most people along the coast moved to higher ground. 15 minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami with a run-up of 4.5m hit the coast. The first wave then retreated, dragging broken houses and boats back into the ocean. Many people saw this

11、 smooth retreat of the sea as a sign they could ride their boats out to sea and recover some of the property swept away by the first wave. But, about 1 hour later, the second wave traveling at a velocity of 166 km/hr crashed in with a run-up of 8 m. This wave crushed boats along the coast and destro

12、yed coastal buildings. This was followed by a third wave traveling at only 83 km/hr that crashed in later with a run-up of 11 m, destroying all that was left of coastal villages. The resulting causalities listed 909 dead with 834 missing. I However, the situation was quite different in Hawaii. A tsu

13、nami warning system had been in place and the tsunami was expected to arrive at 9:57 AM. It hit at 9:58 AM and 61 people died, mostly sightseers that wanted to watch the wave roll in at close range (obviously they were too close). The tsunami continued across the Pacific Ocean, eventually reaching J

14、apan where it killed an additional 185 people. J Another example. On March 11, 2011 a moment magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the northern coast of Japan. The earthquake generated a tsunami that rose up to 135 feet above sea level and killed over 20,000 people. Besides that high death toll, the t

15、sunami caused one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The Fukushima nuclear power plant, located on the coast was hit by a 49 feet tsunami wave that overtopped the tsunami protection walls that were only 19 feet high, and flooded the backup generators for the plant that were somehow placed on

16、 the first floor in a known tsunami zone! Prediction and Early Warning K For areas located at great distances from earthquakes that could potentially generate a tsunami there is usually plenty of time for warnings to be sent and coastal areas evacuated, even though tsunami travels at high velocities

17、 across the oceans. Hawaii is a good example of an area located far from most of the sources of tsunami, where early warning is possible and has saved lives. For earthquakes occurring anywhere on the subduction margins of the Pacific Ocean there is a minimum of 4 hours of warning before a tsunami wo

18、uld strike any of the Hawaiian Islands. L The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has set up a Pacific warning system for areas in the Pacific Ocean, called the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. It consists of an international network of seismographic stations, and tidal stations ar

19、ound the Pacific basin that can all send information via satellite to the Center located in Hawaii. M When an earthquake occurs somewhere in the region, the Center immediately begins to analyze the data looking for signs that the earthquake could have generated a tsunami. The tidal stations are also

20、 monitored, and if a tsunami is detected, a warning is sent out to all areas on the Pacific coast. It takes at least 1 hour to assimilate all of the information and issue a warning. Thus for an average velocity of a tsunami of 750 km/hr, the regional system can provide a warning sufficient for adequ

21、ate evacuation of coastal areas within 750 km of the earthquake. N In order to be able to issue warnings about tsunami generated within 100 to 750 km of an earthquake, several regional warning centers have been set up in areas prone to tsunami generating earthquakes. These include centers in Japan,

22、Kamchatka, Alaska, Hawaii, French Polynesia, and Chile. These systems have been very successful at saving lives. For example, before the Japanese warning system was established, 14 tsunamis killed over 6000 people in Japan. Since the establishment of the warning system 20 tsunamis have killed 215 pe

23、ople in Japan. O like all warning systems, the effectiveness of tsunami early warning depends strongly on local authoritys ability to determine that there is a danger, their ability to spread the information to those potentially affected, and on the education of the public to heed the warnings and r

24、emove themselves from the area. 1 Pacific wide tsunamis occur once every 10-12 years averagely. 2 Compared with Japan, fewer people were killed in Hawaii by the 1960 tsunami. 3 Tsunami warning systems havent been set up when the tsunami in the Indian Ocean occurred. 4 The tsunami in 2011 not only ki

25、lled many people but also caused a terrible nuclear disaster. 5 Some people mistakenly thought that the tsunami had retreated and went out to sea in hope of retrieving property. 6 It takes at least one hour for the tsunami warning center to analyze all of the information and issue a warning. 7 The s

26、cale of the tsunami is usually determined by the size of the earthquake that causes it. 8 The Pacific Ocean is surrounded by subduction boundaries of plates, so tsunamis are often caused by earthquakes there. 9 To a great extent, the local government also plays an important role in the early warning

27、 of a tsunami. 10 Tsunami warning centers have been established in several countries where earthquakes tend to generate tsunamis. 10 South Africa Safari Top Five National Parks and Game Reserves A A South Africa safari (游猎 ) is the ideal wildlife trip to go on because the infrastructure and accommod

28、ation is superb in all the wildlife parks there and it is still highly affordable in comparison to other African countries. But given a choice some of the national parks and game reserves are better than others. Here is a top five list ranking them according to travel reports received at the African

29、 Safari Journals website, my safari experience of twenty plus years, industry forums, magazines and the general consensus of the experts. Kruger National Park B The Kruger National Park has to rank as one of the best South Africa safari destinations, only slightly behind the Masai Mara and Serengeti

30、 when it comes to wildlife viewing because the vegetation in Kruger can be dense and sometimes impair the ability to see longer distances. But the variety of animals, birds and ecosystems that you can experience here are unparalleled anywhere else in Africa and the accommodation, roads and facilitie

31、s are top notch and all at a very affordable price. C Its not unusual to see lion, leopard, cheetah, a pack of wild dog, rhino, elephant, buffalo and a whole host of antelope, crocodile and hippo in the course of a single trip including a variety of insects and reptiles. On the bird front you will b

32、e spoiled with a seemingly never-ending supply of eagles, hawks, water birds and a host of migratory and indigenous species to the tune of about 510 different varieties. D You can easily do a self drive safari here and still see a decent amount of wildlife especially if you stick to the central and

33、southern portions of this massive park (larger than Ireland). The north has fewer animals due to dryer conditions but also fewer tourists which makes for a more isolated and intimate wildlife experience. If variety is the spice of life then a South Africa safari in the Kruger National Park is a rich

34、 dish indeed. Sabi Sands Game Reserve E Sharing a fenceless border on the western side of the Kruger National Park is the Sabi Sands game (猎物 ) reserve which has a number of world famous private concessions like Mala Mala, Sabi Sabi and Londelozi. F The removal of the fence between the two parks all

35、ows the animals to move around freely and the game viewing experience is just as in the Kruger National with one important difference. Because this reserve is privately held, off road game tracking is allowed which improves your chances of finding the elusive (难以找到的 ) big cats, elephant, rhino, buff

36、alo and wild dog to a large degree. They also make use of two way radios in each safari vehicle so that if one finds something noteworthy the others can be alerted. G The sand and sabi rivers which bisect the reserve provide the focal point which attracts the wildlife to the area especially in the d

37、ry season. So viewing the big cats on a South Africa safari here is virtually guaranteed and the accommodation is some of the best in the world as illustrated by the Singita lodge which was the first and only accommodation in the history of the Conde Nast Gold List Reader Poll to get a perfect 100 s

38、core, an honour it has held for three years. There are about thirty different top class lodges situated in the reserve. H But this all comes at a price and unless you have reasonably deep pockets, this fantastic reserve will be out of reach which is why it doesnt get the No. one ranking for South Af

39、rica safari national parks and reserves. Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park I If you want to see the endangered black and white rhinos in the wild then this is the park to head for because this is where the unstoppable tide to extinction for the white rhino in Southern Africa was stemmed (遏制 ). It now

40、boasts the largest population of white rhino in the world numbering over 1,600 and also a slowly increasing population of black rhino at just over 400. J On a South Africa safari here you will also be able to see lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and cheetah in this park and more than 400 bird specie

41、s have been recorded. Due to the large number of resident elephants you might have some close encounters with them on the roads as they cross in front of you. You can go for a daily walk in the park in the company of an armed ranger or you can do a several day extended hike in the southern Umfolozi

42、portion. Madikwe Game Reserve K This is a latter day Noahs ark story because most of the wildlife contained in this park was relocated here from other areas in 1991. Twenty seven different species amounting to over 10,000 head of game were re-introduced into this area where they once thrived but had

43、 disappeared because of hunting and habitat destruction. A huge advantage of taking a South Africa safari in this park is that it is not situated in a malaria area so you dont have to bother about taking malaria tablets as you do in most other reserves. L All of the big five are on view here as well

44、 as cheetah and the rare wild dog packs which are the stars of the show here being regularly sighted patrolling their huge territories. Your chances of seeing them seem to be better here than most other parks. Rare antelope like the eland, gemsbok and sable put in an appearance here too and you will

45、 be able to enjoy your wildlife viewing in relative peace and isolation because not many tourists know about this excellent game reserve. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park M The locals know that this is an excellent game park and it falls into that “best kept secret“ category that each country seems to h

46、ave where for some unknown reason a reserve doesnt get the notice from tourists and safari companies that it deserves. Maybe its because this reserve is set in the Kalahari desert and people dont normally associate deserts with lots of wildlife but there are always exceptions to the rule and this So

47、uth Africa safari park qualifies. N You can see some pretty specialised and very interesting game here such as the gemsbok antelope which can go for months without water, springbok, blue wildebeest, eland and red hartebeest And wherever there is a good supply of antelope, the predators are never far

48、 away such as the black maned lions which this area has a disproportionate supply off, leopard and cheetah which can make full use of the wide open spaces to chase their prey at top speed. O The meerkat (suricate) is also regularly seen here and bat eared foxes contribute to the scavenging duties. T

49、his South Africa park is famous for birds of prey such as the pygmy falcon and the sociable weaver which builds nests which are the bird equivalent of apartment blocks that are sometimes so big they break the branches they rest on. P There are hundreds of companies offering safari trips to South Africa. This Top Safari in South Africa operators list helps you choose effectively between them. South Africa safari trip reports give you a great idea of what to expect from a trip like this by learning fro