学位英语

Study Helps Predict Big Mediterranean Quake

Scientists have found evidence that an overlooked fault in the eastern Mediterranean1 is likely to produce an earthquake and tsunami every 800 years as powerful as the one that destroyed Alexandria2 in AD3 365.

Using radiocarbon dating techniques, simulations and computer models, the researchers recreated the ancient disaster in order to identify the responsible fault. ‘We are saying there is probably a repeat time of 800 years for this kind of earthquake,' said Ms Beth Shaw, an earthquake scientist at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. Scientists study past earthquakes in order to determine the future possibility of similar large shocks.

Identifying the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami is important for the tens of millions of people in the region, Ms. Shaw said. The fault close to the southwest coast of Crete4 last produced a big enough quake to generate a tsunami about 1300, which means the next powerful one could come in the next 100 years, she added in a telephone interview.

Ms. Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion, she said. Their computer model suggested an 8 magnitude quake on the fault would produce a tsunami that floods the coastal regions of Alexandria and North Africa, the southern coast of Greece5 and Sicily6 all the way up the Adriati7 to Dubrovnik8. This would be similar to the ancient quake in AD 365 that caused widespread destruction in much of Greece and unleashed a tsunami that flooded Alexandria and the Nile Delta9, likely killing tens of thousands of people, she said.

词汇：

fault n. 断层 interval n. 间隔

tsunami n. 海啸 magnitude n. 等级

radiocarbon n. 放射性碳 destruction n. 破坏，毁灭

simulation n. 模拟 unleash v. 放出，释放

注释:

1. the eastern Mediterranean: 地中海东部

2. Alexandria: 阿里山大[埃及北部港市]

3. AD: 公元后(AD是拉丁文Anno Domini首字母的所写)

4. Crete: [希腊]克里特岛

5. Greece: 希腊

6. Sicily: [意大利]西西里岛

7. Adriati: 亚得利亚海

8. Dubrovnik: 杜布罗夫尼克[克罗地亚港市]

9. Nile Delta: 尼鲁河三角洲[埃及]

练习:

1. The fault, which was overlooked before, has been closely studied by scientists.

A Right. B Wrong C Not mentioned

2. It is fun to identify the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami.

A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

3. Radiocarbon dating techniques can be used to identify the age of the earth.

A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

4. Scientists predict that the next powerful earthquake in the eastern Mediterranean may take place some time before 2100.

A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

5. Ms. Shaw has her colleagues help her in the study of earthquake prediction.

A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

6, Ms. Shaw measured the movement of either side of the fault to identify the magnitude of the

earthquake taking place in AD 365.

A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

7. The earthquake prediction devices developed by Ms. Shaw are being widely used in the world.

A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned

Study Helps Predict Big Mediterranean Quake

Scientists have found evidence that an overlooked fault in the eastern Mediterranean1 is likely to produce an earthquake and tsunami every 800 years as powerful as the one that destroyed Alexandria2 in AD3 365.

Using radiocarbon dating techniques, simulations and computer models, the researchers recreated the ancient disaster in order to identify the responsible fault. ‘We are saying there is probably a repeat time of 800 years for this kind of earthquake,' said Ms Beth Shaw, an earthquake scientist at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. Scientists study past earthquakes in order to determine the future possibility of similar large shocks.

Identifying the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami is important for the tens of millions of people in the region, Ms. Shaw said. The fault close to the southwest coast of Crete4 last produced a big enough quake to generate a tsunami about 1300, which means the next powerful one could come in the next 100 years, she added in a telephone interview.

Ms. Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion, she said. Their computer model suggested an 8 magnitude quake on the fault would produce a tsunami that floods the coastal regions of Alexandria and North Africa, the southern coast of Greece5 and Sicily6 all the way up the Adriati7 to Dubrovnik8. This would be similar to the ancient quake in AD 365 that caused widespread destruction in much of Greece and unleashed a tsunami that flooded Alexandria and the Nile Delta9, likely killing tens of thousands of people, she said.

答案与题解：

1.A文章的主题是，以往科学家忽视了地中海断层的存在。现在地震学家对地中海断层进行研究，并认定断层的运动造成公元365年的地震和海啸，以及推算出地震和海啸发生的周期。所以，本句表达的意思是对的。

2.B文章第三段说到，“认定断层造成了公元365年的地震和海啸，这一认定对该地区的几千万人来说是重要的”。把这项研究说成是有趣的与原文“重要”的意思有很大的不同，所以是错误的。

3.C 全文没有一处提到radiocarbon dating techniques可用来确定地球的年龄。

4.A Shaw女士和她的研究组认定，地中海东部的断层的移动每800年左右会引发一次超强地震和海啸。前两次发生的时间分别是365年和l300年左右。根据这一推断，在未来l00年中，会发生一次超强地震和海啸。第三段对此有说明。

5.A 这句表达的意思与原文相符。原句见第四段第一句：“Ms.Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to gauge how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion”。

6.B Shaw女士和她的研究组测量过the motion of either side of the fault，但目的不是为了identify the magnitude of the earthquake taking place in AD 365，而是为了find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion。

7.C 纵观全文，文章中没有一句提到Shaw女士发明过地震预测装置，更没有谈及这种装置在全世界得到广泛应用这一点。

相关推荐：2017年职称英语报名时间

报考条件：综合类，理工类，卫生类考试原则上没有严格的界限。职称英语考试报名可在单位报，评职称与户口无关，主要看你的工作单位，所以你可以直接咨询单位的人事部门，如果他们说可以就行，每个省规定不大一样。【查看详情】

报考选择：职称英语报考科目|级别选择|报名条件及相关问题解答

免考规定：取得外语(从事翻译工作人员及外语教师第二外语)专业专科及以上学历的人员申报中、高级职称评审……。【查看详情】

（责任编辑：hbz）