“Liquefaction” Key to Much of Japanese Earthquake Damage“液化”是日本地震破壞的關(guān)鍵The massive subduction zone1 earthquake in Japan caused（動詞，表示造成） a significant level of soil "liquefaction"2 that has surprised researchers with its 1 severity, a new analysis shows. 一份分析報告表明，在日本，巨大的俯沖帶地震致使土壤液化的程度之嚴(yán)重，范圍之廣令研究者們著實(shí)吃了一驚。"Weve seen localized3 examples of soil liquefaction as extreme as this before, but the distance and 2 of damage in Japan were unusually severe," said Scott Ashford, a professor of geotechnical engineering4 at Oregon State University5. "Entire structures were tilted and sinking into（詞組，表示陷入） the sediments," Ashford said. "The shifts in soil destroyed water, drain and gas pipelines6, crippling the utilities and infrastructure these communities need to 3 . We saw some places that sank as much as four feet."“我們以前也看到過這么嚴(yán)重的小范圍的土壤液化現(xiàn)象，但是，日本的破壞程度范圍之廣是極為嚴(yán)重的。所有結(jié)構(gòu)都傾斜了并陷到沉淀物中，土壤中的斷層摧毀了自來水管、排水和煤氣管道，社區(qū)的公共和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施陷于癱瘓。我們看到有些地區(qū)下陷了四英尺”。來自俄勒岡州立大學(xué)巖土工程系的Scott Ashford說到。Some degree of soil liquefaction7 is common in almost any major earthquake. Its a phenomenon in which soils soaked with water（浸滿水， 固定搭配be soaked in with sth.）, particularly recent sediments or sand, can lose much of their 4 and flow during an earthquake. This can allow （動詞，表示允許）structures to shift or sink or 5 .幾乎任何大地震都會帶來某種程度的土壤液化。這種現(xiàn)象是由于地震中浸滿了水的土壤，尤其剛沉淀下來的沉淀物或細(xì)砂土在振動作用下突然失去支撐的力量而呈現(xiàn)液態(tài)變化。從而導(dǎo)致地面建筑物移動、下沉或倒塌。But most earthquakes are much 6 than the recent event in Japan, Ashford said. The length of the Japanese earthquake, as much as five minutes, may force(動詞，表示) researchers to reconsider the extent of liquefaction damage possibly occurring in situations such as this8."With such a long-lasting earthquake, we saw 7 structures that might have been okay after 30 seconds just continued to sink and tilt as the shaking continued for several more minutes," he said. "And it was clear that younger sediments, and especially areas built on 8 filled ground, are much more vulnerable."“然而，多數(shù)地震比起最近日本發(fā)生的地震持續(xù)時間都短的多”。Ashford說道。日本發(fā)生的地震持續(xù)了五分鐘，這就促使研究者們重新審視類似這次(持續(xù)時間長的)地震中液化可能造成的毀壞規(guī)模?！坝捎诘卣鸪掷m(xù)時間長，我們看到以前的地震持續(xù)30秒時地面建筑物仍舊完好無損，如果震動再延續(xù)幾分鐘，建筑物就會繼續(xù)下沉或傾斜，很明顯，那些建造在新近填就的地面上的建筑物最易受到傷害?！盇shford講到。The data provided by analyzing（動詞，表示分析） the Japanese earthquake, researchers said, should make it possible to improve（動詞，表示提高） the understanding of this soil 9 and better prepare for it in the future. Ashford said it was critical（形容詞，表示重要的） for the team to collect the information quickly, 10 damage was removed in the recovery efforts9."Theres no doubt that（毋庸置疑） well learn things from what happened in Japan10 that11 will help us to reduce risks（減少風(fēng)險） in other similar 11 ," Ashford said. "Future construction in some places may make more use of techniques（名詞，表示技術(shù)） known to reduce liquefaction, such as better compaction to make soils dense, or use of reinforcing stone columns."Ashford pointed out（詞組，表示指出） that northern California have younger soils vulnerable to liquefaction -on the coast, near river deposits or in areas with filled ground. The "young" sediments, in geologic terms, may be those 12 within the past 10,000 years or more. In Oregon, for instance（固定搭配，表示比如）, that describes much of downtown Portland, the Portland International Airport and other cities.研究者們對日本地震作出了分析并得出數(shù)據(jù)，這些數(shù)據(jù)能大大提高人們了解土壤浸水后的這類現(xiàn)象，以便做好防備，對付未來可能發(fā)生的同類現(xiàn)象。Ashford認(rèn)為，重建工作首先要清理廢墟，這樣地震現(xiàn)場就被破壞了。所以科學(xué)家必須要趕在重建工作開始之前收集好地震資料。“毋庸置疑，我們從日本地震中學(xué)到的東西有助于在將來類似的情況中降低風(fēng)險。一些地方的建筑物會更多應(yīng)用液化減少技術(shù)，如加強(qiáng)土壤的夯實(shí)或用石柱加固”。Ashford說。Ashford指出，北加利福尼亞州那些沿岸的、距離河口堆積物較近或填充的土壤易于受到液化的侵害?！澳贻p”的沉淀物這個詞在地質(zhì)學(xué)中是指那些年代少于或略超過一萬年的沉淀物。比如，在俄勒岡州，它指的是Portland市區(qū)的大部分地區(qū)、Portland國際機(jī)場和其他城市。Anything 13 a river and old flood plains is a suspect12, and the Oregon Department of Transportation has already concluded that 1,100 bridges in the state are at risk from an earthquake. Fewer than 15 percent of them have been reinforced to 14 collapse. Japan has suffered tremendous losses in the March 11 earthquake, but Japanese construction 15 helped prevent many buildings from collapse -even as they tilted and sank into the ground.凡是在河流和泛濫平原附近地區(qū)的土壤很有可能是危險的。俄勒岡交通部斷定，該州的1100座橋梁如發(fā)生地震會有危險。只有不到15的橋梁得到了加固以防坍塌。日本在3月11日的地震中損失慘重，但是震區(qū)的建筑物傾斜、下沉，卻沒有倒塌，日本的建筑標(biāo)準(zhǔn)功不可沒。練習(xí)：1.Ainternal B. different C. difficult D. widespread2.Avolume B. length C. extent D. width3.Afunction B. repair C. build D. remove4.Adurability B. strength C. ability D. property5.Aascend B. compact C. collapse D. recover6.Ashorter B. longer C. simpler D. stranger7.Awhen B. what C. how D. which8.Aoccasionally B. frequently C. specially D. recently9.Adevelopment B. phenomenon C. formation D. composition10.Aunless B. until C. after D. before 11.Afindings B. locations C. events D. sources12.Adelivered B. deposited C. destroyed D. detached13.Anear B. from C. inside D. over 14.Aprevent B. accelerate C. predict D. detect15.Astyles B. sites C. costs D. standards答案與題解：1.D前文說到日本的俯沖帶地震是massive（巨大的），而且砂土液化到達(dá)一個significant level。根據(jù)上述描述，選widespread（分布廣泛的）修飾severity是正確的。其他三個選項(xiàng)與severity搭配后，意思接不上。2.C 本句由but連接并列的兩個分句組成。第一個分句說以前也發(fā)生過地震引發(fā)的砂土液化的現(xiàn)象，但涉及范圍較小。第二個分句通過but語氣一轉(zhuǎn)，說這次地震造成的破壞是罕見的。很顯然，選extent(程度)與distance（距離，范圍）合用說明破壞的程度和范圍是符合上下文的意思的。3.A 在“The shifts in soil destroyed water, sewer and gas pipelines, crippling the utilities and infrastructure these communities need to”中，"these communities need to.”是定語從句，指代utilities和infrastructure的關(guān)系代詞which在定語從句中起賓語作用，被省略了。need后面的動詞不定式的邏輯主語是which，也就是utilities and infrastructure。從意思上看，這些社區(qū)需要這些公用事業(yè)設(shè)備和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施起功能作用（function)。選function是對的。其他選項(xiàng)都不合適。4.B 浸了水的砂土，特別是新近的沉積土、沙土等失去的不會是durability（耐用性）和ability（能力），也不會是泛泛的property（性質(zhì)），而是strength（強(qiáng)度）。5.C 浸了水的砂土強(qiáng)度降低或消失。砂土隨水流動，就會引發(fā)建筑物移位（shift）或下沉(sink)。再發(fā)展下去，建筑物就會倒塌（collapse)。collapse是答案。若選擇ascend（上升）、compact(壓實(shí))或recover（復(fù)原），意思與上文接不上。6.A 地震持續(xù)的時間一般為數(shù)十秒。這次日本地震的時間長達(dá)5分鐘。所以本題要填入的詞應(yīng)該是shorter，說明大多數(shù)地震的持續(xù)時間比它短。7.C 從意思上看，選how是正確的。when structures、what structures或which structures意思明顯不通。8.D 第三段第二句出現(xiàn)“particularly recent sediment"。recent sediment浸水后就失去了強(qiáng)度。這提示了本題要選recently，因?yàn)榻⒃谛陆罹偷耐寥郎系慕ㄖ锸亲钜资艿絺Φ摹?.B 分析日本大地震得出的數(shù)據(jù)不會令科學(xué)家獲得有關(guān)soil development（土壤發(fā)展）、soilformation（土壤形成）soil composition（土壤構(gòu)成）這些方面的知識。若選phenomenon，意思就是科學(xué)家的研究分析有助于他們了解到土壤浸水后的這類現(xiàn)象，以便做好防備，對付未來可能發(fā)生的同類現(xiàn)象。上下文意思很連貫，因此phenomenon是正確的選項(xiàng)。1O.D 選unless、until或after都不合邏輯。本題句子的意思是：重建工作首先要清理廢墟，這樣地震現(xiàn)場就被破壞了。所以科學(xué)家要趕在重建工作開始之前收集好地震資料。before是答案。11.C 本句的意思是：科學(xué)家無疑會從日本大地震中學(xué)到不少東西，從而有助于減低今后發(fā)生類似的地震時的風(fēng)險。四個選項(xiàng)中只有events合適。similar events指的是“類似的地震事件”。若選findings（調(diào)查結(jié)果）、locations（地點(diǎn)）或sources（來源），句子的意思就不對。12.B 本句解釋“young”這個詞在地質(zhì)學(xué)中的含義。句中的those指代sediments。"young" sediments指那些年代少于或略超過一萬年的sediments。deposit是“沉積”，與句子意思匹配，是答案。其他三個選項(xiàng)，詞義離題很遠(yuǎn)，只是詞形與deposit有點(diǎn)相似，起干擾作用而已，它們不是答案。13.A 上一段說，younger soils是非常脆弱的。本句的anything指的是soils。哪些地方的soils是疑似高危對象呢？如果指soils from/inside/over river and old flood plains是不合常理的。正確的選擇應(yīng)該是near，靠近河流和原洪泛區(qū)的土壤才是危險地區(qū)。因此near是答案。14.A 加固危橋的目的是為了防止坍塌。選項(xiàng)prevent是答案。15.D 在3月11日的日本大地震中，震區(qū)的建筑物傾斜、下沉，但沒有倒塌。建筑上的什么因素起到了防塌的作用呢？當(dāng)然不會是construction styles（建筑風(fēng)格）、construction sites（建筑工地）或construction facilities（建筑設(shè)備）。日本的construction standards（建筑標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）才是防塌的關(guān)鍵因素。因此standards是答案。詞匯：subduction /sbdkn/ n俯沖 sediment /sedimnt/ n沉積；沉淀物liquefaction /likwifækn/ n液化 infrastructure /Infr,strkt/ n基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施geotecnical /diuteknikl adj巖土技術(shù) compaction /kmpækn/ n壓緊的vulnerable /vlnrbl/ ad易受傷害的注釋：1. subduction zone：俯沖帶。亦稱下降帶、潛沒帶、消亡帶。板塊構(gòu)造說認(rèn)為，當(dāng)大洋板塊移動并與大陸板塊相遇時，由于大洋板塊巖石密度較大，地位也低，便俯沖到大陸板塊之下，這一俯沖部分叫做俯沖帶。俯沖帶兩側(cè)板塊會聚邊界稱會聚邊緣（convergent boundary)。俯沖帶上面反映震源活動的地帶稱“貝尼奧夫地震帶（Benioff seismic zone)"。2. soil "liquefaction"：土壤液化。土壤液化現(xiàn)象是指由于孔隙水壓力上升，有效應(yīng)力減小所導(dǎo)致的土壤從固態(tài)到液態(tài)的變化，飽水的疏松的粉、細(xì)砂土在振動作用下突然破壞而呈現(xiàn)液態(tài)的現(xiàn)象。3. localized：小范圍的4. geotechnical engineering：巖土工程。5. Oregon State University：俄勒岡州立大學(xué)，建校于1858年，位于美國俄勒岡州科瓦利斯，全校設(shè)11個學(xué)院，80多個專業(yè)，尤以農(nóng)科和工程最為突出。2008年俄勒岡州立大學(xué)的核能工程專業(yè)在全美大學(xué)中排名第9名。6. water, drain and gas pipelines：自來水管道、排水管道和煤氣管道。"water, drain and gaspipelines” 即“water pipelines, drain pipelines and gas pipelines"。7. some degree of soil liquefaction：某種程度的土壤液化8. to reconsider the extent of liquefaction damage possibly occurring in situations such as this：本句的意思是：重新審視類似這次（持續(xù)時間長的）地震中因土壤液化而可能造成的毀壞的規(guī)模。9. recovery efforts：重建工作10. that well learn things from what happened in Japan：我們將從日本的地震中學(xué)到很多東西。該句是同位語從句，說出前半句no doubt的內(nèi)容。11. that：that引導(dǎo)的是定語從句，修辭前半句中的things。12.suspect：被懷疑對象。文中指的是那些疑似危險的土壤。