【英语六级】【仔细阅读】（2）

原文

  Here’s how the Pacific Northwest is preparing for “The Big One”. It’s the mother of all disaster drills for what could be the worst disaster in American history. California has spent years preparing for “The Big One”—the inevitable earthquake that will undoubtedly unleash all kinds of havoc along the famous San Andreas fault (断层). But what if the fault that runs along the Pacific Northwest delivers a gigantic earthquake of its own? If the people of the Cascadia region have anything to do with it, they won’t be caught unawares.
  The region is engaged in a multi-day earthquake-and-tsunami (海啸) drill involving around 20,000 people. The Cascadia Rising drill gives area residents and emergency responders a chance to practice what to do in case of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami along one of the nation’s dangerous—and underestimated—faults.
  The Cascadia Earthquake Zone is big enough to compete with San Andreas (it’s been called the most dangerous fault in America), but it’s much lesser known than its California cousin. Nearly 700 miles long, the earthquake zone is located by the North American Plate off the coast of Pacific British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
  Cascadia is what’s known as a “megathrust” fault. Megathrusts are created in earthquake zones—land plate boundaries where two plates converge. In the areas where one plate is beneath another, stress builds up over time. During a megathrust event, all of that stress releases and some of the world’s most powerful earthquakes occur. Remember the 9.1 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra in 2004? It was caused by a megathrust event as the India plate moved beneath the Burma micro-plate.
  The last time a major earthquake occurred along the Cascadia fault was in 1700, so officials worry that another event could occur any time. To prevent that event from becoming a catastrophe, first responders will join members of the public in rehearsals that involve communication, evacuation, search and rescue, and other scenarios.
  Thousands of casualties are expected if a 9.0 earthquake were to occur. First, the earthquake would shake metropolitan areas including Seattle and Portland. This could trigger a tsunami that would create havoc along the coast. Not all casualties can necessarily be prevented—but by coordinating across local, state, and even national borders, officials hope that the worst-case scenario can be averted. On the exercise’s website, officials explain that the report they prepare during this rehearsal will inform disaster management for years to come.
  For hundreds of thousands of Cascadia residents, “The Big One” isn’t a question of if, only when. And it’s never too early to get ready for the inevitable.

问题

1. What does “The Big One” refer to?
   （A）A gigantic geological fault.
   （B）A large-scale exercise to prepare for disasters.
   （C）A massive natural catastrophe.
   （D）A huge tsunami on the California coast.
2. What is the purpose of the Cascadia Rising drill?
   （A）To prepare people for a major earthquake and tsunami.
   （B）To increase residents’ awareness of imminent disasters.
   （C）To teach people how to adapt to post-disaster life.
   （D）To cope with the aftermath of a possible earthquake.
3. What happens in case of a megathrust earthquake according to the passage?
   （A）Two plates merge into one.
   （B）Boundaries blur between plates.
   （C）A variety of forces converge.
   （D）Enormous stress is released.
4. What do the officials hope to achieve through the drills?
   （A）Coordinating various disaster-relief efforts.
   （B）Reducing casualties in the event of a disaster.
   （C）Minimizing property loss caused by disasters.
   （D）Establishing disaster and emergency management.
5. What does the author say about “The Big One”?
   （A）Whether it will occur remains to be seen.
   （B）How it will arrive is too early to predict.
   （C）Its occurrence is just a matter of time.
   （D）It keeps haunting Cascadia residents.

逐句翻译

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Part 1

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  Here’s how the Pacific Northwest is preparing for “The Big One”.

下面是太平洋西北部如何为 "The Big One"做准备。

• Pacific：太平洋

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  It’s the mother of all disaster drills for what could be the worst disaster in American history.

这是所有灾难演习之母，因为它是美国历史上最严重的灾难。

• drills：练习；训练；演习；钻头；钻机；钻(孔)

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  California has spent years preparing for “The Big One”—the inevitable earthquake that will undoubtedly unleash all kinds of havoc along the famous San Andreas fault (断层).

California花了数年时间准备"The Big One"——这场不可避免的地震无疑会在著名的San Andreas断层沿线引发各种破坏。

• inevitable：不可避免的；惯常的；必然发生的事
• undoubtedly：无疑；必定
• unleash：发泄；突然释放；使爆发
• havoc：灾害；祸患；浩劫；严重破坏；毁灭损毁

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  But what if the fault that runs along the Pacific Northwest delivers a gigantic earthquake of its own?

但是，如果沿着太平洋西北方向的断层本身引发了一场巨大的地震呢？

• along：沿着；向前；一起；越来越(好)
• delivers：递送；交付；运载；发表；宣布；履行诺言；不负所望；引发
• gigantic：巨大的 ；庞大的

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  If the people of the Cascadia region have anything to do with it, they won’t be caught unawares.

如果Cascadia地区的人们与之有任何关系，他们就不会被意外发现。

• region：地区；区域
• unawares：出其不意地；未注意到；不知不觉地

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Part 2

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  The region is engaged in a multi-day earthquake-and-tsunami (海啸) drill involving around 20,000 people.

该地区正在进行为期多日的地震和海啸演习，约有2万人参加。

• engaged：忙于；已订婚；被占用的；雇用；吸引住(注意力、兴趣)；与…建立密切关系；尽力理解
• engaged in：从事； 参加
• multi-day：多日
• tsunami：海啸；海震

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  The Cascadia Rising drill gives area residents and emergency responders a chance to practice what to do in case of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami along one of the nation’s dangerous—and underestimated—faults.

Cascadia 举行 演习为该地区居民和应急响应人员提供了一个机会，这次机会能够让他们练习如果在全国的危险（并且这种危险是被低估的）断层沿线之一发生9.0级地震和海啸时该如何应对。

• residents：居民
• in case of：如果发生……；若在……情况下；万一
• underestimated：低估； 对…估计不足；对…认识不足(或重视不够)；轻视;

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Part 3

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  The Cascadia Earthquake Zone is big enough to compete with San Andreas (it’s been called the most dangerous fault in America), but it’s much lesser known than its California cousin.

Cascadia地震带 足够大，足以与San Andreas（它被称为美国最危险的断层）相抗衡，但它的知名度远不如California的其他地震带。

• Zone：地区，地带； 区域，部分
• compete with：竞争

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  Nearly 700 miles long, the earthquake zone is located by the North American Plate off the coast of Pacific British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Northern California.

地震带长近700英里，位于太平洋沿岸的北美洲板块不列颠哥伦比亚省、华盛顿州、俄勒冈州和北加利福尼亚州。

• Plate：盘子；电镀；为…加设护板；(用金属板等)覆盖；板块
• coast：海岸；惯性滑行；不费力地取得成功

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Part 4

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  Cascadia is what’s known as a “megathrust” fault. Megathrusts are created in earthquake zones—land plate boundaries where two plates converge.

Cascadia断层被称为“megathrust”断层。Megathrusts 是在地震带产生的，地震带是大陆板块的边界，是两个板块的交汇处。

• converge：汇集；相交；会合；(思想、政策、目标等)十分相似

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  In the areas where one plate is beneath another, stress builds up over time.

在一个板块位于另一个板块之下的区域，压力会随着时间的推移而累积。

• beneath：在…下面；不够好；在下面；在底下
• over time：随着时间的过去；超时

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   During a megathrust event, all of that stress releases and some of the world’s most powerful earthquakes occur.

在megathrust事件中，所有的压力都会释放，然后一些世界上最强大的地震会发生。

• releases：释放；放出；放开；使自由移动(或飞翔、降落等)；发泄

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   Remember the 9.1 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra in 2004? It was caused by a megathrust event as the India plate moved beneath the Burma micro-plate.

还记得2004年 Sumatra 附近的印度洋的9.1级地震海啸吗？它是由印度板块移动到缅甸微板块之下的一次 megathrust 事件引起的。

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Part 5

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   The last time a major earthquake occurred along the Cascadia fault was in 1700, so officials worry that another event could occur any time.

Cascadia 断层上一次发生大地震是在1700年，因此官员们担心随时可能发生另一次地震。

• last time：上一次

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   To prevent that event from becoming a catastrophe, first responders will join members of the public in rehearsals that involve communication, evacuation, search and rescue, and other scenarios.

为了防止这一事件演变成一场灾难，急救人员将与公众一起进行演习，包括通讯、疏散、搜救和其他场景。

• catastrophe：灾难；横祸；不幸事件；困难
• first responders：急救人员
• rehearsals：排练；预演；演习；复述；叙述
• evacuation：疏散；撤离；后撤；抽空；排气；排泄
• scenarios：设想；方案；预测；(电影或戏剧的)剧情梗概

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Part 6

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  Thousands of casualties are expected if a 9.0 earthquake were to occur.

如果发生9.0级地震，预计会有数千人伤亡。

• casualties：(战争或事故的)伤员，亡者，遇难者；受害者；毁坏物；急诊室

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  First, the earthquake would shake metropolitan areas including Seattle and Portland. This could trigger a tsunami that would create havoc along the coast.

首先，地震将撼动包括 Seattle 和 Portland 在内的大都市地区。这可能引发海啸，在沿海地区造成严重破坏。

• metropolitan：大城市的；大都会的；本土的；大城市人
• trigger：发动；引起；触发；开动；起动； (尤指引发不良反应或发展的)诱因； 触发器； 引爆器；(枪的)扳机

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  Not all casualties can necessarily be prevented—but by coordinating across local, state, and even national borders, officials hope that the worst-case scenario can be averted.

并不是所有的伤亡都能避免，但通过跨地方、州甚至国家边界的协调，官员们希望能够避免最坏的情况。

• coordinating：使协调；使相配合；使(身体各部分)动作协调；协同动作；(衣服、家具等)搭配，协调
• averted：防止，避免(危险、坏事)；转移目光；背过脸

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  On the exercise’s website, officials explain that the report they prepare during this rehearsal will inform disaster management for years to come.

在演习的网站上，官员们解释说，他们在这次演习中准备的报告将为未来几年的灾害管理提供信息。

• management：经营；管理；经营者； 管理部门； (成功的)处理手段；(有效的)处理能力

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Part 7

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  For hundreds of thousands of Cascadia residents, “The Big One” isn’t a question of if, only when. And it’s never too early to get ready for the inevitable.

对于成千上万的 Cascadia 居民来说，“The Big One” 不是一个如果的问题，只是何时的问题。为不可避免的事情做好准备永远不会太早

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Problem

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1. What does “The Big One” refer to?
   （A）A gigantic geological fault.
   （B）A large-scale exercise to prepare for disasters.
   （C）A massive natural catastrophe.
   （D）A huge tsunami on the California coast.

"The Big One"指的是什么？
（A） 巨大的地质断层。
（B） 为备灾而进行的大规模演习。
（C） 一场巨大的自然灾害。
（D） California 海岸的巨大海啸。

• geological：地质的
• scale：规模，范围，程度；等级；攀登；到达…顶点；去鳞
• massive：巨大的；大而重的；结实的；非常严重的

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2. What is the purpose of the Cascadia Rising drill?
   （A）To prepare people for a major earthquake and tsunami.
   （B）To increase residents’ awareness of imminent disasters.
   （C）To teach people how to adapt to post-disaster life.
   （D）To cope with the aftermath of a possible earthquake.

Cascadia Rising 演习的目的是什么？
（A） 使人们做好应对大地震和海啸的准备。
（B） 提高居民对迫在眉睫的灾害意识。
（C） 教人们如何适应灾后生活。
（D） 应付可能发生的地震的后果。

• imminent：即将发生的；临近的
• post-disaster：【注意构词法】灾后
• cope：(成功地)对付，处理
• aftermath： 后果，创伤

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3. What happens in case of a megathrust earthquake according to the passage?
   （A）Two plates merge into one.
   （B）Boundaries blur between plates.
   （C）A variety of forces converge.
   （D）Enormous stress is released.

如果发生 "megathrust " 地震会发生什么？
（A） 两个板块合而为一。
（B） 板块之间的界限模糊。
（C） 各种力量汇聚在一起。
（D） 巨大的压力被释放。

• merge into：汇合；并入
• blur：(移动的)模糊形状；模糊的记忆；(使)变得模糊不清；(使)视线模糊；(使)难以区分

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4. What do the officials hope to achieve through the drills?
   （A）Coordinating various disaster-relief efforts.
   （B）Reducing casualties in the event of a disaster.
   （C）Minimizing property loss caused by disasters.
   （D）Establishing disaster and emergency management.

官员们希望通过演习达到什么目的？
（A） 协调各种救灾工作。
（B） 在发生灾难时减少伤亡。
（C） 尽量减少灾害造成的财产损失。
（D） 建立灾害和应急管理。

• Minimizing：最小化；大事化小； 减到最少
• property：所有物；财产；不动产；房地产； 房屋及院落

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5. What does the author say about “The Big One”?
   （A）Whether it will occur remains to be seen.
   （B）How it will arrive is too early to predict.
   （C）Its occurrence is just a matter of time.
   （D）It keeps haunting Cascadia residents.

作者对 “The Big One” 怎么说？
（A） 它是否会发生还有待观察。
（B） 它将如何到达还为时过早。
（C） 它的发生只是时间问题。
（D） 它一直困扰着 Cascadia 的居民。

• predict：预言；预告； 预报
• haunting： 使人难忘的；(鬼魂)出没；长期不断地缠扰(某人)

答案

题号	1	2	3	4	5
答案	C	A	D	B	C

答案解析

1. 细节辨认题。第一段第一句提到，太平洋西北部地区在为“大家伙”做准备，随后的第三句指出这场不可避免的地震无疑会在著名的圣安德烈亚斯断层沿线引发各种浩劫。The Big One指的是地震，即“巨大的自然灾害”，故答案为 C) 。
2. 推理判断题。定位句指出，卡斯卡迪亚提升演习使当地居民和应急人员有机会练习在断层地区发生9．0级地震和海啸时的应对方法。由此可推断，“为人们应对大地震和海啸做好准备”符合文义，故A)为答案。
3. 细节辨认题。定位句介绍了大逆冲型地震的概念。首先介绍大逆冲型地震是在地震带发生的，一个板块处于另一个板块下方的区域，压力会随着时间的推移而累积。在一次大逆冲型地震中，所有的压力将会释放，由此发生一些世界上最强烈的地震，换言之，发生大逆冲型地震时会释放巨大的压力，故答案为D)。
4. 推理判断题。根据文章第五段第二句可知，演习是为了防止地震演变成一场大劫难。而第六段第四句说，尽管不能完全避免伤亡，但官员们希望可以避免最坏的情况。总结两处的信息可知，B)“发生灾难时减少伤亡”符合文义，故为答案。
5. 观点态度题。定位段中作者表达了自己对这次演习的看法：对于成千上万的卡斯卡迪亚居民来说，“大家伙”不是是否会发生的问题，只是何时会发生的问题。为不可避免的事情做好准备还是越早越好，可知 C) 项符合文义，故为答案。