Tsunami warning system is tested

If he, the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, were alive, Thomas Jaggar would be proud of the U.S. tsunami warning system after Friday’s devastating earthquake in Japan sent a surge (大浪，洶涌) of ocean water dashing toward the West Coast.

● WASHINGTON — So many people surged to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center website that it slowed to a crawl early Friday, unable to provide critical information to the public about the coastal impact in the U.S. of a massive earthquake in Japan.

McClatchy Washington Bureau — Mar 11 06:09 p.m.

● CHICAGO — A tsunami warning has been issued for the central and northern California coast and Oregon, the National Weather Service announced early Friday.

Chicago Tribune— Mar 11 06:07 a.m.

● HONOLULU — A tsunami warning was issued late on Thursday for Hawaii after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific near Japan, prompting state civil defense officials to order all coastal areas evacuated（把…撤出…）by 2 a.m. local time. Tsunami sirens (警報(bào)) began sounding at 9:59 p.m. on Thursday. They have sounded every hour since 11:15 p.m.

Alaska Tsunami Warning Center also issued a warning for much of the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

Reuters via Yahoo! News — Mar 11 01:22 a.m.

● LOMPOC — Tsunami warning ‘a(chǎn) wake-up call’              

A tsunami warning that led to evacuations for coastal communities and campgrounds in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Friday served as a successful trial for a more serious emergency, officials said after the danger passed.

The Lompoc Record — Mar 11 11:29 p.m.

● WELLINGTON — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a warning after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific near Japan, and it said the sea level readings confirm that a tsunami has been generated and was in effect for some Pacific islands — Hawaii, China’s Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia etc.

New Straits Times — Mar 11 07:48 a.m.

                                  — Reproduced by Yahoo Greenwich Meantime

1..

. A tsunami warning was issued for all the following states in the U.S. except for _____.

    A. Ohio         B. California           C. Oregon          D. Alaska

2..

 The underlined word “prompting” (in the fourth paragraph) most probably means _____.

A. promoting      B. advocating     C. urging         D. appealing

3..

According to the passage, the Pacific Tsunami warning was first reported by _____.

A. New Straits Times                    B. Reuters via Yahoo! News

    C. McClatchy Washington Bureau          D. Chicago Tribune

4..

In which city did the news agency issue a tsunami affecting for some other places apart from Japan and Hawaii?

A. LOMPOC.        B. WASHINGTON.      C. HONOLULU.    D. WELLINGTON.

 

【答案】

 

1.. A           

2..C

3..B

4..D

【解析】 略

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：啟東中學(xué)作業(yè)本　　高二英語(下) 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　A terrifying example of the sea's power saw about 200,000 people die in 12 different countries last week. The devastation (毀壞) was caused when a massive earthquake sent tsunamis (海嘯) smashing into Indian Ocean coastlines.

　　Communities in Sri Lanka. Indonesia, Thailand, India, Malaysia and East Africa have been destroyed by the monster waves. Whole towns were imply swept aside by the power of the water. Cars, trains and buildings could not survive (幸免), let alone the people who stood in the way.

　　The earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale (里氏震級) and occurred off the coast of Indonesia. It was recorded as the fifth strongest since 1900.

　　Scientists said the quake was as powerful as a million of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War Ⅱ. “This may be the worst natural disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas," said Jan Egeland, a UN official.

　　Because such waves rarely happen in the Indian Ocean, there is no system in place to warn coastal communities they are about to be hit.

　　Tsunami is Japanese for “harbour wave.” They are usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of the Earth's crust (地殼) under the ocean. Tsunamis often happen in oceans and they are most common in the Pacific. Normally a tsunamis includes a series of waves.

　　Tsunamis can be very long-as much a, 100 kilometres-and be as far as one hour apart. They are able to cross entire oceans without losing much energy. One of the most striking facts about tsunamis is that an earthquake on one side of the Pacific Ocean can cause giant wave, and destruction on the other side.

　　When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed at speeds of up to 800 kilometres per hour. They can cross the entire ocean in a day or less.

　　The wave may only be a few metres, high in the ocean but when it is near the shore and reaches shallow (淺) water, the wave builds up very quickly in height. Witnesses (目擊者) in some areas of Indonesia reported seeing up to 10-metre high waves crash into the shore.

1．We can infer from the passage that fewer people would have died in the South Asian tsunami ________.

[　　]

A．if there had been warning system along the coast

B．if the earthquake had happened off the coast of Thailand

C．if the tsunami had happened in the day time

D．if the tsunami had happened in the deep ocean

2．What surprises people most about the tsunamis is that ________.

[　　]

A．it lasts a long time

B．it travels a long way

C．a(chǎn) tsunamis on one side of the ocean can cause destruction on the other side of the ocean

D．it builds up a high wave

3．Which of the following is NOT true of the South Asian tsunamis?

[　　]

A．It was caused by a serious earthquake off the coast of Indonesia.

B．It was caused by the strongest earthquake in the world.

C．People didn't expect such a strong tsunamis would hit them.

D．It may be the worst natural disaster in recent history.

4．Which of the following is the best title for this article?

[　　]

A．What Is the Tsunami?

B．South Asia Was Hit by the Strongest Earthquake.

C．Mother Nature Displays Anger.

D．A Terrible Disaster.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The Haitian tsunami gave scientists a chance to find out how well vital and potentially life-saving warning systems were working.

       Noaa’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has developed a warning system that picks up signals of tsunamis directly from the sea-floor.

       It is called Dart-the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis. If seismometers(地震儀) detect an earthquake, the Dart buoys（浮標(biāo)） will determine what is happening to sea levels, and whether a big wave might be on the way. This information is then sent via satellite to a central location which can organize an alarm. Within 50 minutes of the Haiti earthquake, this system was able to issue an alarm to other countries in the Caribbean to say that a small tsunami had been caused to start, and that was unlikely to affect them.

       Dr Bernard said, “The first 30 minutes following the earthquake, we have to rely on education.” The critical aspects of this are: do you feel the earthquake; do you see the ocean draw down; and do you hear that loud roar? If so, you should run for higher ground.

      

 “But after the first few minutes, it’s crucial that we have the technology—the measurements to avoid unnecessary evacuation(疏散撤離)and tell people when it is safe to return.” Right now, there are 50 of these Dart buoys all over the globe—four of which are in the Caribbean.

Dr Bernard says that, with 75 to 100 buoys worldwide, this system could provide global tsunami warnings within one hour.

 “That’s for everywhere we know that tsunamis have happened. If we wanted to go to half an hour detection, we could probably double or multiply by four times that number,” he said.

       “In some countries, including Haiti, there may not be enough resources to support a specific tsunami warning centre for something that happens so infrequently.”

       He said that this system was relatively inexpensive to fix and operate.

       “To get it down to an hour for everywhere affected would cost $50m initial investment and then 10% of that to maintain it,” he said.

       “That’s not a terribly expensive system considering the potential savings of lives.”

In which section would you probably read the passage in a newspaper?

A. Education and Society                   

B. Culture and Leisure

C. Science and Technology          

D. Health and Medicine

How many buoys would at least be needed for global tsunami warnings within half an hour?

A. 150                 

B. 100                  

C. 75                   

D. 50

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

       A. The system can warn people of the coming of tsunami directly after the earthquake.

       B. We can’t escape the danger of tsunami within 30 minutes following the earthquake.

       C. Each country can easily afford a tsunami warning centre though it seldom happens.

       D. It’s worthwhile to spend money on the warning system for possible savings of lives.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. Tsunami Assessment               

B. Earthquake detecting

C. Disaster Warning System        

D. Life Saving System

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科目：高中英語 來源：2011屆福建省三明一中高三上學(xué)期第三次月考英語卷 題型：閱讀理解

The Haitian tsunami gave scientists a chance to find out how well vital and potentially life-saving warning systems were working.
Noaa’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has developed a warning system that picks up signals of tsunamis directly from the sea-floor.
It is called Dart-the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis. If seismometers(地震儀) detect an earthquake, the Dart buoys（浮標(biāo)） will determine what is happening to sea levels, and whether a big wave might be on the way. This information is then sent via satellite to a central location which can organize an alarm. Within 50 minutes of the Haiti earthquake, this system was able to issue an alarm to other countries in the Caribbean to say that a small tsunami had been caused to start, and that was unlikely to affect them.
Dr Bernard said, “The first 30 minutes following the earthquake, we have to rely on education.” The critical aspects of this are: do you feel the earthquake; do you see the ocean draw down; and do you hear that loud roar? If so, you should run for higher ground.
“But after the first few minutes, it’s crucial that we have the technology—the measurements to avoid unnecessary evacuation(疏散撤離)and tell people when it is safe to return.” Right now, there are 50 of these Dart buoys all over the globe—four of which are in the Caribbean.
Dr Bernard says that, with 75 to 100 buoys worldwide, this system could provide global tsunami warnings within one hour.
“That’s for everywhere we know that tsunamis have happened. If we wanted to go to half an hour detection, we could probably double or multiply by four times that number,” he said.
“In some countries, including Haiti, there may not be enough resources to support a specific tsunami warning centre for something that happens so infrequently.”
He said that this system was relatively inexpensive to fix and operate.
“To get it down to an hour for everywhere affected would cost $50m initial investment and then 10% of that to maintain it,” he said.
“That’s not a terribly expensive system considering the potential savings of lives.”
【小題1】In which section would you probably read the passage in a newspaper?

A．Education and Society
B．Culture and Leisure
C．Science and Technology
D．Health and Medicine
【小題2】 How many buoys would at least be needed for global tsunami warnings within half an hour?
A．150
B．100
C．75
D．50
【小題3】Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A．The system can warn people of the coming of tsunami directly after the earthquake.
B．We can’t escape the danger of tsunami within 30 minutes following the earthquake.
C．Each country can easily afford a tsunami warning centre though it seldom happens.
D．It’s worthwhile to spend money on the warning system for possible savings of lives.
【小題4】 Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A．Tsunami Assessment
B．Earthquake detecting
C．Disaster Warning System
D．Life Saving System

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A frightening example of the sea’s power saw 125,000 people die in 12 different countries last week. The terrible disaster was caused when a great earthquake sent tsunamis breaking into Indian Ocean coastlines. Various areas in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Malaysia and East Africa have been destroyed by the huge waves. Whole towns were simply swept aside by the power of the water. Cars, trains and buildings could not remain steady, not to say the people who stood in the way.

The earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and occurred off the coast of Indonesia. It was recorded as the fifth strongest since 1900. Scientists said the quake was as powerful as a million of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during the World War II. “This may be the worst natural disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas.” said Jan Ege-land, a UN official.

Because such waves hardly happen in the Indian Ocean, there is no system in place to warn coastal people who are about to be hit. Tsunami is a Japanese word. They are usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of the Earth’s crust under the ocean. Tsunamis often happen in oceans and they are most common in the Pacific.

Tsunamis can be very long, as much as 100 kilometers. They are able to cross entire oceans without losing much energy. One of the most striking facts about tsunamis is that an earthquake on one side of the Pacific Ocean can cause huge waves on the other side.

When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed at speeds of up to 800 kilometers per hour. They can cross the entire ocean in a day or less. The wave may only be a few meters high in the ocean, but when it is near the shore and reaches shallow water, the wave builds up very quickly in height.

61. How many countries were stricken by the terrible disaster?

         A. 6.                                      B. 12.                          C. 18.                          D. Not sure.

62. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT __________.

Tsunami is a word taken in from Japanese

Tsunamis are quite common in the Indian Ocean

The earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale

No warning system has been set up to watch tsunamis there

63. We can know from this passage that __________.

the earthquake has been the strongest in the last century

the wave soon becomes higher when it reaches the shore

the atomic bombs were more powerful than the earthquake

tsunamis can cross entire oceans with almost the same energy

64. You’ll see the passage in __________ section of a newspaper most probably.

A. Sports                              B. Health                    C. News                      D. Culture

 

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For hundreds of years, Japan has been hit, from time to time, by tsunamis（海嘯）, which are caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanoes. The story of the boy Yuuki is the story of such a disaster.

Yuuki lived with his family in a seaside village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, Yuuki felt a small earthquake but it was not strong enough to frighten anybody. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide areas of beach that had never been seen before.

Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the new beach land.

But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand.

Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the harvested rice. Then he called out, “Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!”

When everyone reached the mountain top, a villager cried out, “Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire.” Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers screamed at him.

Just then, someone shouted, “Look!”

In the distance a huge dark wave of water was speeding towards the shore. When it hit the shore, it destroyed everything.

On the mountain everyone stared at the village ruins in terror.

“I'm sorry I burned the fields,” said Yuuki, his voice trembling.

“Yuuki,” the village chief answered. “You saved us all.”

The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. “We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight,” said one, “but now we’ll celebrate that we’re all still alive!”

1. Where was Yuuki when the earthquake struck?

A．On the beach.

B．On the mountain.

C．In the rice fields.

D．At home.

2.In what order did the following events take place?

a.Yuuki ran to the rice fields.

b.The villagers paid no attention to Yuuki’s word.

c.Yuuki went to warn the villagers.

d.The village was in ruins.

e.The people were screaming at Yuuki.

A．c, b, d, a, e

B．a(chǎn), c, d, b, e

C．c, b, a, e, d

D．a(chǎn), c, d, e, b

3.How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster?

A．He told them about the earthquake.

B．He explained why the sea was flowing out.

C．He told the village chief to warn the people.

D．He set fire to the rice field.

4.What were the people planning to do before the tsunami struck their village?

A．Burn the rice crop.

B．Play on the beach.

C．Climb the mountain.

D．Celebrate the rice harvest.

 

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