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Moderate Earthquake Strikes England
A moderate earthquake struck parts of southeast England on 28 April 2007，toppling chimneys from houses and rousing residents from their beds. Several thousand people were left without power1 in Kent County. One woman suffered minor head and neck injuries.
"lt felt as if the whole house was being slid across like a fun-fair ride,3" said the woman.
The British Geological Survey said the 4.3-magnitude quake4 struck at 8:19 a.m. and was centered under the English Channel5，about 8.5 miles south of Dover6 and near the entrance to the Channel Tunnel7.
Witnesses said cracks appeared in walls and chimneys collapsed across the county. Residents said the tremor had lasted for about 10 to 15 seconds.
"I was lying in bed and it felt as if someone had just got up from bed next to me." said Hendrick van Eck，27，of Canterbury8 about 60 miles southeast of London."I then heard the sound of cracking，and it was getting heavier and heavier9.It felt as if someone was at the end of my bed hopping up and down."
There are thousands of moderate quakes on this scale around the world each year，but they are rare in Britain. The April 28 quake was the strongest in Britain since 2002 when a 4.8-magnitude quake struck the central England city of Birmingham10.
The country's strongest earthquake took place in the North Sea in 1931，measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale11. British Geological Survey scientist Roger Musson said the quake took place on 28 April in an area that had seen several of the biggest erthquakes ever to strike Britain，including one in 1580 that caused damage in London and was felt in France.12 Musson predicted that it was only a matter of time13 before another earthquake struck this part of England. However，people should not be scared too much by this prediction，Musson said，as the modern earthquake warning system of Britain should be able to detect a forthcoming quake and announce it several hours before it takes place. This would allow time for people to evacuate and reduce damage to the minimum.
词汇：
moderate adj. 中等的
magnitude n. 值，强度量
topple v. 倾倒，震倒
rouse v. 唤醒
tremor n.震动
hop v. 齐足跳起
fun-fair n. 公共露天游乐场
scale n. 震级
forthcoming adj. 即将来临的
evacuate v. 疏散
geological adj. 地质的
注释：
1. power:电力
2. Kent County:肯特郡[位于英格兰东南部]
3.It felt as if the whole house was being slid across like a fun-fair ride. 它(地震)给人的感觉是
整幢房子就像游乐场的滑行机一样在滑动.ride是游乐场供人玩乐的乘坐式的活动装置。as if 是"好像……一样；仿佛"，例如:He treated me as if I were his son. 他待我如同待他的儿子一样。
4. the.4.3-magnitude quake:里氏4.3级地震
5. English Channel:英吉利海峡
6. Dover:多佛尔[英格兰东南部港口城市]
7. Channel Tunnel:海峡隧道。Channel Tunnel (常简称为Chunnel)是连接英法两国的海峡隧道。
8. Canterbury:坎特伯雷[英格兰东南部城市，中世纪时曾是宗教朝圣圣地]
9. it was getting heavier and heavier:爆裂声越来越响
10. Birmingham:伯明翰[英格兰中部城市]
11. the Richter scale:里氏震级表。美国地震学家 Charles Francis Richter (1900-1985)于1935年制定了地震震级表。
12. British Geological Survey scientist Roger Musson said the quake took place on 28 April in an area that had seen several of the biggest earthquakes ever to strike Britain，including one in1580 that caused damage in London and was felt in France.英国地质勘测所的科学家 Roger Musson 说，4月28日发生地震的地区曾经遭受过几起英国最大的地震，其中的一次发生在1580年，那次地震蹂躏了伦敦，并波及法国。
13. a matter of time:时间问题。又如: It's not a matter of money. 这个不是钱的问题。
练习：
1. During the April 28 earthquake，the whole England was left without power.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
2. The Channel Tunnel was closed for 10 hours after the earthquake occurred.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
3. It was reported that one lady had got her head and neck injured，but not seriously.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
4. France and several other European countries sent their medical teams to work side by side with the British doctors.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
5. The country's strongest earthquake took place in London in 1580.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
6. Musson predicted that another earthquake would occur in southeast England sooner or later.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
7. It can be inferred from the passage that England is rarely hit by high magnitude earthquakes.
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
答案与题解：
1. B 题句说2007年4月28日的地震致使全英格兰都停电，与短文第一段第一句表达的内容不符。短文说地震殃及英格兰东南部的肯特郡部分地区，电力中断，几千名居民无电可用。所以，题句是错误的，答案为B。
2. C 本题所说的意思是:地震发生后，海峡隧道关闭了10小时。题句表达的内容短文中找不到，故答案为C。
3. A 题句的意思是:地震中一个妇女的头部和颈部受了点轻伤。题句表达的意思与第一段最后一句表达的内容相符。所以选项A是答案。
4. C 题句表达的意思是:法国和其他几个欧洲国家派遣他们的医疗队去英国与当地的医生并肩工作。这一内容短文中找不到，故答案为C。
5. B 题句所说的英国最强烈的地震于1580年发生在伦敦，这与短文表述的事实不符。短文第七段第一句明白无误地说，英国最强烈的地震于1931年发生在北海。题句表达的信息是错误的，故答案为B。
6. A 题句说Masson预言在英格兰东南部迟早将发生另一次地震。这一说法与短文最后一段第三句所表达的意思相符。所以答案是A。
7. A 短文第六段第一句说，全球每年发生强度为里氏4级左右的地震有几千次，但是这种中等强度的地震在英格兰很少发生。据此，读者可以容易地推断出，高震级的地震在英格兰就更少见了。
