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 County2. One woman suffered minor head and neck injuries.
“It 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 earthquakes 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 /5mCdErit/ adj.中等的 magnitude /5mA^nitju:d/ n. 值，强度量 topple /5tCpl/ v.倾倒，震倒 rouse /rauz/ v. 唤醒 tremor /5tremE/ n.震动 hop /hRp/ v. 齐足跳起 fun-fair n.公共露天游乐场 scale /skeil/ n. 震级 forthcoming /fC:W5kQmiN/ adj.即将来临的 evacuate /i5vAkjueit/ v. 疏散geological /dViE5lCdVikEl/ 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 in 1580 that caused damage in London and was felt in France：英国地质勘测所的科学家 Roger Musson说，这次 4月 28日遭遇地震的地区就是经受过袭击英
国烈的几次大地震的同一地区，其中的一次大地震发生在 1580年，那次地震蹂躏了伦敦，巴黎也能感到它的震波。
13. a matter of time：时间问题。又如 : It’s not a matter of money.这不是个钱的问题。练习：
1. During the April 28 earthquake, the whole England was left without power. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
