15.There are a couple of ways to forecast the destructive potential of a hurricane (飓风) so that people in the way can take adequate precautions (预防措施).Satellite images of cloud patterns can be analyzed to estimate peak wind speeds,but the estimates are often way off the mark.Specialized aircraft can fly into a storm to measure the winds directly,but the flights are costly.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology come up with a third way:listening to a storm underwater.
In a paper to be published in Geophysical Research Letters,Nicholas C.Makris and a former graduate student,Joshua D.Wilson,report a strong connection between the intensity (强度) of sound recorded by an undersea microphone in the mid-Atlantic and the wind power of a hurricane that passed over it.They say that such microphones,known as hydrophones,could be a safe and relatively inexpensive means of estimating hurricane force.
Dr.Makris and Dr.Wilson,who are now with Applied Physical Sciences Corporation,worked out the theory of underwater acoustic (声音的) monitoring of storms in a 2005paper."To be very frank with you,it's a mystery what makes storms noisy underwater."Dr.Makris said.The most popular idea currently is that it has something to do with oscillating air bubbles (气泡振动).
The researchers then went looking for experimental data to back their theory,and found it from a hydrophone placed at a depth of 2,500feet by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.It happened that Hurricane Gert passed over the area in September 1999,and a hurricane-hunter plane directly measured the wind speed at the same time.The hydrophone data showed sound intensity rising when the storm's outside wind"wall"passed over,and again when the inside wall,the most destructive part of the storm near the eye,passed over."We got a beautiful connection,"Dr.Makris said,"between the hydrophone data and the actual wind speeds as measured by the aircraft."
Dr.Makris is conducting additional experiments,working with the Mexican Navy off the west coast of Mexico.The eventual goal,he said,would be permanent hydrophones in known hurricane zones or temporary ones that could be easily laid by plane or ship in the path of a coming storm.
72.Compared with the traditional methods,the new way of measuring isC.
A.more expensive B.more direct
C.less dangerous D.less accurate
73.Which statement is WRONG according to the article?B
A.The scientists gained support from different fields.
B.Dr.Makris and Dr.Wilson have figured out what makes storms noisy underwater.
C.The scientists have found the relationship between the changes of sound intensity and the force of the hurricane.
D.There are several ways for people to forecast the force of the coming hurricane.
74.Why is Dr.Makris now making other experiments with the help of the Mexican Navy off the west coast of Mexico?A
A.To place permanent hydrophones in some zones.
B.To collect more images of cloud patterns.
C.To be secure in carrying out their experiments.
D.To get more information from the hurricane-hunter planes.
75.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?D
A.Ways to Stop the Destructive Force of a Hurricane
B.Connection between the Intensity of Sound and the Wind Power of a Hurricane
C.Hydrophones,Safe but Expensive Means of Estimating Hurricane Force
D.Measuring a Hurricane by Sound Underwater.
分析 文章主要介绍了麻省理工学院的研究人员研究出了新的相对安全的检测风暴方法,在水下安装监听器来观测暴风来临时产生的巨大水声.这一成果目前已经展开了应用.
解答 72.C.细节理解题.由第二段 a safe and relatively inexpensive means of estimating hurricane force可知,这种新的方式安全,相对低成本,故选C.
73.B.理解判断题.由第三段it's a mystery what makes storms noisy underwater,可知在水下风暴会有噪音是一个谜团,科学家还没有发现它们之间的联系,B选项错误,故选B.
74.A.细节理解题.由最后一段The eventual goal,he said,would be permanent hydrophones in known hurricane zones or temporary ones 可知他们额外实验的最终目的是在一些地区安放永久性水听器.故选A.
75.D.主旨大意题.文章主要介绍了一种在水下安装监听器来检测风暴的新型方法.故选D.
点评 科教类阅读难度比一般阅读较大,它存在的生词比较多,因此考生应当综合略读、跳读和查读,猜词等阅读技巧来做题,平时也应加强练习.