Question

SECTION C

Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one word that best fits the context.

People gather on a street of downtown Santiago after an earthquake February 27, 2010. A powerful 8.8-magnitude（级）earthquake that shook Chile on Saturday killed at least 64 people, knocking  __48___  homes and hospitals, and triggering（引发）a tsunami (海啸).

Buildings caught fire and residents huddled（挤）in streets covered with glass and bricks , many terrified by powerful aftershocks and desperately trying to call friends and family. President Michelle Bachelet said that there were 78 confirmed deaths and that  __49___ were possible. Telephone and power lines were down, making it  __50___ to assess the full extent of the damage close to the epicenter (震中).

Chile is the world's No. 1 copper producer, and the quake halted operations at two major mines near the capital."Never in my life have I experienced  __51___  quake like this, it's like the end of the world," one man told local television from the city of Temuco,  __52___  the quake damaged homes and forced staff to evacuate (撤离) the regional hospital.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck 56 miles northeast of the city of Concepcion  __53___  a depth of 22 miles at 3:34 a.m. (1:34 a.m. EST). The capital Santiago, about 200 miles north of the epicenter, was also badly hit. The international airport was forced to close  __54___  the quake destroyed passenger walkways and shook glass out of doors and windows. Local television showed a building in flames in Concepcion  __55___  said some residents looted (劫掠) medicine shops and other businesses in the chaos.

Answer

48. down     49. more      50. difficult             51. a 

52. where    53. at        54. as / because/since    55. And

【解析】略