1、Past lessons help Mexico stand test of strong quake: officialMEXICO CITY, March 22 (Xinhua) - The bitter lessons learnt from the 1985 earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in the Mexican history, have helped the country withstand another major quake with no major casualties (kjulti n.伤亡者) reported
2、.A 7.8-magnitude quake struck central and southern Mexico on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring eleven others. It was the most powerful quake since 1985 when a massive quake left huge destruction and claimed nearly 10,000 lives.The lessons drawn from that tragedy on how to respond to a major s
3、haking have helped minimize the damage from Tuesdays quake.There were no victims because of he prevention, Moreno said, listing precautionary (prik:nri adj. 预防的) measures, such as earthquake drills(操练) and more strict building standards, taken to increase the citys ability to withstand earthquakes a
4、nd other natural disasters.For a city inhabited by 20 million people, earthquakes are regarded as the biggest public hazard(danger). The government has made a point of cultivating public earthquake awareness over the last three decades, Moreno said. We spend 70 percent of the money on advertising ca
5、mpaigns and disaster prevention work, he said, referring to the annual budget of 80 million U.S. dollars allocated (lkeitid adj.分配的) to his department.Moreno said the National Civil Protection System, developed after the 1985 earthquake, has played an important role in informing the public of what t
6、o do before, during and after a natural disaster. When a quake strikes, keeping calm is very important, he said, adding that such a response can only be trained through evacuation drills. In Mexico City, it is recommended that public buildings hold at least 3 or 4 drills every year, in addition to a
7、 large simulation (,simjulein n.仿真;模拟) carried out by the government, he added.Meanwhile, buildings are much more quake-resistant (rizistnt adj.抵抗的) than they were in 1985 as higher construction standards were introduced thereafter, he said. The construction law stipulates (stipjuleit vi.规定;保证) that
8、 buildings must withstand 8.5-magnitude earthquakes, up from previously required magnitude 7.5, the official said.Besides, the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico recently designed a risk map, pinpointing the areas most vulnerable to earthquakes. The National Seismological (,saizmldikl adj.地震学上的) Service operates a wide net of 36 stations that control 60 seismic alert sensors used to track the earth movement and transmit data back to the seismological center.
