PastlessonshelpMexicostandtestofstrongquake:officialMEXICOCITY,March22(Xinhua)--Thebitterlessonslearntfromthe1985earthquake,thestrongesteverrecordedintheMexicanhistory,havehelpedthecountrywithstandanothermajorquakewithnomajorcasualties(['kæjulti]ʒən.伤亡者)reported.A7.8-magnitudequakestruckcentralandsouthernMexicoonTuesday,killingonepersonandinjuringelevenothers.Itwasthemostpowerfulquakesince1985whenamassivequakelefthugedestructionandclaimednearly10,000lives.ThelessonsdrawnfromthattragedyonhowtorespondtoamajorshakinghavehelpedminimizethedamagefromTuesday'squake."Therewerenovictimsbecauseofheprevention,"Morenosaid,listingprecautionary([pri'k:nri]adj.ɔʃə预防的)measures,suchasearthquakedrills(操练)andmorestrictbuildingstandards,takentoincreasethecity'sabilitytowithstandearthquakesandothernaturaldisasters.Foracityinhabitedby20millionpeople,earthquakesareregardedasthebiggestpublichazard(danger).Thegovernmenthasmadeapointofcultivatingpublicearthquakeawarenessoverthelastthreedecades,Morenosaid."Wespend70percentofthemoneyonadvertisingcampaignsanddisasterpreventionwork,"hesaid,referringtotheannualbudgetof80millionU.S.dollarsallocated(['ælkeitid]adj.ə分配的)tohisdepartment.MorenosaidtheNationalCivilProtectionSystem,developedafterthe1985earthquake,hasplayedanimportantroleininformingthepublicofwhattodobefore,duringandafteranaturaldisaster.Whenaquakestrikes,keepingcalmisveryimportant,hesaid,addingthatsucharesponsecanonlybetrainedthroughevacuationdrills."InMexicoCity,itisrecommendedthatpublicbuildingsholdatleast3or4drillseveryyear,inadditiontoalargesimulation([,simju'lein]n.ʃə仿真;模拟)carriedoutbythegovernment,"headded.Meanwhile,buildingsaremuchmorequake-resistant([ri'zistnt]adj.ə抵抗的)thantheywerein1985ashigherconstructionstandardswereintroducedthereafter,hesaid.Theconstructionlawstipulates(['stipjuleit]vi.规定;保证)thatbuildingsmustwithstand8.5-magnitudeearthquakes,upfrompreviouslyrequiredmagnitude7.5,theofficialsaid.Besides,theInstituteofGeophysicsoftheNationalAutonomousUniversityofMexicorecentlydesignedariskmap,pinpointingtheareasmostvulnerabletoearthquakes.TheNationalSeismological([,saizm'ldikl]adj.əɔʒ地震学上的)Serviceoperatesawidenetof36stationsthatcontrol60seismicalertsensorsusedtotracktheearthmovementandtransmitdatabacktotheseismologicalcenter.
