AftertheviolentearthquakethatshookLosAngelesin1994,earthquakescientistshadgoodnewstoreport:Thedamageanddeathtoll(死亡人数)couldhavebeenmuchworse.Morethan60peoplediedinthisearthquake.Bycomparison,andearthquakeofsimilar__1__thatshookAmericain1998claimed25,000victims.
Injuriesanddeathswere__2__lessinLosAngelesbecausethequakeoccurredat4:31a.m.Onaholiday,whentrafficwaslightonthecity'shighway.Inaddition,__3__madetotheconstructioncodesinLosAngelesduringthelast20yearshavestrengthenedthecity'sbuildingsandhighways,makingthemmore__4__toquakes.
Inthepast,makingstructuresquake-resist-antmeantfirmyet__5__materials,suchassteelandwood,thatbendwithoutbreaking.Later,peopletriedtoliftabuildingoffitsfoundation,andinsertrubberandsteelbetweenthebuildinganditsfoundationto__6__theimpactofgroundvibrations.Themost__7__designsgivebuildingsbrainsaswellasconcreteandsteelsupports,calledsmartbuildings,thestructuresrespondlikelivingorganismstoanearthquake'svibrations.Whengroundshakesandthebuildingtipsforward,thecomputerwould__8__thebuildingtoshiftintheoppositedirection.Thenewdesignsshouldofferevengreater__9__tocitieswhereearthquakesofentakeplace.
Thenewsmartstructurescouldbevery__10__tobuild.However,theywouldsavemanylivesandwouldbelesslikelytobedamagedduringearthquakes.