四、閱讀測驗【請依照段落上下文意，選出最適當的答案】 第一篇：   Japan is no strangers to earthquakes, and as many as 1,500 can be recorded yearly. Minor tremors occur almost everyday. Japan has this many earthquakes because four tectonic plates converge below the country’s surface. The ever-presentthreat of quakes turned the country into a world leader in earthquake-proof construction.   In Japan, all modern structures have been designed for seismic activity. Strong building codes are in place forstructures of every size. Buildings less than three stories high must have reinforced walls and large foundation slabs.Those of at least three stories have even stricter rules. They are often disconnected from the land around them, a techniquecalled base isolation. They rest on huge rubber or fluid-filled shock absorbers that take the excess energy from anearthquake and convert it into heat. The taller a building is, the greater the risk. Very tall buildings must rest on some sortof shock absorption system. They must be able to sway from side to side without sustaining permanent damage. The top ofa building, for example, may need to move as much as three meters in either direction.   These ideas are all very modern, but newer technology and ideas are always being tested. Recently, Japaneseengineers have taken the idea of base isolation to another level. They have devised a system that actually raises a buildingduring an earthquake via a cushion of air. The air is forced between the building and the foundation. This lifts the buildingup to three centimeters off the ground when necessary. Additionally, more diverse building materials are being considered.One Japanese architect has designed structures that utilize cardboard tubes and wood. These materials result in a muchlighter building than one made of concrete. Plus, they perform better during tremors.   Earthquakes can be frightening and dangerous, but the casualties caused by collapsed buildings are avoidable. Someof the smartest minds have been working hard to keep people safe from earthquakes. And they will continue to find newways of doing so in the future.
【題組】41. What is the cause of frequent earthquakes in Japan, according to the passage?
(A) Active volcanoes.
(B) Geographic formation.
(C) Deep ocean waves.
(D) Extreme weathers.