We can't stop an earthquake，but we can do things to make sure they don't destroy (毁坏) whole cities. First，it is not a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}idea to build houses along lines where {#blank#}2{#/blank#}of the earth's plates (板块) join together. Second，if you think there {#blank#}3{#/blank#}be an earthquake，it is better to build houses on rocks， not on {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Third， you must make the houses as {#blank#}5{#/blank#}as possible. Weak buildings will {#blank#}6{#/blank#}down in an earthquake，but strong ones may stay up.

    Scientists are {#blank#}7{#/blank#}that one day an even bigger earthquake will hit the part around San Francisco. They call it “The Big One”. However，people today are still building more {#blank#}8{#/blank#}The population in and around San Francisco is {#blank#}9{#/blank#}ten times more than it was in 1906. This means that {#blank#}10{#/blank#}there is another earthquake，a great many houses and buildings will be destroyed.