After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll could have been much worse. More than 60 people died in this earthquake.【C1】______comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988【C2】______25,000 victims.【C3】______and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday,【C4】______traffic was light on the city's highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have【C5】______the city's buildings and highways, making them more【C6】______to quakes. Despite the good news, civil engineers aren't【C7】______on their successes.【C8】______to their drawing boards are blueprints for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should【C9】______even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place. In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant final yet【C10】______materials, such as steel and wood, which【C11】______without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and【C12】______rubber and steel between the building and【C13】______foundation to reduce the【C14】______of ground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings【C15】______as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures【C16】______like living organisms to an earthquake's vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building【C17】______forward, the computer would force the building to【C18】______in the opposite direction. The new smart structures could be very【C19】______to build. However, they would【C20】______many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes. 【C1】