THE NIGHT THE EARTH DIDN'T SLEEP
Strange things were happening in the countryside① of northeastern Hebei.For several days, the water in the village wells rose and fell, rose and fell.There were deep cracks②[1] that appeared in the well walls.At least one well had some smelly gas③ [2]coming out of it.Chickens and even pigs were too nervous to④ eat, and dogs refused to go inside buildings.Mice ran out of⑤ the fields [3]looking for places to hide, and fish jumped out of the water.At about 3:00 a.m., on 28 July 1976, bright lights were seen in the sky outside the city of Tangshan and loud noises were heard.But the city's one million people were asleep as usual⑥ that night.
[1]that appeared in the well walls是由关系代词that引导的定语从句,修饰先行词cracks,that在从句中作主语,不能省略。
[2]coming out of it是现在分词短语作后置定语,修饰gas。
[3]looking for places to hide是现在分词短语作伴随状语。
At 3:42 a.m., everything began to shake.It seemed as if⑦ the world were coming to an end⑧ ! Eleven kilometres directly below the city, one of the most deadly⑨ earthquakes of the 20th century had begun, a quake that even caused damage⑩ more than 150 kilometres away in Beijing.Nearly one third of the whole nation felt it! A huge crack, eight kilometres long and 30 metres wide, cut across? houses, roads, and waterways?.Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt.In less than? one minute, a large city lay in ruins?.Two thirds of the people [4]who lived there were dead or injured.Thousands of? children were left without? parents.The number of? people [5]who were killed or badly? injured in the quake was more than 400,000.
[4]who lived there是由关系代词who引导的定语从句,修饰先行词people, who在从句中作主语。
[5]who were killed or badly injured in the quake是由关系代词who引导的定语从句,修饰先行词people, who在从句中作主语。
[6]Everywhere survivors? looked, there was nothing but? ruins.Nearly everything in the city was destroyed.About 75 percent of the city's factories and buildings, 90 percent of its homes, and all of its hospitals were gone.Bricks covered the ground like red autumn leaves, but no wind could blow them away.Most bridges had fallen or were not safe to cross.The railway tracks were now useless pieces of metal.Tens of thousands of cows, hundreds of thousands of pigs, and millions of chickens were dead.Sand now filled the wells instead of water.People were in shock — and then, later that afternoon, another big quake shook Tangshan again.Even more buildings fell down.Water, food, and electricity were hard to get.People began to wonder [7]how long the disaster would last.
[6]Everywhere survivors looked 是由从属连词everywhere引导的地点状语从句。
[7]how long the disaster would last是由how引导的宾语从句。
But hope was not lost.Soon after the quakes, the army sent 150,000 soldiers to Tangshan to dig out those who were trapped and to bury the dead.More than 10,000 doctors and nurses came to provide medical care.Workers built shelters for survivors [8]whose homes had been destroyed.Hundreds of thousands of people were helped.Water and food were brought into the city by train, truck, and plane.Slowly, the city began to breathe again.
[8]whose homes had been destroyed是由关系代词whose引导的定语从句,修饰先行词survivors,whose在从句中作定语修饰homes。
Tangshan started to revive itself and get back up on its feet.With strong support from the government and the tireless efforts of the city's people, a new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake ruins.The new city has become a home to more than seven million people, with great improvements in transportation, industry, and environment.Tangshan city has proved to China and the rest of the world that in times of disaster, people must unify and show the wisdom to stay positive and rebuild for a brighter future.