1.

epicenter /?ep?sent?r/

n.the part of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake 震中；中心

epi-, 在上，在中。center, 中間。

2.

tumble /?t?mb(?)l/

[?V]?~ (down)to fall suddenly and in a dramatic way?倒塌；坍塌

?The scaffolding came tumbling down.?腳手架突然倒塌。?

World records tumbled at the last Olympics.?在上屆奧林匹克運動會上世界紀錄大幅下滑。

3.

prone ?/pr??n/?

~ to sth/to do sthlikely to suffer from sth or to do sth bad?易于遭受；有做（壞事）的傾向

SYN?liable

?prone to injury?容易受傷

?Working without a break makes you more prone to error.?連續(xù)工作不停歇使人更容易出錯。

4.

seismic /?sa?zm?k/?

1.connected with or caused by?earthquakes?地震的；地震引起的

?seismic waves?地震波

2.

having a very great effect; of very great size?影響深遠的；重大的

?a?seismic shift?in the political process?政治進程中的劇變

6.

haphazard ?/h?p?h?z?d/?

adj.with no particular order or plan; not organized well?無秩序的；無計劃的；組織混亂的

??The books had been piled on the shelves in a haphazard fashion.?書架上的書堆放得雜亂無序。

7.

prolong ?/pr??l??/?

?[?VN]?to make sth last longer?延長SYN?extend

??The operation could prolong his life by two or three years.?這次手術(shù)可使他多活兩三年。

8.

retroactive /?retro???kt?vli/

ad.?(決定或行為)有追溯效力地

?The?ruling?should be?applied retroactively.?

這一裁決應該具有追溯效力。

9.

retrofit ??/?retr??f?t/

[?VN]?to put a new piece of equipment into a machine that did not have it when it was built; to provide a machine with a new part, etc.?給機器設備裝配（新部件）；翻新；改型

??Voice recorders were retrofitted into planes already in service.?錄音設備安在了正在服役的飛機上。

10.

harrowing ?/?h?r????/?

a. very shocking or frightening and making you feel very upset?令人腸斷的；使人十分難過的；恐怖的