Read the following passage and mark letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word that best completes each blank.

Earthquakes are the most ___(1)___ natural disasters, ___(2)___ usually hit without any warning, result in a great loss of life and an enormous demolition of buildings. Additionally, they may cause devastating landslides or ___(3)___ gigantic tidal waves which, in fact, are colossal walls of water smashing into seashores with such force that they are capable ___(4)___ destroying coastal cities. However, the vast majority of fatalities and serious injuries come about when buildings collapse.
Most frequently, the earthquake lasts 30 to 60 seconds, so usually there is no time to escape once the shaking starts. The savage forces of an earthquake trigger off a complex chain reaction in the building's structure when it is shaken, lifted, pushed or pulled. A building's height, its shape and construction materials are the most significant factors ___(5)___ about the survival and collapse of the structure and, consequently, about the life or death of its inhabitants.