1 . If your pilot calls “Mayday” on the communication system, you’re in big trouble. In May 2020, the pilot of Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK 8303 gave the horrible “Mayday” signal. “We have lost two engines “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” were the pilots’ last words, according to “Business Insider” Ninety-seven people died. “Mayday” is an international distress (遇险) signal used by airplane pilots and boat captains.
The signal arose just after World War, as air traffic between Britain and Europe increased greatly. All nearby nations needed an internationally understood signal that would warn authorities of urgent aircraft problems. Ships communicated through telegraph (电报) using Morse code (摩斯密码), and this technology made “SOS” unmistakable. However, aircraft pilots used radio calls, and “SOS” owing to its consonants (辅音) could be misheard as other letters, like “F”.
So Frederick Mock ford, a senior radio officer in London, was put in charge of finding a proper code word. He reasoned that because so much of the air traffic flew between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris. It might make sense to use a word that has been developed from a French word. He came up with “Mayday”, the French pronunciation of “m’aider” (help me) which itself is a clear version (版本) of “venez m’aider,” (come help me). The U. S. formally adopted “Mayday” as a distress signal in 1927.
Given its importance, most people respect the “Mayday” signal and use it only when completely necessary. Sadly, the Coast Guard occasionally deals with hoax calls. As a result a lot of dollars and countless man-hours may be wasted trying to rescue people who were never in danger. People who misuse this system can be put in prison for up to 10 years.
1. What does the author use the example of the Pakistan pilot to show?| A．“Mayday” is used for distress calls. | B．Flying may become a terrible air crash. |
| C．“Mayday” has to be used sometimes. | D．“Mayday” is mainly used by the pilot. |
| A．It is difficult to understand. |
| B．It is only used among bout captains. |
| C．It may be misunderstood in radio calls. |
| D．It is only understood by certain countries. |
| A．It is a French word. | B．It means a day in May. |
| C．It has different versions. | D．It was created by Frederick. |
| A．To use “Mayday” cautiously. | B．To learn the importance of “Mayday”. |
| C．To understand the origin of “Mayday”. | D．To know how to use “Mayday”. |
2 . The world is a big place, and there are many, many different places you can visit.
First of all, traveling allows us to escape our daily routines and expand perspectives, because seeing new places and gaining new experiences can broaden our perspectives.
Traveling is also the most valuable form of learning.
What's more, traveling can have a direct effect on people's sense of happiness, and decrease their stress and anxiety. These improvements don't just disappear the moment travelers return to their daily lives.
| A．The improvements look likely to last. |
| B．Traveling has many positive effects on people. |
| C．In conclusion，traveling benefits people in many ways. |
| D．The process of traveling enriches people's knowledge. |
| E．We learn to accept other people and their different lifestyles. |
| F．Many people say that they appreciate their present lives more after traveling. |
| G．It's another type of new discovery and learning, and great for our soul and body. |
