7 . Tears of relief and shouts of joy rang out at the San Jose Mine in northern Chile when 33 miners were lifted to freedom, one by one. The men, ranging from 19 to 63 years old, have been buried alive since a cave in the copper and gold mine they were working collapsed on August 5, 2010. It is the longest time anyone has ever survived being trapped underground.
After the collapse, the men found an emergency shelter off one of the mine’s tunnels. The temperature in the dark shelter was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. For more than two weeks, the miners’ water came from the tanks on their work vehicles. They shared a supply of food that was meant to last for only 48 hours.
The miners were totally isolated until rescue teams made contact with the men on August 22. They sent a note to the surface explaining their situation. Rescuers drilled small holes to reach the cave and sent down supply tubes containing food, water, clothes, medicine, fresh air and other supplies. They also received letters from their families, a television set and games.
Additional collapses slowed down rescue efforts. Finally, a tunnel was built that could fit a 13—foot rescue capsule (救生舱), called the Pheonix. The escape hole measures 28 inches across, a tight fit for the twisting 20 minutes, 2, 041—foot ride. The first miner reached the surface just after midnight on October, 13. The rescue mission was faster than expected, and all 33 men had been brought to safety by late the same day.
The miners were met by family members who were waiting at Camp Hope, a settlement of tents near the mine. Chile’s president, Sebastian Pinera, cheered at the scene and hugged the miners. “We made a promise never to give up, and we kept it,” he said. After an immediate medical exam, the men were airlifted to the nearest hospital for 48 hours of observation.
1. How long were the rescued miners trapped in the mine?
| A．About 48 hours. | B．About two weeks. |
| C．One month and a half. | D．More than two months. |
2. Which of the following doesn’t belong to the rescue work?
| A．The water from the tanks. |
| B．Small holes drilled to reach the cave. |
| C．A tunnel built to fix a rescue capsule. |
| D．Letters, games and a TV from the surface. |
3. What can we learn from the text?
| A．All miners reached the surface just after midnight on October 13. |
| B．The loss of the mine collapse. |
| C．The health condition of the trapped miners. |
| D．The concern of Chile’s president about the mine collapse. |
4. According to the text, the rescued miners ________.
| A．received medical examination in a hospital at first |
| B．could go home immediately they got out of the mine |
| C．had to stay in a hospital for two days before going home |
| D．felt relieved to see their family members taken good care of |
5. The best title for the text should be ________.
| A．Disaster at the Mine | B．A Miracle at the Mine |
| C．Efforts of Great Chileans | D．Miserable Life of Chilean Miners |
