1 . Rescue teams desperately sought survivors on August 6th after two boats carrying migrants sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa.
In the immediate aftermath of the boats’ loss on August 5th, Italy’s coastguard said it had rescued 57 people and recovered two dead bodies— those of a woman from Ivory Coast and her 1-year-old child. Local media reported on Sunday that at least 30 people remained missing and were feared dead.
Italy’s Ansa news agency said survivors described how the two boats carrying people trying to illegally enter the European Union had set off from the Tunisian port of Sfax on Saturday. One boat was thought to have had 48 people on board and the other 42. Most were reportedly from sub-Saharan Africa.
Reuters said the coastguard rescued the survivors from the water about 46 kilometers southwest of Lampedusa, which is about halfway between the North African nation of Tunisia and the larger Italian island of Sicily. The island has become a major destination for migrants from Africa wanting to enter the EU and claim asylum (政治避难) .
Italy’s interior ministry said 92, 000 people have arrived in Italy irregularly by sea so far this year to apply for asylum in the EU. During the same period last year, 42, 600 made the very dangerous journey.
The ministry said at least 2, 000 migrants have turned up on the island of Lampedusa in the past few days alone. Most had been rescued by the coastguard and by various charities from small boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
The International Organization for Migration, or IOM, which is the United Nations’ migration agency, said on Sunday both boats that sank on Saturday had been hit by major storms.
Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the IOM, told the Agence France-Presse news agency an official examination had been launched into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the boats. He said the probe will be conducted from the town of Agrigento, on the island of Sicily. “Whoever allowed them, or forced them, to leave with this sea is equal to a mad criminal,” he said. “Rough seas are forecast for the next few days. Let’s hope they stop. It’s sending them to slaughter (屠杀) with this sea.”
Emanuele Ricifari, the chief of police in Agrigento, said the people-traffickers (人贩子) would surely have known rough seas were expected.
1. What happened to the two boats and people on them?A.Up to 42 people were supposed to have been dead. |
B.The two boats set out from the Italian island of Sicily. |
C.The rescue was carried out to the southwest of Lampedusa. |
D.The destination of the two boats was the Tunisian port of Sfax. |
A.The boats knocked into each other. | B.The boats hit a reef and began to leak |
C.The boats were caught in strong storms. | D.The boats couldn’t bear the weight of the people. |
A.Interview. | B.Experiment. |
C.Discussion. | D.Investigation. |
A.Italy’s coastguard recovers two dead bodies. |
B.Dozens lost at sea as migrant boats go down. |
C.Two boats carrying people try to enter European Union. |
D.Sicily becomes major destination for migrants from Africa |
2 . You may never be in an emergency situation(紧急情况). But if it happens, you should know how to get help. The telephone book in the United States has emergency numbers on the inside front cover.
Look at the following table from the Boston telephone book. Notice that the numbers for the police and the fire department(消防处) are the same. And it is an easy number to remember.
If you are too unhappy or excited to remember any numbers at all, you can simply dial(拨打) “0” for an operator(接线员) in any emergency situation.
1. What number do you dial if you see a fire in Boston?
A.911. | B.876-5800. | C.482-5252. | D.223-6978. |
A.911. | B.023-1500. | C.223-6978. | D.025-4774. |
A.911. | B.645-1212. | C.025-4774. | D.482-5252. |
A.the doctor | B.an ambulance | C.the police | D.the fire department |
A.The police. | B.The doctor. | C.The fire department. | D.The operator. |
3 . While driving home after work, Jane Hodgson noticed a car pulled over at the side of the road and a crowd beginning to gather around someone who was lying on the ground.
Jane, who had completed a first aid at work course, pulled over to see if she could offer any help — and it turned out to be lucky for the young injured girl that she did.
Describing the scene she came across, Jane says: “The onlookers were ashen-faced and looking lost. They were so shocked that they hadn’t even thought to call for an ambulance yet.”
After speaking to the emergency services, Jane started finding out what had happened and what injuries the young girl called Jenny had. The girl had been hit by a car and gone over the handlebars of her bike, landing on her head and shoulder. Her shoulder and arm were twisted (扭曲) underneath her.
“She hadn’t been wearing a helmet (头盔) when she got knocked down, and I thought that she should not be moved as I couldn’t be sure about a spinal injury (脊椎损伤), but after looking her over and checking the circulation in her injured arm I did feel fairly confident that she had escaped relatively unhurt.
“As we were waiting for an ambulance, the amount of pain the girl was in was increasing. To distract (分散注意力) her and minimize the risk of her going into shock I kept her talking. She held my hand tightly when the pain got too much and this helped. I told her I could handle it — we laughed about that,” describes Jane.
Later, a doctor from the local hospital’s ICU stopped at the scene too. The ICU doctor decided that Jenny should lie on her back, making her much more comfortable until the emergency services arrived.
Thinking back, Jane says: “For me, knowing that in a small way I helped that girl through what was a frightening experience is all the reward I need. I felt great to know I’d made a difference and I’d do it again.”
1. We can learn from the text that Jane Hodgson _____.A.is an ICU doctor | B.is a first⁃aid trainer |
C.works in a local hospital | D.has learned some first aid |
A.Jenny had a spinal injury |
B.Jenny didn’t have serious injuries |
C.Jenny couldn’t remember what had happened |
D.Jenny lost her helmet when she was knocked down |
A.Jenny refused to talk | B.Jenny went into shock |
C.Jane was a little impatient | D.Jane kept giving Jenny confidence |
A.Strict but caring. | B.Tough and generous. |
C.Proud but determined. | D.Warm-hearted and helpful. |
4 . NEW DELHI—Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday inspected the bridge collapse site in the western state of Gujarat, where more than 100 people were killed, officials said. Ahead of the visit, Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Monday night during which he was briefed about rescue efforts.
The century-old British-era pedestrian suspension bridge (吊桥) collapsed on Sunday evening, with hundreds of people falling into Machchhu River in Morbi town, about 241 km west of the capital city, Gandhinagar. Reports said that 177 people were rescued and over 100 people were undergoing treatment at the Morbi civil hospital.
Soon after the bridge visit, Modi reached the civil hospital in Morbi to meet the injured. The prime minister was seen asking the survivors about their health. According to officials, search and rescue operations, carried out by teams of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian navy, the Indian air force and the Indian army, were called off (取消) on Monday evening and began again on Tuesday morning. Officials said Modi also met with those involved in rescue and relief operations.
The local government of Gujarat has already ordered an investigation into the deadly collapse of the bridge. The bridge is a popular tourist attraction in the area. It was shut for renovation (整修) for seven months and was open for the public on Oct 26, the Gujarati New Year.
Reports said that around 500 people, much beyond its capacity, were on the suspension bridge at the time when it crashed into the river.
Police have arrested nine people including officials of Oreva, the company that carried out the repair work, ticket sellers and security men. However, the owners of the company have not been arrested. Oreva group is actually a Gujarat-based watchmaker company. Reports said that the watchmaker reportedly outsourced (转包) the “technical aspect of the renovation” to a smaller construction company, Devprakash Solutions.
Oreva has been accused of violating multiple safety rules, leading to the huge tragedy just four days after the bridge reopened to the public. Questions have been raised over why Oreva with no experience in construction was given responsibility for maintaining a bridge.
1. What did Modi first do after hearing the bridge collapse?A.He paid a visit to the bridge. |
B.He held and took charge of a meeting. |
C.He went to see the injured in the hospital. |
D.He met with those involved in rescue and relief operations. |
A.It was too old to repair well. |
B.It was maintained very well. |
C.It had a safety risk. |
D.It was solid enough. |
A.Making. | B.Obeying. | C.Breaking. | D.Replacing. |
A.Indian PM inspects site of deadly bridge collapse |
B.Police arrest security men after bridge collapse |
C.Modi is briefed about rescue efforts after bridge collapse |
D.Around 500 people are on suspension bridge when it collapses |