1 . Rescuers in Jersey said on Sunday after an all-night search that there was no hope of survivors from an explosion that flattened a three-story apartment block. At least three people were confirmed killed in the accident early Saturday in the Channel island’s port capital St Helier, following a suspected gas leak. “We have three confirmed deaths and it’s fair to say we expect to find more,” police chief Robin Smith told a news conference, saying that around 12 residents remained unaccounted for. “It is with sadness that I am confirming that the search-and-rescue operation has been moved to a recovery operation,” he said.
The phase involved a “painstaking search of the debris” which could take weeks, Smith said, adding that a gas leak was the ‘likely” cause. Aided by sniffer dogs and experts from southern England, Jersey emergency workers had searched the rubble (瓦砾)overnight.
Fire chief Paul Brown confirmed that firefighters were called out to investigate the smell of gas on Friday evening, more than seven hours before the explosion. But in vain. He admitted that something had gone “horribly wrong”, considering the subsequent disaster, but insisted that Jersey islanders could still have confidence in his service. Jersey’s gas supplier, Island Energy, said it was working with the fire service to understand what happened.
Like many others in St Helier, Jersey’s Chief Minister Kristina Moore said she was awoken by the explosion. “Across the island you could hear this extraordinary sound,” she told the BBC. “It’s unthinkable news, so we’re all absolutely shocked and really worried about the people who are involved and about those whose lives have been lost.”
The incident caps a tragic week for Jersey, a British Crown dependency not part of the United Kingdom, whose economy relies on banking, tourism and fishing. “We must call on the collective strength of the island community,” Moore said.
1. What’s the possible cause of the accident?| A．The gas leak. | B．The gas supplier. |
| C．The recovery operation. | D．The unexpected explosion. |
| A．Rescuing the dead. | B．Searching the rubble. |
| C．Searching for the debris. | D．Working with fire service. |
| A．He had predicted the explosion hours before it. |
| B．The fire service was investigating the explosion. |
| C．People lost confidence in the island’s fire service. |
| D．The fire service was partly responsible for the accident. |
| A．Panicked and frightened. | B．Relieved and hopeful. |
| C．Astonished and concerned. | D．Fearful and sorrowful. |
2 . It was a bright May afternoon along the Maryland coast. Jonathan Bauer, and his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, were driving with the windows down as they headed home on the bridge. Suddenly, the calm was disturbed by the squeal of tires.
Not far ahead of them, a pickup(皮卡车) was drifting from one lane to the other. It slammed into a concrete barrier, flipped over the car directly ahead of them, and came to rest hanging over the railing of the bridge. Bauer hit the brakes in time, but another car came sliding backward toward him and struck his car’s fender(挡泥板). Bauer stopped his car. “Ava, are you OK?” he asked. She was shaken, but otherwise unhurt.
And then a scream came from the pickup above the waters of the bay. The driver dashed to the railing. Bauer ran up beside him. The man pointed down, saying something in Spanish. There was a car seat in the water. Struggling next to it was a girl, about two years old, terrified, floating on her back and crying.
Matters quickly went worse when the girl rolled over onto her stomach. “Ava! Stay by the car!” Bauer yelled, drooping to remove his shoes. Would he get hurt? Could he reach the girl in time? No time to wonder. All he had in mind was the faith that she must be saved immediately.
A moment later he was bouncing off the sandy bottom-unhurt! Bauer swam to the girl and lifted her out of the water: mouth half open, eyes nearly closed, not breathing. Standing, he laid her against his shoulder and hit at her back with the flat of his hand. Water came streaming from her mouth and slowly her eyes were opened. He pulled her close, hugging her to shelter her from the cold.
A boat pulled up and hauled them aboard. Ava Bauer was so inspired by her father’s actions that four months later she became a firefighter so that she, too, could save lives. “That girl is going to live a whole life because of him,” she says. “It’s incredible.”
1. What can we learn about Bauer and his daughter from the first two paragraphs?| A．They had a great time along the Maryland coast. |
| B．They crashed their car into others’ on the bridge. |
| C．They suffered a severe hit and hung over the railing. |
| D．They witnessed a terrible accident on the way home. |
| A．He saw a girl struggling in the water. |
| B．He was asked to help the pickup driver. |
| C．He was caught by the cry from the pickup. |
| D．He was concerned about the falling of the pickup. |
| A．Warm-hearted and modest. |
| B．Strong-willed and optimistic. |
| C．Determined and considerate. |
| D．Good-tempered and intelligent. |
| A．A Leap of Faith |
| B．An Unexpected Crash |
| C．A Moment of Inspiration |
| D．A Well-organized Rescue |
3 . Best friends since seventh grade, Torrie Norwood, 16, and Azarria Simmons, 17, had just spent a Saturday night out when they decided to head home. As they drove back to their hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, another car crashed into them. After a while, Torrie opened her eyes and realized that the car had pushed hers into a tree in the middle of someone’s front yard.
Then the screaming started. “It’s gonna blow! ” yelled the gathering crowd as the pickup truck went up in smoke. Torrie’s door wouldn’t open, but her window had been knocked out during the crash, so she had an obvious escape route.
“Everyone ran down the street because we all thought the car was going to blow up, ” Torrie says. “But then I turned around, and I didn’t see Azarria running with us. I had to run back to the car to see if she was still in there and she was. ”
Things didn’t look good. “She was unresponsive (无反应的) in the back seat, ” says Torrie. “I had to drag her out because she wasn’t moving or breathing. There was glass and blood everywhere.“ Luckily she managed to pull her out. Torrie told a bystander to call 911 and got to work. Then she started CPR (心肺复苏) on her friend. After 30 chest compressions (挤压) and two rescue breaths, Azarria began to show signs of life. Just then, the paramedics (急救人员) rolled up ready to rush Azarria to the nearest hospital.
Azarria survived the accident, thanks to Torrie’s quick actions. But she couldn’t have saved her friend’s life if she hadn’t received CPR training. That’s an important lesson for everyone who hasn’t done that yet. “I feel like CPR training should be a requirement in schools, ”Torrie says. “It is something we can use for the rest of our lives.”
1. What did Torrie realize when she opened her eyes?| A．She had caused a traffic accident. |
| B．She was in an accident with her friend. |
| C．Her car had damaged someone’s house. |
| D．Her car hit a tree because of her carelessness. |
| A．She was no longer worried about her safety. |
| B．She left something important in it. |
| C．She was worried about her friend. |
| D．She was concerned about her car. |
| A．Curious and generous. | B．Patient and kind. |
| C．Courageous and calm. | D．Modest and talented. |
| A．We should call for help when in danger. |
| B．We should drive very carefully. |
| C．It’s necessary to help others. |
| D．It’s important to learn CPR. |
4 . People have always been attracted to rock-climbing and plenty of accidents have resulted from this hobby. Seventeen-year-old Wendy Sherlock has fallen three times without any injury while rock-climbing, but after her latest accident last Saturday, she is lucky to be alive.
Wendy has been in hospital for two days after an eight-metre fall from a rocky cliff in the Sanderson National Park. She doesn't remember much about the accident, and it's not surprising considering her injuries.
“I've got quite a bad head injury — that's the worst thing." Wendy explained. “But I've also broken my arm and a couple of my ribs (肋骨) and there's a problem with my left shoulder." She doesn't know how long she will have to stay in hospital, as the doctors haven't told her yet. However, she is realistic about her recovery. "I'll be in here for a while, and I need time to recover because I hit my head when I fell on the ground. That's why I can't remember anything about the accident.”
Wendy's doctors are certain that there's no long-lasting damage, but they've advised her to give up her dangerous sport. However, Wendy is undeterred. "Since I was a child, I've always loved climbing and I decided to continue doing it," she said. "I think this accident is simply a reminder to take a little more care. I've started to feel better already, and I can't wait to start climbing again."
1. What can we know from the first paragraph?| A．Wendy is experienced in mountain climbing. | B．Wendy never had accidents while rock-climbing. |
| C．Wendy got seriously injured while rock-climbing. | D．No difficulty can stop Wendy from rock-climbing. |
| A．She has fallen three times. | B．She has a bad head injury. |
| C．She has to stay in hospital for a long time. | D．She can't wait to start rock-climbing again. |
| A．Not confused. | B．Not determined. | C．Not satisfied. | D．Not discouraged. |
| A．Cool Sports. | B．A Lesson for Wendy. | C．Sports and Fitness. | D．A Climbing Accident. |
5 . Three lifeguards were hailed as (被誉为) heroes last night after they rescued dozens of teenagers from the sea. The quick action and bravery of the lifeguards saved several of the youngsters from certain death.
The group of thirty-six youngsters were on an outdoor activity holiday in West Wales. On Saturday afternoon, the group, accompanied by four adults, went down to the sea. Some of them did not know how to swim and had never seen the sea before the trip. They were taking part in an exercise to help build confidence and teamwork. As part of the exercise they were walking backwards into the sea. At the time the tide (海潮) was out and the water was not deep. The tide began to come in and the group started walking back to dry land. Suddenly the sandbank underneath them collapsed (坍塌) and the sea flooded in. Some of the teenagers were soon in dangerous waters.
Fortunately, three lifeguards were nearby and came to the rescue. David Miller, manager for the local coastguard, said that although the sea was fairly shallow, it was still very dangerous in that sea. “It is just fortunate that the brave lifeguards were quickly on the scene and lucky that lives were not lost,” he added.
1. Why were the three lifeguards hailed as heroes?| A．They worked hard in their holidays. | B．They won the first prize in a show. |
| C．They did well in their outdoor training. | D．They saved some youngsters from death. |
| A．To build confidence and teamwork. | B．To learn how to swim. |
| C．To fish in the sea. | D．To watch the tides. |
| A．Three lifeguards. | B．The local people. |
| C．Some teenagers. | D．David and his friends. |
| A．A speech. | B．A news report. | C．A letter. | D．A medical report. |
6 . Aron Lee Ralston was born in a middle class American household. His family moved to Colorado when Aron was 12 years old and this move laid the foundation for his love for hiking around the canyons (峡谷).
Aron’s life changed on April 26th, 2003, upon facing the event that threatened to take his life, and almost took it. He was hiking through the Blue John Canyon and he accidentally displaced a huge rock he was climbing down from. The rock caught his right hand in between itself and the canyon wall.
Aron had decided to go on the adventure alone and hadn’t informed anybody about it. So, when he was unable to free his right hand, he felt he would be stuck forever in there. He tried hard to get his hand out but failed, and screaming for help was of no use either. Moreover, he didn’t want to wear himself out as shouting for help would take a lot of energy, which was essential (重要) for surviving the unfortunate event for a long period of time.
After a couple of days, he knew it was impossible for him to set himself free from an 800-pound rock. He decided to cut off his right hand. He had a blunt (钝的) pocket knife with him, which wasn’t sharp enough to cut through the bone. Some time passed and his water and food supply ended. He carved his name, date of birth and a possible date of death on the stone.
But luckily he got a strange idea that he could use the torque (扭转力) and his bones to separate his arm from his body. With the help of his very limited tool, he finally succeeded and walked out of the canyon, bleeding in large amounts. Fortunately, a holidaying family saw him and gave him food and water, and then took him to a hospital.
After the accident, Aron got a prosthetic limb (假肢) and continued mountain climbing, considering the accident as a “turning point in his life”.
1. What happened to Aron while he was hiking?| A．He was too tired and unable to climb |
| B．He suffered a knife wound in his right leg |
| C．He accidentally fell down the mountain. |
| D．He got a hand stuck between a rock and the canyon wall |
| A．He found a way to save himself. | B．He needed to save energy. |
| C．He gave up hope for survival | D．He met a family on vacation. |
| A．He removed the huge stone. |
| B．He cut off his arm with a knife. |
| C．He was pulled out of there by his family. |
| D．He was rescued by people from a hospital. |
| A．Enthusiastic and kind. | B．Independent and generous. |
| C．Adventurous and determined | D．Responsible and professional. |
7 . Norwood, a junior High School student, was driving three friends home in St. Petersburg, when another driver crashed into her from her left and made her car hit the tree. The impact jammed shut the driver’s side door, so Norwood climbed out the front window. Two of her friends managed to get out of the car unharmed, but her 16-year-old friend Zarria didn’t. She run back to the car only to find Zarria was just sitting there reactionless.
A lot of people started to gather around to see what was happening. Norwood started yelling, “Back up, back up, she needs space.” Norwood pulled Zarria out of the back seat, avoiding broken glass from the window. “That’s when I checked her pulse on her neck. I put my head against her chest, and I didn’t really hear nothing. So that’s when I just started doing CPR on her.” Norwood told the reporter. After the 30 compressions and two rescue breaths, Zarria regained consciousness. Ambulance quickly arrived and rushed her to the hospital to receive medical help.
When Miller, Norwood’s high school teacher, learned that Norwood saved a friend just one day after completing CPR training, she was at a loss of words and so proud. Norwood participates in the school’s Athletic Lifestyle Management Academy (ALMA). The program prepares students for various careers in health science. “We do vital signs and they learn how to take blood pressure and check pulse.” Miller introduced. And another one of the skills learned is CPR. “There are two components, a hands-on skills component where they have to demonstrate that they’re able to do CPR well, and then there’s a written test component, showing that they remember that knowledge.”
Thanks to Norwood’s quick thinking, Zarria is recovering well. She also isn’t surprised by her friend’s actions. “She will always help any way she can, so I wasn’t really shocked about that.”
1. What happened to Norwood and her friends on their way home?| A．They lost their way. | B．They suffered a car accident. |
| C．They crashed into another car. | D．They were stuck in a traffic jam. |
| A．To give her first aid. | B．To ask people for help. |
| C．To call ambulance at once. | D．To send her to hospital immediately. |
| A．It normally lasts for one day. |
| B．It is for medical students only. |
| C．It focuses on both theory and practice. |
| D．It trains students to live a healthy lifestyle. |
| A．Considerate and flexible. | B．Kind and ambitious. |
| C．Hardworking and clever. | D．Brave and calm. |
