Maybe you are familiar with scenes in movies where a pilot has met a problem mid-flight and you hear him shout “Mayday, mayday, mayday”. But what does “mayday” mean? “Mayday” is an internationally recognized distress call (求救信号), mostly used by pilots and boat captains. The signal can be sent out on any channel by radio communication.
This emergency call first started in the 1920s. At that time, the distress call was “SOS” and was usually used by navy captains. The message was sent in Morse code (电码) by telegraph. In Morse code, “SOS” is three dots, three dashes (线) and three dots. The signal was unmistakable. However, aircraft pilots use radio calls, so sending out “SOS” could be misheard as other letters, such as “F”.
Frederick Stanley Mockford, a radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress. Because of the amount of flights that flew between Croydon and Paris, he chose mayday, as it sounds similar to the French word “m’ aider”, which means “help me”.
Facing a threatening situation, pilots have to repeat the signal three times in case of radio interference (干扰) or loud background noise. If the pilots don’t get a reply within two minutes, they should repeat it. Once they receive a reply, more information, including the code of the flight, their situation and the number of people on board should be reported. Sometimes pilots are directed to a nearby airport or location where they can make an emergency landing. While mayday signals indicate a life-threatening situation, they do not always end in death.
Despite (尽管) dangers, air travel is still the safest means of transport.
10. What does the article tell us about “mayday”?
A.It was sent by telegraph in the beginning. |
B.It is only used by pilots and boat captains. |
C.It was invented by a radio officer in the 1920s. |
D.It is a signal mainly used in European countries. |
11. How is “SOS” written in Morse code?
A.---…--- | B.------…… | C.……--- | D.…---… |
12. What does the underlined word “indicate” in paragraph 4 mean?
13. Why was “mayday” chosen as a distress call?
A.Because “SOS” was easily misheard by captains. |
B.Because it sounds similar to “m’ aider”, a French word. |
C.Because its pronunciation is similar to “distress” in French. |
D.Because it had something to do with the flights at Croydon Airport. |
14. What does the Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?
A.When to use mayday signals. |
B.What makes mayday signals useful. |
C.How mayday signals were recognized. |
D.How to use mayday signals to call for help. |