ECEII-U04_2 英语阅读.

1、 No, I dont often travel by air, but I wish I could. As a student, I cant afford to travel by air, as it is too expensive. The reason I like traveling by air is that it is fast and comfortable. According to statistics, the rate of air disasters is much lower than that of any other traffic accidents.

2、 We know more about air crashes simply because they are reported worldwide. I will surely feel sad or grieved for a few days, for an air disaster usually results in many deaths at the same time. They boarded the plane in New York City with high hopes. The 18 members of the United States figure skati

3、ng team would fly to Brussels, Belgium. Then they were to go on to Prague, Czechoslovakia, for the world ice skating championships. A photo was taken of the team members as they stood on the steps of the Sabena Airlines 707 jet. The best of Americas skaters beamed for the camera. Mostly young, they

4、laughed and giggled, their eyes dancing with excitement. This was going to be the time of their lives. There were three ice skating pairs on the plane. Two were brother- and-sister teams: Laurie and William Hickox and Ila and Ray Hadley. There was also the husband-and-wife team of Patricia and Rober

5、t Dineen. But the brightest star of all was a singles skater. Her name was Laurence (Laurie) Owen. Only 16 years old, she had won the North American title for women just two days earlier. Laurie had great skill, dazzling grace, and a winning smile. Laurie came from a skating family. Her mother, Mari

6、bel, had won the U.S. figure skating championship nine times. Laurie had an older sister who shared her mothers name. Maribel Owen, age 20, was not quite as strong a skater as Laurie. Still, she had just won the U.S. senior pairs championship. All three of the Owen women were on the plane bound for

7、Brussels. Sabena Flight 548 took off at 7:30 P.M. on February 14, 1961. The flight across the Atlantic was pleasant. Early the next day, the plane neared the airport at Brussels. There seemed to be no cause for concern. There was no distress signal of any kind from the pilot, Captain Louis Lambrecht

8、s. There were no storms or high winds in the region. In fact, the weather was perfect. It was warm and sunny. But something must have gone wrong in the cockpit. During the last few minutes before the scheduled landing, Captain Lambrechts did not contact the Brussels airport. Just before 10:00 A.M.,

9、he lowered the wheels of the jet and began his approach to land. But, at the last moment, he pulled the plane up. Perhaps he saw another jet taking off and feared a collision. Or perhaps he already knew that something was wrong with his plane. In any case, he circled the airport and prepared to try

10、again. Lambrechts came in a second time, flying about 500 feet over a farm near the village of Berg, northeast of Brussels. Then he suddenly increased his speed and pulled the plane into a steep climb. By this time, officials in the Brussels control tower could tell that something was very wrong. “W

11、e saw the crash coming,” said one official. “They couldnt have been faster,” the official said. “But there was nothing they could do.” A man riding on a train saw that the plane was in trouble. “The plane appeared to be making a normal approach to land when it suddenly reared up into the sky,” he sa

12、id. “Then it fell back like a great stone and we heard the explosion.” It was 10:05 A.M. when the Sabena jet hit the ground and exploded in a ball of flames. It just missed hitting a row of houses. All 72 people on board were killed, including 49 Americans and 11 members of the crew. There was nothi

13、ng anyone could do. The crash site was a scene of total destruction. Debris was scattered over 200 yards. Charred remains and body parts were strewn all over the area. Several couples on the plane were found locked in a final embrace. The crash stunned skaters and figure skating fans around the glob

14、e. Never before had anything so tragic happened in their sport. To honor the dead, the Prague competition was canceled. The crash was particularly devastating for some families. In addition to the Owen family, with its loss of three women, nine other skating families suffered more than one death. Th

15、e hopes and dreams of these athletes had ended in a flash. All that remained as rescuers combed through the wreckage were three pairs of melted skates dangling from one of the wings. This was going to be the time of their lives. The crash site was a scene of total destruction. The crash stunned skat

16、ers and figure skating fans around the globe. All that remained as rescuers combed through the wreckage were three pairs of melted skates dangling from one of the wings. Ex. 2 Work with your partner and answer the following questions. Laurie was a better skater. The weather was very good. It was war

17、m and sunny with no storms or high winds. Ex. 2 Work with your partner and answer the following questions. The pilot tried to land twice but failed. Ex. 2 Work with your partner and answer the following questions. They sensed that something must be wrong when the pilot lost contact with the control

18、tower during the last few minutes before the scheduled landing. Ex. 2 Work with your partner and answer the following questions. Open. Ex. 2 Work with your partner and answer the following questions. Ex. 3Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage. _1T

19、he 1961 world ice skating competition was planned to be held in New York. _ 2The American skaters were excited when they boarded the plane because they were heading for a great time in their lives. _ 3There were many ice skating pairs on the plane, including two brother-and-sister team, one husband-

20、and-wife team, and one sister-and sister team. _ 4The Brussels control tower didnt know that something was very wrong till last seconds before the crash. _ 5To show mourning for the skaters who were killed in the plane crash, the skating competition for that year was cancelled. _1The 1961 world ice

21、skating competition was planned to be held in New York. _ 2The American skaters were excited when they boarded the plane because they were heading for a great time in their lives. _ 3There were many ice skating pairs on the plane, including two brother-and-sister team, one husband-and-wife team, and

22、 one sister-and sister team. _ 4The Brussels control tower didnt know that something was very wrong till last seconds before the crash. _ 5To show mourning for the skaters who were killed in the plane crash, the skating competition for that year was cancelled. Ex. 3Decide whether the following state

23、ments are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage. Exercise 4 Exercise 5 Exercise 6 Exercise 7 Exercise 8 1. The driver gave a _ that he was going to turn right. 2.It was reported that 41 people were killed in a plane _ in the Himalayas last week. Ex. 4 Fill in the blanks with the words given

24、 below. Make changes where necessary. 3. The ships captain radioed that it was in _. 4.The skaters moved over the ice with a smooth, effortless _. Ex. 4 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. 5. The bomb was taken away and the soldiers _ it at a safe distance fr

25、om the houses. 6.They were on their way to the Shropshire Union Canal when their car was involved in a_ with a truck. Ex. 4 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. 7. The Central Bank _ interest rates by 2 percent. 8. He _ a cheerful welcome as he opened the door

26、 for the distinguished guest. Ex. 4 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Make changes where necessary. 9. He used to _ his toys all over the floor and I had to pick them up. 10. The _ of the worlds forests concerns everyone in some way. Ex. 4 Fill in the blanks with the words given below.

27、Make changes where necessary. Ex. 5 Complete the following sentences with phrases or expressions from the passage. Change the form where necessary. 1. Marta _ a box of old photographs, looking for the babys portrait. 2. The cost of the house may be lower than we first thought; but _ it will still be

28、 beyond our reach. 3. The struggle between the drug company and the Government over prices finally _ a satisfactory settlement. 4. He was said to have been bright at school and most certainly _ University. Ex. 5 Complete the following sentences with phrases or expressions from the passage. Change th

29、e form where necessary. 5.As soon as I was _, I began to have second thoughts about leaving. Ex. 5 Complete the following sentences with phrases or expressions from the passage. Change the form where necessary. 1. The _ (crew) are paid to do all the work on the ship. Ex. 6 Complete each of the follo

30、wing sentences with the proper form of the word given in the brackets. 2. Youd be a fool not _ (embrace) an opportunity as good as that. crew to embrace 3. The horse _ (rear) up when it heard the gun shot. Ex. 6 Complete each of the following sentences with the proper form of the word given in the b

31、rackets. 4. The general election, originally _ (schedule) for 29th September, is to be postponed until December. reared scheduled 5. The flower show _ (grace) by the presence of the Queen. Ex. 6 Complete each of the following sentences with the proper form of the word given in the brackets. was grac

32、ed 1. 她在公共汽车站一直等到末班车进站。 (come in) wait until the last bus comes in She waited at the bus stop until the last bus came in. Ex. 7 Translate the following sentences into English. 2. 如果我们能帮得上忙，尽管和我们联系。 (contact) be of assistance If there is any way we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to cont

33、act us. Ex. 7 Translate the following sentences into English. do not hesitate to contact us 3. 他需要多少船务人员才能使他的游艇 (yacht) 航行？ (crew) crew How many crew does he need to sail his yacht? Ex. 7 Translate the following sentences into English. to sail his yacht 4. 虽然她的新书没有上一本好，但是我还是喜欢它。 (not quite as) I enj

34、oyed her new book though its not quite as good as her last one. Ex. 7 Translate the following sentences into English. not quite as good as her last one 5. 我从未遇到过如此善良的人。 (never before) such a kind person Never before have I met such a kind person. Ex. 7 Translate the following sentences into English.

35、 Ex. 8Read and compare the English sentences, paying attention to their italicized parts, and then translate the Chinese sentences by simulating the structure of the English sentences. 1. Never before had anything so tragic happened in their sport. Never before had anything so wonderful happened in

36、his life before he was admitted to that famous university. Never before had so many people gone in for jogging in this country. 2. The plane appeared to be making a normal approach to land when it suddenly reared up into the sky. The boat appeared to be making its way to the harbor when it suddenly

37、crashed into a rock and was soon smashed into small pieces. All the people appeared to be excited the moment the rocket reared up into the sky when it suddenly exploded into a ball of flames. 3.It was 10:05 A.M. when the Sabena jet hit the ground and exploded in a ball of flames. It was three years

38、and two months ago when I met Jane and fell in love with her at first sight. It was 4:30 P.M. when the airplane was hijacked and directed to a neighbor country. 4.All 72 people on board were killed, including 49 Americans and 11 members of the crew. All 42 students in the class participated in the c

39、ampaign to help the disabled people in the local community, including three overseas exchange students. All 30 classmates came back for the reunion party, including nine alumni who are now working overseas. 5.All that remained as rescuers combed through the wreckage were three pairs of melted skates

40、 dangling from one of the wings. All that remained as people combed through the crash site was her purse dangling from one of the wing mirrors of the car. All that remained as the police combed through the scene of the murder was a cigarette end still smoking and flashing in the darkness. Ex. 9 Work

41、 in small groups and retell briefly the passage Death of a Dream in your own words. Your retelling needs to include elements like who, when, where, what, how, etc. You may also tell a tragic event that happened around you, or that you learned about from TV, radio, newspapers, or the Internet. Words

42、and phrases likely to be used Sentence patterns likely to be used figure skating team Id like to tell about . air crash / shipwreck It happened . car / train collision Just before . take off / land Shortly after . contact Have you seen the film (Titanic)? hit the ground / the building / the truck It

43、s based on . explode / crash There were . on the plane / ship . sink / collide with They boarded . catch fire The flight / voyage / ride was pleasant. in trouble There seemed to be no cause for concern. in a ball of flames Something was wrong with . a terrible explosion All / Many . were killed / in

44、jured. a scene of total destruction There was nothing anyone could do. tragic / horrible Ex. 10 Write a paragraph of around 80 words describing the air disaster befalling the United States figure skating team. The beginning and the ending have been provided for you. But towards the end of the trip,

45、something went wrong with the plane. During the last few minutes before the scheduled landing, the pilot lost contact with the Brussels airport. He began his approach to land, but at the last moment, he pulled the plane up. He circled the airport and prepared to try again. But, in the second try, he

46、 suddenly increased the speed and pulled the plane into a steep climb. In an instant, the plane hit the ground and exploded in a ball of flames. Before reading Passage B, describe the pictures to your classmates. 1. Talk about one or two calamities that have happened around you or you have heard of.

47、 Reference: One of the calamities the students probably know is the terrorist attack of the World Trade Center in the U. S. on Sept. 11, 2001, which resulted in the loss of several thousands of lives. 2. How should one react when he or she is in some sort of emergency? Reference: One should try to m

48、ake an emergency call for help, either to the police station, or to the fire brigade, or to the medical ambulance center. 3. How do you understand the proverb “calamity is mans true touchstone”? Reference: Calamity is one of the critical moments to test a persons true courage and ability to face and

49、 conquer difficulties. As Katie Pritchard unloaded bags of groceries from the trunk of her car on May 1, 1989, her sons Todd and Scott played happily in the driveway. The family lived at the end of a dead-end street in Ramsey, New Jersey. So Katie was not worried about her kids wandering out to the

50、street and getting hit by a car. But she often warned three-year-old Todd not to go near the railroad tracks. The tracks were less than 300 feet from the house, just beyond a cluster of trees. After putting away her first load of groceries, Katie returned to her car to get more bags. She saw the boy

51、s still at play. Katie also heard the roar of a passenger express train as it rolled by. Then she went back into the house with another load of grocery bags. Despite their mothers warnings, Todd and his 18-month-old brother were attracted by the sound of the speeding train. They walked through the t

52、rees and knelt down on the tracks. What the little boys didnt know was that a second train was heading straight for them. Just over a slight rise to the west, a 19-car freight train slowly made its way up the incline. Rich Campana, the engineer, saw the overhead lights give the “all-clear.” The pass

53、enger express train was far down the tracks. So Campana pulled the throttle to resume full speed. Standing next to him in the cab was conductor Anthony Falzo. Falzo, a 17-year veteran of the railroad, was sharing some small talk with Campana. But, as the train reached the top of the rise, the two me

54、n noticed something on the tracks about 800 yards ahead. What was it? It appeared to be two bundles or boxes one yellow and one red. “Then the yellow one moved,” said Falzo, “and we realized it was two kids.” Campana slammed on the trains brake and blasted his air horn. Falzo knew right away that th

55、e train was going too fast to stop in time. Immediately he rushed out the engines cab door and out onto its narrow running board. He quickly made his way to the front of the engine, and then climbed down a steel ladder to the last rung. There he hung, at the front of the train, about two feet above

56、the roadbed. Frantically he waved and shouted at the kids, telling them to get off the tracks. They didnt move. Falzo later said that they just looked up, “as if we could steer around them.” Meanwhile Katie heard the air horn and the screech of the trains brakes. Her heart pounded as she raced outsi

57、de. Just one look around told her the truth. Todd and Scott were gone! She knew that they must be on the tracks. Falzo thought about jumping off the train and trying to run ahead of it to save the little boys. But even as the train slowed down, Falzo knew he couldnt outrun it. So this 35-year-old fo

58、rmer gymnast formed another plan. He decided to leap off the train just as it neared the children. That way he might be able to scoop up the boys and get them off the track in time. Falzo would have to time his jump exactly. If he leaped too soon, the train would beat him to the kids. If he jumped t

59、oo late, the train would crush the boys beneath its wheels. Luckily, Falzo had a very good sense of timing. At the last possible instant, he leaped from the train. He took two giant strides and grabbed the children. With one child tucked under each arm, he pressed Todd and Scott down into the roadbe

60、d gravel. The outer edge of the train passed just inches over their heads. When the train finally stopped, the third car was perched just a couple of inches over their heads. But the boys were safe. Luckily, Scotts cut wasnt serious. After 13 stitches, he was as good as new. “Theres no word in Webst