ECEII-U04_2 英语阅读

PassageAPassageBUnit4ReturntoMenuPassageA•ThinkAboutIt•ReadAboutIt•TalkAboutIt•WriteAboutIt1.Doyouoftentravelbyair?Doyouenjoyit?Explain.No,Idon’toftentravelbyair,butIwishIcould.Asastudent,Ican’taffordtotravelbyair,asitistooexpensive.ThereasonIliketravelingbyairisthatitisfastandcomfortable.Reference:2.Itissaidthattravelingbyairissaferthananyotherformoftransportation.Doyouagree?Accordingtostatistics,therateofairdisastersismuchlowerthanthatofanyothertrafficaccidents.Weknowmoreaboutaircrashessimplybecausetheyarereportedworldwide.Reference:3.Howdoyoufeelwhenyouhearof,orreadabout,anairdisaster?Iwillsurelyfeelsadorgrievedforafewdays,foranairdisasterusuallyresultsinmanydeathsatthesametime.Reference:ReadAboutIt•LanguagePoints•ContentAwareness•LanguageFocusDeathofaDreamTheyboardedtheplaneinNewYorkCitywithhighhopes.The18membersoftheUnitedStatesfigureskatingteamwouldflytoBrussels,Belgium.ThentheyweretogoontoPrague,Czechoslovakia,fortheworldiceskatingchampionships.AphotowastakenoftheteammembersastheystoodonthestepsoftheSabenaAirlines707jet.ThebestofAmerica’sskatersbeamedforthecamera.Mostlyyoung,theylaughedandgiggled,theireyesdancingwithexcitement.Thiswasgoingtobethetimeoftheirlives.Therewerethreeiceskatingpairsontheplane.Twowerebrother-and-sisterteams:LaurieandWilliamHickoxandIlaandRayHadley.Therewasalsothehusband-and-wifeteamofPatriciaandRobertDineen.Butthebrighteststarofallwasasinglesskater.HernamewasLaurence(Laurie)Owen.Only16yearsold,shehadwontheNorthAmericantitleforwomenjusttwodaysearlier.Lauriehadgreatskill,dazzlinggrace,andawinningsmile.Lauriecamefromaskatingfamily.Hermother,Maribel,hadwontheU.S.figureskatingchampionshipninetimes.Lauriehadanoldersisterwhosharedhermother’sname.MaribelOwen,age20,wasnotquiteasstrongaskaterasLaurie.Still,shehadjustwontheU.S.seniorpairschampionship.AllthreeoftheOwenwomenwereontheplaneboundforBrussels.SabenaFlight548tookoffat7:30P.M.onFebruary14,1961.TheflightacrosstheAtlanticwaspleasant.Earlythenextday,theplanenearedtheairportatBrussels.Thereseemedtobenocauseforconcern.Therewasnodistresssignalofanykindfromthepilot,CaptainLouisLambrechts.Therewerenostormsorhighwindsintheregion.Infact,theweatherwasperfect.Itwaswarmandsunny.Butsomethingmusthavegonewronginthecockpit.Duringthelastfewminutesbeforethescheduledlanding,CaptainLambrechtsdidnotcontacttheBrusselsairport.Justbefore10:00A.M.,heloweredthewheelsofthejetandbeganhisapproachtoland.But,atthelastmoment,hepulledtheplaneup.Perhapshesawanotherjettakingoffandfearedacollision.Orperhapshealreadyknewthatsomethingwaswrongwithhisplane.Inanycase,hecircledtheairportandpreparedtotryagain.Lambrechtscameinasecondtime,flyingabout500feetoverafarmnearthevillageofBerg,northeastofBrussels.Thenhesuddenlyincreasedhisspeedandpulledtheplaneintoasteepclimb.Bythistime,officialsintheBrusselscontroltowercouldtellthatsomethingwasverywrong.“Wesawthecrashcoming,”saidoneofficial.“Theycouldn’thavebeenfaster,”theofficialsaid.“Buttherewasnothingtheycoulddo.”Amanridingonatrainsawthattheplanewasintrouble.“Theplaneappearedtobemakinganormalapproachtolandwhenitsuddenlyrearedupintothesky,”hesaid.“Thenitfellbacklikeagreatstoneandweheardtheexplosion.”Itwas10:05A.M.whentheSabenajethitthegroundandexplodedinaballofflames.Itjustmissedhittingarowofhouses.All72peopleonboardwerekilled,including49Americansand11membersofthecrew.Therewasnothinganyonecoulddo.Thecrashsitewasasceneoftotaldestruction.Debriswasscatteredover200yards.Charredremainsandbodypartswerestrewnalloverthearea.Severalcouplesontheplanewerefoundlockedinafinalembrace.Thecrashstunnedskatersandfigureskatingfansaroundtheglobe.Neverbeforehadanythingsotragichappenedintheirsport.Tohonorthedead,thePraguecompetitionwascanceled.Thecrashwasparticularlydevastatingforsomefamilies.InadditiontotheOwenfamily,withitslossofthreewomen,nineotherskatingfamiliessufferedmorethanonedeath.Thehopesanddreamsoftheseathleteshadendedinaflash.Allthatremainedasrescuerscombedthroughthewreckagewerethreepairsofmeltedskatesdanglingfromoneofthewings.championshipn.—acompetitionheldtodeterminethechampion;positionofachampionExamples•AnAmericanteamwonthepairschampionships.•Theywonthemen’sandwomen’ssingleschampionshipsrespectively.beamv.—smilebrightlyandhappilyExamples•Heisbeamingwithdelight.•Hebeamedinside.Thiswasgoingtobethetimeoftheirlives.Paraphrase?KeyThiswasgoingtobetheirmostimportantandmemorableexperience.dazzlingadj.—showingskill,qualitiesorbeautyExamples•Shegavehimadazzlingsmile.•Shehasadazzlingdiamond.seniorn.—olderinyears;higherinrank,authority,etc.Examples•Mr.Grayisaseniorofficerinthisbank.•Heistooseniortotryforayoungman’sjob.boundadj.—readytostart,havingstarted(for)Examples•TheywereontheNewYorkexpress,boundforMaine.•ThatshipisboundforSouthAmerica.distressn.—astateofdangerorgreatdifficultyExamples•Ifthestormcontinuesonthemountain,theclimberwillbeindistressbymorning.•Thelifeboatwentouttorescueashipindistress.signal—n.somethingintendedtowarn,command,orgiveamessageExamples•Aredlightisoftenusedasadangersignal.•AmericanIndiansusedtooccasionallysendsmokesignal