大学体验英语综合教程2 UNIT4

Unit 4 Calamities and RescuesIn this unit, you will★first listen, and then talk about traffic accidents ★read about calamities and rescues★write to describe how an airplane crash takes place★practice the use of subject clauses★write to apply for holiday insurance★visit Culture Salon for an introduction to the Red Cross、Passage ARead the Text:Death of a DreamThink About It:1. Do you often travel by air? Do you enjoy it? Explain.Answer:No, I don’t often travel by air, but I wish I could. As a student, I can’t afford to travel by air, as it is too expensive. The reason I like traveling by air is that it is fast and comfortable.2.It is said that traveling by air is safer than any other form of transportation. Do you agree?Answer:According to statistics, the rate of air disasters is much lower than that of any other traffi c accidents. We know more about air crashes simply because they are reported worldwide.3 .How do you feel when you hear of, or read about, an air disaster?Answer:I will surely feel sad or grieved for a few days, for an air disaster usually results in many deaths at the same time.Death of a DreamThey boarded the plane in New York City1 with high hopes. The 18 members of the United States figure skating team would fly to Brussels2, 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 America’s skaters beamed for the camera. Mostly young, they 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 Robert 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. Hermother, Maribel, had won the U.S. figure skatingchampionship nine times. Laurie had an oldersister who shared her mother’s name. MaribelOwen, aged 20, was not quite as strong a skateras Laurie. Still, she had just won theU.S. senior pairs championship. All three of theOwen women were on the plane bound forBrussels.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 Lambrechts. 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., 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 again.Lambrechts came in a second time, lying 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. “We saw the crash coming,” said one official. “They couldn’t have been faster,” the official said. “But there was nothing they could do.”A ma n 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 said. “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 nothing 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 globe. 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. The 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 wingsNotes:1.New York City: New York City is the largest city in the United States, the home of the United Nations, and the center of global finance, communications, and business.2.Brussels: Brussels is the capital and largest city of Belgium. Centrally situated in northern Europe, Brussels is internationally important as the headquarters of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).SummaryIn 1961 the 18 members of the US figure skating team boarded a plane to travel to Belgium on their way to the world championships in Czechoslovakia. As the plane approached Brussels, the weather was good, but something was wrong with the plane. Twice it descended as if to land but pulled up and ascended again. The second time it exploded and crashed to the ground. All 72 people on the plane were killed and there were ten families that had lost at least two dear members. The crash site was a scene of total destruction. Later three pairs of melted skates were found dangling from one of the wings. The competition in Prague was canceled to honor the dead. Never before had such a terrible tragedy occurred in the sport of skating.Culture Notes1.CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia was a former federative nation in central Europe, once bounded on the north by Germany and Poland, on the east by Ukraine, on the south by Hungary and Austria, and on the west by Germany. It ceased to exist on January 1, 1993. On that date, the Czech Republic and Slovakia emerged as independent nations. In terms of land, population, and economy, the Czech Republic absorbed two thirds and Slovakia one-third of what used to be called Czechoslovakia.2.BelgiumBelgium is a constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe, bounded on the north by the Netherlands and the North Sea, on the east by Germany and Luxembourg, and on the south and southwest by France. With the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium forms the Low, or Benelux, Countries. The capital and largest city is Brussels.Language Points1.championship: a competition held to determine the champion; position of a champion Examples:An American team won the pairs championships.They won the men’s and women’s singles championships respectively.2.beam: smile brightly and happilyExamples:He is beaming with delight.He beamed inside.3.dazzling: showing skill, qualities or beautyExamples:She gave him a dazzling smile.She has a dazzling diamond.4.senior: older in years; higher in rank, authority, etc.Examples:Mr. Gray is a senior officer in this bank.He is too senior to try for a young man’s job.5.bound: ready to start, having started (for)Examples:They were on the New York express, bound for Maine.That ship is bound for South America.6.distress: a state of danger or great difficultyExamples:If the storm continues on the mountain, the climber will be in distress by morning.The lifeboat went out to rescue a ship in distress.7.signal:(n.) something intended to warn, command, or give a messageExamples:A red light is often used as a danger signal.American Indians used to occasionally send smoke signals.(v.) send a signal or signals toExamples:The general signaled to his officers for the attack to begin.She was signaling wildly, waving her arms.8.contact: get in touch with somebodyExamples:I shall contact you by telephone.I must contact my lawyer before I make my fi nal decisions.9.lower: move or let down in heightExamples:Lowering the window shade will keep out the sun.He sat quite still, with his gaze lowered to the carpet.10.approach:(n.) movement towards or near to somethingExamples:Our approach drove away the wild animals.With the approach of the Spring Festival the weather turned cold.(v.) come near or nearerExamples:Walk softly as you approach the bed.I saw a figure approaching towards me.11.collision: an accident in which two or more people or vehicles hit each other while moving in different directionsExamples:The liner is reported to have had a collision with an oil tanker.The two cars were broken into pieces in the collision.12.in any case: whatever happensExamples:In any case, I shall return in a day or two.In any case, I would insist upon your being paid.13.crash:(n.) a violent vehicle accidentExamples:There have been a lot of crashes lately.All the passengers were killed in the plane crash.(v.) fall or strike suddenly, violently and noisilyExamples:I heard the dinner tray crash to the floor.Standing on the beach, I could hear the waves crashing against the rocks.14.rear: raise; lift upExamples:A lion suddenly reared its head from among the tall grass.The skyscraper rears above the neighboring buildings.15. explode: burst or cause to burst violently and noisilyExamples:The boiler exploded and many people were injured by the hot steam.He pumped the ball up too much and it exploded.16. scatter: separate or cause to separate widelyExamples:A flock of birds scattered when the shot was fired.The government scattered the factories instead of concentrating them in a single area.17.stun: shock into helplessnessExamples:He was stunned by the unfairness of their judgment.She was stunned by the news of her father’s deat h18.tragic: very sad; unfortunateExamples:The tragic accident took eight lives.The driver of the car made a tragic mistake.b through: search something thoroughlyExamples:The students spent many hours in the library, combing through old books looking for facts they wanted.He combed through the files searching for evidence of fraud.20.wreckage: the broken parts of a destroyed thingExamples:After the accident, the wreckage of the cars was removed from the highway.The shore was covered with the wreckage of the destroyed shipSentence Explanation1. This was going to be the time of their lives.This was going to be their most important and memorable experience.2. The crash site was a scene of total destruction.The place where the plane crashed was completely covered with wreckage.3. The crash stunned skaters and figure skating fans around the globe.The crash shocked figure skaters and their fans everywhere in the world.4. All that remained as rescuers combed through the wreckage were three pairs of melted skates dangling from one of the wings.When rescue workers carefully looked through the wreckage, the only things they found (to remind them of the skaters) were three pairs of melted skates suspended from one of the wings.Translation梦断魂萦在纽约，美国花样滑冰队的18名成员踌躇满志地登上飞机。