(BBC News April 18)All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been cancelled as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south.
Up to 4,000 flights are being cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark among others.
The UK’s air traffic control service(Nats)said no flights would be allowed in UK airspace until at least 07∶00 BST on Friday for fear of engine damage.
Safety group Eurocontrol said the problem could last for 48 hours.
The volcano is still erupting and the wind direction is expected to continue bringing clouds into UK and European airspace for some time to come.
The UK’s airspace restriction was the worst in living memory, a Nats spokesman said.Some 600,000 people are thought to have been affected.
Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted(解除)after 07∶00, saying it was“very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future”.
Passengers were advised to contact their carriers before travelling.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was“closely monitoring the situation”and would be meeting with key transport officials on Friday morning.
Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud from the still-erupting volcano could be sufficient to jam aircraft engines.
The Health Protection Agency said the ash from the eruption did not bring a significant risk to public health because of its high altitude.
However, the British Lung Foundation has warned people with lung conditions to keep their medication(医疗护理)with them as a precautionary measure.
These are some of the knock-on effects:
●Eurocontrol says Germany is monitoring the situation and considering partial airspace closures.
●The two main airports in Paris and many others in the north of France are closing.
●There is severe disruption(崩溃)in France and Spain, where all northbound flights are cancelled.
●Nats is due to make an announcement shortly as to the arrangements that will be in place through to 13∶00 BST on Friday.
●British Airways offers refunds or an option to rebook after all its domestic flights are suspended.
Flybe announces it has cancelled all flights up until 13∶00 BST on Friday and more than 25 services due to run after that.
British sports teams have been hit by travel problems after flights were grounded.
(1)
What may passengers do on hearing the news according to the passage?
[ ]
A.
They may cancel their international flights.
B.
They may contact the airlines before traveling.
C.
They may take measures to protect their lungs from the ash.
D.
They may stay indoors till the volcanic eruption dies down.
(2)
Why have some European countries cancelled flights after the volcanic eruption?
[ ]
A.
Because the volcanic ash may make passengers ill.
B.
Because people refuse to take the international flights.
C.
Because the volcanic ash may jam or damage the engine.
D.
Because the flights may be hit by the rocks from the eruption.
(3)
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
[ ]
A.
All the flights are likely to return to normal in 48 hours.
B.
British people had experienced a worse airspace restriction before that.
C.
Germany is monitoring the situation and considering closing all airspace.
D.
The UK airspace restrictions are unlikely to be lifted in the foreseeable future.
The Voice of America began during the World WarⅡ, when Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international 1 .American officials believed they should 2 the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events.The first VOA news report began with words in 3 .“The 4 may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA 5 were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.
After the World War Ⅱended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s 6 had to be changed, 7 the Soviet Union(苏联)became enemy of America.They wanted to 8 Soviet listeners.Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.
In the early days VOA began adding something new to its Broadcast that was 9 “Music USA”.Another new idea came along in 1959.VOA knew that many listeners did not know 10 English to completely understand its 11 English broadcast.So VOA 12 a simpler kind of English, 13 uses about 1,500 words and is spoken 14 .Of course, it is special English.
In the 15 of most VOA listeners, the most 16 program is the news report.News from around the world 17 into the VOA news room in Washington 24 hours a day.It comes from VOA reporters in 18 cities and also from other 19 like BBC.VOA writers and editors use these materials to 20 news reports, which are being broadcast in 43 languages.
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support
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reply
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opinions
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programs
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news
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announcers
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if
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完形填空
Last November, Jan and Dave Griffith took their dog, Sophie Tucker, on a sailing trip.They were having a 1 time until there was a storm one day.While the Griffiths were 2 hard to keep the boat safe, they 3 about Sophie.A moment later, she 4 .The couple was 5 that she had drowned.“We were able to 6 her in the water but, because it was a grey day, we just couldn抰 find her even though we searched 7 for over an hour,” Jan Griffith told BBC News.“We thought that once she 8 into the water she was gone 9 the waves were so big.” The Griffiths returned home in tears over the loss of their beloved pet. 10 four months later, they received some 11 news:Sophie had been found on an island, 12 and well.She had swum five miles after 13 the ship, and had 14 by eating small animals.People who discovered her 15 thought that Sophie was a wild dog because she did not let people 16 come to her.However, when the Griffiths came to pick her up, Sophie immediately 17 they were her owners.“After I called her name, she started banging(撞)the 18 and when they let her out, she almost knocked us down,” Jan said.Her 19 was finally over.Sophie is doing well at home, relaxing by the pool.But Jan Griffith is still not 20 what her dog went through.Sophie was just an ordinary house dog:she swam over five miles and lived successfully on her own.