题目内容
For centuries, ships became isolated as soon as they were out of sight of shores and of other ships. This meant that if a ship met with any problems while at sea, they would sink without anyone knowing their fate. This isolation ended up with the invention of the wireless telegraph and Morse code.
By 1904, many transatlantic ships had wireless telegraph on board. Realizing a need for a widely recognized distress call, the letters “CQD” became the first distress call. But at that time different countries used different distress calls.
At the Radio and Telegraphic Conference held in Berlin in 1906, it was noted that there needed to be an internationally agreed upon and recognized signal for distress. No longer should Great Britain use “CQD” while Germany used “SOE”. After much discussion, the letters “SOS” were agreed upon. Although many have later stated that the letters stand for “Save Our Ship”, “Save Our Souls” or “Sink Or Swim”, it is not what the statements mean.
After being agreed upon at the Radio and Telegraphic Conference, the Morse code signal of three dots, three dashes, and then three dots (sent together, without spacing) went into effect as the international signal for distress 2 years later. The letters were chosen because the Morse code of three dots, three dashes, and three dots was easy to recognize and people were able to make as few mistakes as possible when sending it.
Although officially the international signal for distress was “SOS”, many people still used the old signal of “CQD”. Even in 1912, when the Titanic began to sink, its radio operator first sent the “CQD” distress signal. Then another operator suggested also sending the new “SOS” signal. It took several years for “SOS” to replace the old signal.
56. “SOS” went into effect as the international signal for distress in __________.
A. 1904 B. 1906 C. 1912 D. 1908
57. Which of the following is the correct Morse code for “SOS”?
A. • • •△△△• • • B. ‐‐‐○○○‐‐‐
C. • • •‐‐‐• • • D. ‐‐‐• • •‐‐‐
58. The Titanic sent distress signals by using _____________.
A. both “CQD” and “SOS” B. neither “CQD” nor “SOS”
C. either “CQD” or “SOS” D. nothing but “SOS”
59. This passage mainly talks about ___________.
A. why people mistook “SOS” for “ Save Our Ship”
B. when “SOS” was invented as the international distress signal
C. how “SOS” was accepted as the international distress signal
D. why the old signal of “CQD” was given up
DCAB