英语听力精选进阶版 7171

Background: 营救33名智利被困矿工的计划进行非常顺利。近日负责营救的工程师表示被困矿工有希望提早被营救出井。这一预计与12月下旬圣诞节救出矿工的时间表相比，要有所提前。

The engineers are digging two escape tunnels for the men and plan to start on a third one soon. Work on the second of the tunnels is going particularly well. Rene Aguilar, one of the chief engineers at the site, said he expected the drill to reach the area where the miners¹ are sheltering this weekend.

Then, the engineers will haul² the drill up to the surface and start digging again, to widen³ the shaft⁴ until it's big enough to serve as an escape route.

Aguilar said the team expected to rescue the men in early November.

The news has been welcomed by relatives of the men, who have been celebrating the birth of one of the miners' daughters. Baby Esperanza was born on Tuesday. Her father, Ariel Ticona, is trapped below ground.

Video images of the birth were sent down a supply chute to the miners' refuge⁵ so that he could watch them.

Glossary⁶ 词汇表

escape tunnel 逃生隧道 

drill 钻头 

to shelter 躲避 

to haul something up 拉起（某物） 

shaft 竖井 

to serve as 当…使用 

to rescue someone 营救某人 

to be trapped 被困在 

supply chute 补给通道 

refuge 避难处

Questions and Answers

Why will the digging continue after the rescue engineers reach the men? 

The engineers will need to make the shaft wide enough for the men to escape.

When does Rene Aguilar think they will be able to rescue the men? 

Early November.

Have the miners' relatives been celebrating their rescue? 

No, they have been celebrating the birth of the daughter of one of the miners.

True or false: One of the miners saw his baby being born on a video screen. 

True. Video images of the birth were sent down a supply chute to the miners' refuge.

1 miners   

矿工( miner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The coal miners have come out for about two weeks. 煤矿工人已罢工约两周了。
• The roof of the cave dropped in on the miners, trapping them. 洞穴的顶部坍了下来，砸在矿工身上。

2 haul   

vt./n.（用力）拖，拉，（用车等）拖运，运送

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• The rope stood up under the strain of the haul.这绳子经受不住紧拉。

3 widen   

v.(使)扩大；(使)变宽

参考例句：

• We should widen the opportunities for adequate medical care.我们应当使得到适当医药救护的机会更为扩大。
• When are they going to widen the streets?他们打算什么时候把这些街道加宽？

4 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

5 refuge   

n.避难（处），庇护（所）；v.庇护，避难（所）

参考例句：

• They took refuge in a cave yesterday.他们昨天是在一个洞里避难的。
• We took refuge in the lee of the wall.我们在墙的背风处暂避。

6 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。