Situation Critical 十万火急
by Kevin Lustig
In some jobs, danger can appear at any moment. In the blink of an eye, the routine can become perilous. This month, the National Geographic Channel shows us what happens when a normal situation becomes Situation Critical.
The police try to keep citizens safe, but what happens when the police are in danger? On February 28, 1997, two men with armor and powerful rifles robbed a bank in Hollywood, California. The police's weapons were useless against the criminals', but they knew they had to end the Hollywood Shootout. In Colombia, police tried to arrest Pablo Escobar, the world's most notorious drug dealer. When he fought back with assassinations that killed hundreds, government officials decided their only option was Killing Pablo Escobar.
For soldiers and pilots, too, danger is a way of life. This became a painful truth for American pilot Scott O'Grady in June 1995 when his jet was shot down over Bosnia. O'Grady was able to eject, but he had to avoid the enemy for days as a Downed Pilot. British SAS troops also found themselves in harm's way in Sierra Leone in 2000. There, they planned to recover 11 British soldiers who were being held hostage in a daring SAS Jungle Rescue.
Of course, combat isn't the only way to experience danger. The astronauts of Apollo 13 learned this when an explosion struck their spacecraft. Low on resources, the astronauts and engineers on the ground had to act quickly to save Apollo 13. Back on Earth, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race turned deadly in 1998, with dozens of boats forced to quit and six men lost at sea. That year, the challenging competition turned into Hell on High Water.
There are situations where our decisions can make the difference between life and death, the outcome is never certain, and we are left with our hearts pounding. National Geographic Channel brings us face to face with these dangerous conditions on Situation Critical.
1. Which is the best description of the kind of situations shown on Situation Critical?
(A) Dangerous circumstances that are quickly resolved.
(B) A location that involves war or fighting.
(C) Situations that become dangerous all of a sudden.
(D) Movies that look dangerous.
2. Which situation is NOT described in the article?
(A) A risky airplane landing.
(B) Rescuing hostages.
(C) A tragic boat race.
(D) A bank robbery.
3. The purpose of the article is to ______.
(A) describe a few interesting, dangerous situations
(B) list all of the excitement one might experience
(C) explain which kind of situation is most critical
(D) show how to get out of life-threatening situations
4. Which of the following would be another good title for Situation Critical?
(A) War Stories
(B) Risky Circumstances
(C) Secret Missions
(D) Avoiding Danger
精解字词词组
1. in the blink of an eye 剎那之间
= in a flash
blink n. & vt. 眨（眼）
例: I opened the front door and in the blink of an eye, my dog ran outside.
（打开前门时，一眨眼我的狗就冲了出去。）
2. routine n. 例行公事 & a. 日常的；平淡的
例: In my morning routine, I wake up, take a shower, and then head to school.
（我早晨的例行公事是起床、淋浴，然后去上学。）
例: Jeff had been racing cars for so long that it started to feel routine.
（杰夫已经赛车很长一段时间，因此开始觉得平淡。）
3. in danger 处于危险之中
= in jeopardy
jeopardy n. 危险
例: The mayor was in great danger because there was a time bomb in his car.
（市长的处境非常危险，因为他的车上有枚定时炸弹。）
4. rob vt. 抢夺
注意:
rob 须与介词 of 并用，此时的 of 即等于 from，表『从中』之意。因此『他抢了我的钱。』不可说 "He robbed my money." (X)。rob 的受词须为对象，被抢夺之物则与介词 of 并用，形成下列固定词组：
rob sb of sth 抢夺某人的某物
例: He robbed me of all my money.
（他抢了我所有的钱。）
5. assassination n. 暗杀
assassinate vt. 行刺，暗杀
例: Luckily, the police stopped the plan to assassinate the president.
（幸运的是，警方阻止了那项刺杀总统的计划。）
6. option n. 选择
have no option but to V 除了……别无选择
= have no choice/alternative but to V
例: Since these accidents were my fault, I have no alternative but to quit.
（既然这些意外都是我的错，除了辞职外我别无选择。）
7. in harm's way 处于危险之中
= in danger
例: The firemen put themselves in harm's way to save people from the fire.
（为了从火场拯救人命，消防员使自己身陷险境。）
8. recover vt. 重新获得 & vi. 恢复
recover from... 从……中恢复
= get over...
例: I'm going back to the beach to recover the towel that I left there yesterday.
（我要回去海边拿我昨天忘在那里的毛巾。）
例: I'll never recover from the death of my pet dog, Snuffy.
（我永远无法克服失去爱犬 Snuffy 的伤痛。）
9. be held hostage 被扣为人质
hostage n. 人质
hold sb hostage 将某人扣为人质（此时 hostage 不加 -s）
hold + 数字 + hostage(s) 狭持……（人数）为人质（此时 hostage 可加 -s）
例: They planned to hold the singer hostage until they were paid ten million dollars.
（他们计划扣留那名歌手作为人质，直到一千万赎金到手才肯放人。）
例: The news said the robbers inside the bank were holding 10 hostages.
（新闻说银行里的抢匪抓了十个人当人质。）
10. explosion n. 爆炸
explode vt. 使爆炸（= blow up...）& vi. 爆炸（= go off）
例: The policemen exploded the bomb in a safe location.
（警察在安全的地方引爆了那枚炸弹。）
例: Everyone left the building before the bomb exploded.
（每个人都在炸弹爆炸前离开了大楼。）
11. competition n. 竞争
in competition with... 与……竞争
compete vi. 竞争（与介词 with 并用）
例: During the science contest, we'll be in competition with 200 other students.
（科展时，我们将和两百名学生一决高下。）
12. face to face (with...) （与……）面对面
例: Why don't you come into my office tomorrow so we can talk face to face?
（你明天何不到我公司和我当面谈谈呢？）
单字小铺
1. critical a. 危急的；批评的
be critical of... 对……吹毛求疵
2. perilous a. 危险的（= dangerous）
3. shootout n. 枪战
4. notorious a. 恶名昭彰的
5. drug dealer n. 贩毒者
drug trafficking n. 毒品交易
6. eject vi.（从飞机、宇宙飞船中）弹射出来
7. downed a. 被击落的
注意:
down 作形容词时，表『消沉的』，作动词时表『击落』，本文用法为过去分词作形容词用，表『被击落的』。
8. combat n. & vt. 战斗
9. astronaut n. 航天员
10. strike vt. 袭击
三态为：strike, struck, struck。
11. high water 涨潮时
low water 退潮时
come hell or high water 无论遭遇什么困难
注意:
hell 是『地狱』，high water 是『大洪水』，come hell or high water 字面意思是指『无论经历地狱或大洪水』，暗示某人完成某事的坚定决心。
12. outcome n. 结果（= result）
13. pound vi.（心脏）砰砰地跳
注意:
表『心跳』时动词可用 beat 或 pound，而不可用 jump 来表示。beat 为表心脏『跳动』的一般说法，而 pound 则表心脏如小鹿乱撞般『砰砰地跳』。
14. circumstance n. 情况（常用复数）
15. resolve vt. 解决（问题等）
16. involve vt. 与……有关
17. risky a. 危险的
18. life-threatening a. 危及生命的
词组小铺
1. shoot down... 将……击落
2. dozens of... 许多的……
3. be forced to V 被迫做……
4. turn into... 转变为……
5. make the difference between A and B 在 A 与 B 之间造成很大的不同
be different from... 与……不同
6. all of a sudden 突然之间（= suddenly）
文法一点灵
Low on resources, the astronauts and engineers...
注意:
形容词 high/low（高∕低的）之后通常与介词 in 并用，但本句其后有名词 resources（资源），介词则必须用 on，表『凭借……』。
例: Lemons are high/rich in Vitamin C.
（柠檬富含维他命 C。）
例: On such a small amount of gas, I don't think we can get to the amusement park.
（油剩这么少，我想我们到不了游乐园。）
例: This car is running on solar energy.
（这辆车藉由太阳能发电。）
中文翻译＆标准答案
在某些工作中，危险可能随时会发生。一眨眼，例行公事也可能危机四伏。这个月，国家地理频道将带领观众看看平凡无奇的情况如何变成《十万火急》。
警察设法维护公民的安全，但警察有危险时该怎么办呢？1997 年 2 月 28 日，两名武装份子带着火力强大的来复枪抢劫加州好莱坞一家银行。和罪犯的武器比起来，警方的武器简直微不足道，但他们知道一定得结束这场 Hollywood Shootout。在哥伦比亚，警察试图逮捕恶名远播全球的毒贩 Pablo Escobar。当他以暗杀手段报复，杀害上百人后，政府官员决定只有 Killing Pablo Escobar 才是唯一的解决办法。
军人与飞行员同样也与危险共存。这对美籍飞行员 Scott O'Grady 来说变成了残酷的事实。1995 年 6 月，他的喷射机在波斯尼亚被击落。虽然他从喷射机里弹射脱困，但连续数天他必须躲避敌军，成为一位 Downed Pilot。英国空降特勤队 2000 年在非洲狮子山也同样身陷险境。在那里，他们计划拯救十一名被扣为人质的英军，一切尽在英勇的 SAS Jungle Rescue。
当然，战斗不是体验危险的唯一方式。阿波罗 13 号的太空员在航天飞机爆炸时体会最深。仅依靠少量资源，航天员和地球上的工程师必须快速反应以拯救《阿波罗 13 号》。镜头转回地球，1998 年，往返雪梨与荷巴特的游艇比赛变成一场致命的竞赛，多艘船只被迫弃赛，六个人在茫茫大海中丧生。那年，充满挑战性的比赛成了 Hell on High Water。
许多情况下，我们的生死就在决定一瞬间，结果永远无法预测，我们只能听见心脏扑通扑通跳动的声音。国家地理频道的系列节目《十万火急》将带我们面对这些危机。
1. 下列何者叙述最能形容《十万火急》展现的状况？
(A) 能快速解决的危险情况。
(B) 涉及战争或战斗的地点。
(C) 突如其来的危险状况。
(D) 看起来很危险的电影。
题解: 本文第一段开头便指出，危险在某些工作中可能随时会发生，一眨眼，例行公事也可能危机四伏，可知应选 (C)。
2. 本文未提及下列何者情形？
(A) 危险的飞机着陆。
(B) 拯救人质。
(C) 悲剧性的船赛。
(D) 银行抢案。
题解: 本文提及的事件有好莱坞银行抢案、拯救十一名英军人质、飞行员与航天员遇难及一场致命的船赛，并无飞机着陆的事件，故选 (A)。
3. 本篇文章目的为 _____。
(A) 描述一些耐人寻味又危险的情况
(B) 列出一个人可能经历的所有危险情况
(C) 解释何种情况最危急
(D) 展现如何从危胁生命的情况中脱困
题解: 综观本文，乃在描述生死一瞬间的情况，节目并呈现人们在其中如何发挥智慧脱困，故选 (A)。
4. 下列何者亦适合当作本文的标题？
(A) 《战争故事》
(B) 《危急情况》
(C) 《秘密任务》
(D) 《远离危险》
题解: 本文探讨危险在一剎那降临、各种十万火急的情况，可知 (B) 为合适的标题。
标准答案: 1. (C) 2. (A) 3. (A) 4. (B)
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