题目

阅读理解 Maybe you are familiar with scenes in movies where a pilot has got into an emergency mid-flight and you hear him shout "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!". But what does "Mayday" mean? Mayday is an internationally recognized distress call (求救信号), mostly used by pilots and boat captains. The signal can be sent out on any channel by radio communication. This emergency call originated in the 1920s. At that time, the standard distress call was "SOS" and was typically used by navy captains. The message was sent in Morse code by telegraph. In Morse code, "SOS" is three dots, three dashes and three dots. The signal was unmistakable. However, aircraft pilots use radio calls, so sending out "SOS" could be misheard as other letters, such as "F". Frederick Stanley Mockford, a radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress. Because of the number of flights that flew between Croydon and Paris, he chose Mayday, as it sounds similar to the French word aider", which means "help me". Facing a threatening situation, pilots are required to repeat the signal three times in case of radio interference (干扰)or loud background noise. If the pilots don't get a reply within two minutes, they should repeat it. Once they receive a reply, more information including the code of the flight, their current situation and the number of people on board should be reported. Sometimes pilots are directed to a nearby airport or location where they can make an emergency landing. While Mayday signals indicate a life-threatening situation, they do not always end in deaths. Despite dangers, air travel is still the safest means of transport. （1） How did navy captains call for help before the 1920s? A . By sending "Mayday" by telegraph. B . By calling "Mayday" by radio. C . By sending "SOS" by telegraph. D . By calling "SOS" by radio. （2） What does the text tell us about "Mayday"？ A . It is a signal mainly used in European countries. B . It is only used by pilots and boat captains. C . It was sent by telegraph in the beginning. D . It was invented by a radio officer in the 1920s. （3） What is the fourth paragraph mainly about? A . When to use Mayday signals. B . How to use Mayday signals to call for help. C . How Mayday signals were recognized. D . What makes Mayday signals useful. （4） In which section of a newspaper can we find this article? A . Sports. B . Fashion. C . Art. D . Science. 答案： C D B D

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