Lesson 88 Trapped in a mine

Text:

Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue operations are proving difficult. If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine. They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule. If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours. As it is, they have been drilling for sixteen hours and they still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago, has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives. Though they are running out of food and drink, the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon. They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly. If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart.

Words & Expressions

*vibration, a continuous slight shaking movement.震动,犹疑

--the vibrations from the earthquake

--The microscope must be free from vibration.

*drill, a tool or machine used for making holes in something/ a method of teaching students, sports players etc.something by making them repeat the same lesson, exercise etc. many times.

--military drill 军训

--fire/emergency drill 消防演习

*capsule /ˈkæpsəl/ , a plastic container shaped like a very small tube with medicine inside that you swallo whole 胶囊/the part of s spacecraft in which people live and work太空舱

--A Russian space capsule is currently orbiting the Earth.

--time capsule, a container into which people put typical everyday objects from their lives. The container is buried so that people in the future can dig it up, and find out about what life was like in the past.

*placebo /pləˈsiːbəʊ/, a harmless substance given to a sick person instead of medicine,without telling them it is not real. Placebos are often used in tests in which some people take real medicine and others take a placebo, so that doctors can compare the results to see if the real medicine works properly.安慰剂

--placebo effect

--A placebo, superficial and cosy, to lull the world into no longer questioning.

*catfight,  used for a fight between women, that some people consider offensive.

--A catfight has erupted over who will get top billing.

*every clouds has a silver lining, there is something good even in the situation that seems bad or difficult.一线希望

-- As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. We have drawn lessons from the decisions taken.

*take it (your anger/frustration etc.) out on somebody, to treat someone badly when you are angry or upset, even though it is not their fault.拿别人出气

--Don't take it out on me just because you've had a bad day.

--Irritated with herself, she took her annoyance out on Bob.

Sentences

1.If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours.

注: 与过去事实相反的虚拟语气用法，if 从句的动词用过去完成时，主句用过去时助动词(would/could/might/should/ought to)+have+过去分词。

eg. If I had arrived earlier, I could have met him.

2.If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lost heart.

注: 与现在事实相反的(事实并非如此)虚拟语气用法，if 从句的动词用过去时，主句用过去时助动词(would/could/might/should/ought to)+动词原形。且不论主语第几人称, if从句的be动词均为were.

eg. If he lived in my town, I could see him everyday.

     If I were you, I wouldn't do it.

Pronunciations

*closest [k'loʊsɪst]

*smoothly/smuːðli/

*capsule/kæpsjuːl $ -səl/

*if /ɪf/短音的i

关于连读：

--difficult it

--men up (in a special capsule)