WASHINGTON---At least four more U.S. air-traffic controllers are caught nodding off on the job at three separate airports across the nation, the government said Wednesday.
The controller working alone in the tower fell asleep and was out of communication for 16 minutes while a medical flight carrying a patient was trying to land at about 2 A.M. Wednesday at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
The FAA announced that it is also investigating a controller who fell asleep Monday at Boeing King County International Airport in Seattle and two controllers who were unresponsive at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee on Feb.19.
“I am sick of this,” Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in a statement. “We can’t have a system where some of the people responsible for safety are asleep at the switch.”
As the incidents pile up, sleep experts say it demonstrates that the agency faces a systemic issue with the thousands of people expected to work through the night in safety-critical jobs. Scientific research shows that workers on midnight shifts make more errors because it is so difficult for the body to adapt to sleeping during the day, they say.
The agency will add an extra controller at the 27 towers staffed with one worker on the midnight shift, the FAA statement said.
Representative John Mica, the Florida Republican who chairs the House transportation committee, criticized the decision to add controllers. “Only in the federal government would you double up on workers, averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits, that aren’t doing their job,” Mica said in a statement. Mica has pushed legislation that would allow as many as 90 smaller airports to switch from federal to private controllers.
“People have known these problems with fatigue(疲劳)have existed for years,” said John Goglia, a Boston-based aviation safety consultant. “They’re now showing up. The FAA is admitting they exist. Now the FAA needs to work on it.”
The four controllers in Nevada, Seattle and Texas have been suspended(暂时停职) during the investigations, the FAA said.
1.The underlined part “double up on workers” means “______”.
A.add two more workers | B.staff two workers at a post |
C.settle two workers in a double room | D.give the workers double pay |
2.According to John Goglia, fatigue problem ______.
A.is a known potential danger | B.has never appeared before |
C.is common for day-time shift workers | D.seldom shows up at night |
3.Which statement is true?
A.A controller fell asleep without communication for 16 minutes in Knoxville, Tennessee. |
B.A medical flight carrying a patient failed to land with the controller asleep. |
C.Jay Rockefeller pays little attention to sleeping at the switch. |
D.Mica refused to support the decision to staff more controllers on the midnight shift. |
4.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.All the controllers in the US were working alone while they were on duty |
B.The incidents are rooted in fatigue problems and those on midnight shifts need an extra nap |
C.In the U.S. , thousands of people expect to work through the night in safety-critical jobs |
D.The agency has added an extra controller at the 27 towers |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
WASHINGTON---At least four more U.S. air-traffic controllers are caught nodding off on the job at three separate airports across the nation, the government said Wednesday.
The controller working alone in the tower fell asleep and was out of communication for 16 minutes while a medical flight carrying a patient was trying to land at about 2 A.M. Wednesday at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
The FAA announced that it is also investigating a controller who fell asleep Monday at Boeing King County International Airport in Seattle and two controllers who were unresponsive at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee on Feb.19.
“I am sick of this,” Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in a statement. “We can’t have a system where some of the people responsible for safety are asleep at the switch.”
As the incidents pile up, sleep experts say it demonstrates that the agency faces a systemic issue with the thousands of people expected to work through the night in safety-critical jobs. Scientific research shows that workers on midnight shifts make more errors because it is so difficult for the body to adapt to sleeping during the day, they say.
The agency will add an extra controller at the 27 towers staffed with one worker on the midnight shift, the FAA statement said.
Representative John Mica, the Florida Republican who chairs the House transportation committee, criticized the decision to add controllers. “Only in the federal government would you double up on workers, averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits, that aren’t doing their job,” Mica said in a statement. Mica has pushed legislation that would allow as many as 90 smaller airports to switch from federal to private controllers.
“People have known these problems with fatigue(疲劳)have existed for years,” said John Goglia, a Boston-based aviation safety consultant. “They’re now showing up. The FAA is admitting they exist. Now the FAA needs to work on it.”
The four controllers in Nevada, Seattle and Texas have been suspended(暂时停职) during the investigations, the FAA said.
1.The underlined part “double up on workers” means “______”.
A.add two more workers | B.staff two workers at a post |
C.settle two workers in a double room | D.give the workers double pay |
2.According to John Goglia, fatigue problem ______.
A.is a known potential danger | B.has never appeared before |
C.is common for day-time shift workers | D.seldom shows up at night |
3.Which statement is true?
A.A controller fell asleep without communication for 16 minutes in Knoxville, Tennessee. |
B.A medical flight carrying a patient failed to land with the controller asleep. |
C.Jay Rockefeller pays little attention to sleeping at the switch. |
D.Mica refused to support the decision to staff more controllers on the midnight shift. |
4.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.All the controllers in the US were working alone while they were on duty |
B.The incidents are rooted in fatigue problems and those on midnight shifts need an extra nap |
C.In the U.S. , thousands of people expect to work through the night in safety-critical jobs |
D.The agency has added an extra controller at the 27 towers |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
More than four out of five people admit to telling little white lies at least once a day and the preferred way of “being economical with the truth” is to use technology such as cell phones, texts and e-mails, a survey last Thursday said.
The research by UK pollsters 72 Point found that “techno-treachery(高科技说谎)” was wide-spread with nearly 75 percent of people saying gadgets made it easier to fib(撒小谎).
Just over half of respondents(被调查者) said using gadgets made them feel less guilty when telling a lie than doing it face to face.
The workplace was a favorite location for fibbing with 67 percent of the 1,487 respondents admitting they had lied at work.
The top lie was pretending to be ill (43 percent) followed by saying work had been completed when it hadn’t (23 percent). Worryingly for bosses 18 percent said they lied to hide a big mistake.
But, employers were not the only ones on the receiving end of dishonest statements. Just over 40 percent of the respondents said they had lied to their families or partners.
Key topics to lie about were: buying new clothes or the cost of them (37 percent), how good someone looked in something (35 percent), how much they had eaten (35 percent) and drunk (31 percent) and how much they weighed (32 percent).
1. The underlined phrase “being economical with the truth” probably means ________.
A. telling lies B. making apologies C. feeling guilty D.admitting mistakes
2. It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.
A. employers sometimes lie to their employees, too
B. 75% of people have ever lied to someone
C. without gadgets, people may feel more pressure when telling white lies
D. more people lie to their family than to their bosses
3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. Cell phones make people more likely to lie.
B. Some people might lie to their bosses when they are not doing their work well.
C. 40% of employers admit that they have lied to their families or partners.
D. Nearly 1,500 people were questioned in the survey.
4. According to the passage, in which of the following situations are you most likely to lie?
A. You are going to spend the night at your friend’s, which your parents won’t allow.
B. Your friend is wearing a new dress and asks you how you find it.
C. You are a little too fat, and you’re trying to tell your friend how heavy you are.
D. You want to ask your boss for a sick leave, although you are not ill.
5. The main idea of the passage is that __________.
A. people are getting more likely to lie
B. gadgets are seen as the best way to tell white lies
C. most people tell white lies at the workplace
D. 18% of people lie to their bosses
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
At least 42 people _______ confirmed dead with another four still_______ after a massive landslide engulfed a village in Southwest China’s Yunnan province on Friday morning.
A.have been; missing B.have; missing C.have been; losing D.have; losing
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1.How many ties does the man have at least?
A.Three. B.Four. C.Five.
2.Where did the man put his blue tie?
A.In the cupboard. B.Under his shirt. C.In the drawer.
3.What can we learn about Susan?
A.She is the woman’s sister.
B.She is the man’s sister.
C.She is a babysitter.
高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday announced a new
plan to renew and expand the nation's roads, railways and runways, in a bid (努力) to restart the sluggish economy and to help create jobs.
Obama announced the billion-dollar infrastructure(基础设施) spending program at an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, marking the Labor Day holiday in the United States.
The proposal calls for investments over six years, including rebuilding and modernizing 150,000 miles (241,350 kilometers) of roads, 4,000 miles (6,430 kilometers) of railways and 150 miles ( 241 kilometers) of runways.
"It sets up an Infrastructure Bank to leverage(杠杆;利用) federal dollars and focus on the smartest investment. All of this will not only create jobs now, but will make our economy run better over the long haul," Obama said.
"This is a plan that will be fully paid for and will not add to the deficit over time," said Obama.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August, reflecting business reluctance to hire among uncertain economic prospects, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday.
The president admitted that new jobs "have not been coming fast enough" in the United States.
"These years would be some of the most difficult in our history. The problems facing working families are nothing new, but they are more serious than ever. And that makes our cause more urgent than ever," he added.
1.What does the underlined word “sluggish” probably mean?
A.繁荣的 | B.崩溃的 | C.疲软的 | D.行动迅速的 |
2.What’s the main idea of this passage?
A.The US president launched a new program aiming at improving the nation’s infrastructure. |
B.The US unemployment rate rose according to the Labor Department. |
C.These years will be the most difficult in the American history. |
D.More roads, railways and runways will be rebuilt and modernized. |
3.Which of the following will be changed most in length?
A.Roads. | B.Railways. | C.Runways. | D.Highways. |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday announced a new plan to renew and expand the nation's roads, railways and runways, in a bid (努力) to restart the sluggish economy and to help create jobs.
Obama announced the billion-dollar infrastructure(基础设施) spending program at an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, marking the Labor Day holiday in the United States.
The proposal calls for investments over six years, including rebuilding and modernizing 150,000 miles (241,350 kilometers) of roads, 4,000 miles (6,430 kilometers) of railways and 150 miles ( 241 kilometers) of runways.
"It sets up an Infrastructure Bank to leverage(杠杆;利用) federal dollars and focus on the smartest investment. All of this will not only create jobs now, but will make our economy run better over the long haul," Obama said.
"This is a plan that will be fully paid for and will not add to the deficit over time," said Obama.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August, reflecting business reluctance to hire among uncertain economic prospects, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday.
The president admitted that new jobs "have not been coming fast enough" in the United States.
"These years would be some of the most difficult in our history. The problems facing working families are nothing new, but they are more serious than ever. And that makes our cause more urgent than ever," he added.
1.What does the underlined word “sluggish” probably mean?
A. 繁荣的 B. 崩溃的 C. 疲软的 D. 行动迅速的
2.What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. The US president launched a new program aiming at improving the nation’s infrastructure.
B. The US unemployment rate rose according to the Labor Department.
C. These years will be the most difficult in the American history.
D. More roads, railways and runways will be rebuilt and modernized.
3.Which of the following will be changed most in length?
A. Roads. B. Railways. C. Runways. D. Highways.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
In the U.S. state of Washington, a road called Interstate 90 cuts through a wild, mountainous area to reach the city of Seattle. For the area's many kinds of animals, the busy highway greatly limits their movements. Crossing 1-90—as the road is called—is a risky but sometimes necessary act. But soon, animals will have a safer choice for crossing the road. They will be able to go above it.
To help the animals, the state is finishing work on its largest-ever wildlife bridge. The 11-meter-tall, 20-meter-wide structure begins in the forest. It forms two arches above the highway, one for each direction of traffic. Workers are adding fencing and plants to help guide the animals across the bridge. Two-meter-thick walls will help block noise from vehicles below.
The 1-90 Bridge is part of a growing number of wildlife crossings across the United States. Some are fences, some are overland bridges, and some are underpasses. They all aim to keep drivers and animals away from each other. Collisions between animals and drivers are rarely deadly to people. But they are often deadly to wildlife. In Canada's Banff National Park, studies have found that wildlife crossings reduce the area's animal-driver collisions by 80 percent.
Most of the wildlife bridges are in western states. But experts have noted many other areas that have a need for such paths. Jen Watkins, whose organization has helped campaign for animal crossings, says ftind for more crossings is "the number-one barrier."
Patty Garvey-Darda of the U.S. Forest Service has worked on the 1-90 crossing from the start of the project. She says the $6- million bridge will one day pay for itself because the highway will not have to be fully or partly closed each time a large animal is struck. She said, 4tIf you shut down Interstate 90, you shut down interstate commerce.”
1.What is the purpose of building the bridge over “Interstate 90”?
A. To reduce human deaths in crash with wildlife.
B. To prevent wildlife from being struck by vehicles.
C. To arouse public awareness of wildlife protection.
D. To provide a safer choice to cross the risky road.
2.According to Jen Watkins, what is the biggest challenge in crossing construction?
A. Finding ways to help guide animals across the bridge.
B. Collecting money to build more wildlife crossings.
C. Locating areas to construct appropriate crossings.
D. Encourage drivers to obey the regulations of traffic.
3.What do the underlined words in Paragraph 5 imply?
A. The bridge will prove to be well worth the high price.
B. Expense for building such bridges will be reduced.
C. The bridge will greatly promote trade and commerce.
D. Lives saved through the bridge are definitely beyond price.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A Devoted Dog
As the Camp Fire continued, killing at least 85 people and displacing thousands more in Northern California, Madison waited there.
Gaylord, the Anatolian shepherd mix's owner, was not able to get to her home in Paradise, when the fire began to spread, meaning Madison was _______. For weeks, all Gaylord could do was pray for Madison's _______, according to California-based animal rescue _______ Paw Print Rescue.
Sullivan, a volunteer with the organization, had already helped _______ Madison's brother Miguel in a different city. But Madison was even more difficult to find. Sullivan _______ Madison a few times in a canyon(峡谷),apparently _______ his land, and put out fresh food and water _______ in hopes that the dog would turn up, according to a Facebook post by Sullivan. She even placed _______ clothing that smelled like Gaylord near the home '' to keep Madison hope _______ until his people could return'',Sullivan wrote.
When the evacuation(疏散)order was __________ last week and Gaylord went back to her home—which had been ruined by the fire—her __________ were answered: Madison was there, seemingly protecting what __________ remained of his family's home. ''Well, I'm so happy to report that Gaylord was allowed to return to her home today and THERE MADISON WAS!! ! ! He had stayed to protect what was left of his home, and never __________ his people!" Sullivan wrote in the comment on her Facebook post, ''I'm so happy I'm crying as I write this! He didn't give up through the storms or the fire!" she added.
__________ , Madison was __________ with Miguel for the first time since the __________ broke out. An emotional Gaylord said in an interview with the network that she was overcome with __________ to see Madison waiting for her. She also expressed how __________ she was to Sullivan. Gaylord said fighting through tears, ''You could __________ ask for better animals. He is the best __________''
1.A.picked out B.carried away C.left behind D.cared for
2.A.growth B.safety C.ability D.relief
3.A.fund B.branch C.accommodation D.organization
4.A.memorize B.locate C.relate D.show
5.A.caught B.investigated C.spotted D.reserved
6.A.guarding B.measuring C.rejecting D.visiting
7.A.regularly B.carelessly C.accidentally D.clumsily
8.A.a block of B.an ear of C.an article of D.a bunch of
9.A.alive B.diverse C.shallow D.specific
10.A.issued B.lifted C.turned down D.kept
11.A.curses B.speeches C.complaints D.prayers
12.A.little B.great C.small D.few
13.A.fell back on B.gave up on C.cracked down on D.dawned on
14.A.Soon afterwards B.Gradually C.Sooner or later D.Unwillingly
15.A.blocked off B.acquainted C.reunited D.fed up
16.A.conflict B.disease C.argument D.fire
17.A.fear B.grief C.boredom D.joy
18.A.special B.grateful C.superior D.attractive
19.A.always B.less C.only D.never
20.A.volunteer B.neighbor C.dog D.rescuer
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The new safety problem of contaminated(受污染的)milk is much more widespread, at least 22 dairy companies and their milk products that have appeared nationwide.
A.to involve | B.involved | C.involving | D.being involved |
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Superstorm Sandy’s march of destruction claimed at least 43 lives and left more than eight million people without electricity by late Tuesday, in one of the largest storms ever to strike the East Coast.
Less violent but still dangerous, the storm swept across Pennsylvania on Tuesday and the northeastern US began its slow process of recovery. As dawn broke Tuesday on the storm’s trail of destruction, it began exposing stories of heroism and tragedy, bad decisions and lucky breaks.
In Broad Channel in New York City, a 29-year-old mother was forced to dive and swim out of her house’s front window with her 8-year-old daughter. And in Freeport, N.Y., Nicole Smith returned home --- to find a boat on her lawn. She asked passers-by for $5 to take a snapshot. A 13-year-old girl was found dead, in her pajamas, a block from her washed-out Staten Island home. On Monday night, Sandy’s waves ripped out the entire deck of Jeffrey Ratner’s home, along with the back wall. Still, Mr. Ratner said, he remains optimistic about the future. “We are going to rebuild it,” he said.
The official warnings to evacuate(疏散)were clear, a couple said. But staying home just seemed easier. “It’s not their fault; it’s ours,” said Mary Norton, 88, head in her hands. “We did not leave.”
New York’s extensive transit system, a lifeline for millions of commuters(上下班往返的人), suffered the greatest damage as floodwaters drowned all seven subway tunnels connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. Jseph Lhota, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, described it as the most destroying in the 108-year history of the New York subway.
Forecaster said Sandy, which had maximum continuing winds of 45 miles an hour Tuesday afternoon, would cross western Pennsylvania on Tuesday night before moving into Canada on Wednesday as it meets cold air fronts. Another inch of rain was expected from the eastern Great Lakes across the mid-Atlantic and into southern New England.
1.The passage mainly talks about________.
A. New York’s extensive transit system
B. when and why superstorm formed
C. the latest information about Sandy
D. superstorm Sandy’s destruction in America
2.Mary Norton and her husband didn’t leave their home because________.
A. they didn’t know a superstorm was on the way
B. they didn’t believe the government’s warnings
C. they didn’t want to take the trouble to move
D. they had no chance of leaving before Sandy hit the area
3.The transit system mentioned in the last paragraph but one refers to_________.
A. the bus route B. the ship route
C. the flight course D. the subway route
4.Which of the following statements about Sandy is WRONG?
A. It had killed at least 43 lives when the news was released.
B. It would move into Canada on Tuesday night.
C. It would bring another rain to the eastern Great Lakes
D. It led to power failure in many areas in America.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析