Lesson 88 Trapped in a mine 困在矿井里【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.【课文翻译】6个人被困在矿井里已有17个小时了。
如果不把他们尽快救到地面上来，他们就有可能丧生。
然而，事实证明营救工作非常困难。
如果用炸药爆破，震动会引起矿顶塌落。
因此，营救人员在矿井的北侧钻了一个洞。
他们准备用一种特制的容器把这6个人救上来。
如果不是因为土壤下面有一层坚硬的岩石，他们的营救工作仅用几个小时就可以完成了。
实际情况是，他们已连续钻了16个小时了，但离钻透还早着呢。
与此同时，两个小时以前放下井去的一只麦克风使井下的人可以与其亲属保持联系。
虽然他们的食物和饮料都快消耗尽了，但这些人的心情很好，坚信他们很快就会出去。
他们一直被告知营救工作进行得非常顺利。
如果他们知道了钻透那坚硬的岩石有多么困难，他们会丧失信心的。
New words and expressions 生词和短语【生词讲解】1. trap1） v. 陷入，使陷于困境eg：He was trapped in the game preserve.他被困在禁猎区。
in the game preserve 在禁猎区eg: Help! I'm trapped.Open the door!救命啊，我出不来了。
开门！eg: They were trapped in the burning hotel.他们被困在着火的旅馆里。
2）v. 将（某人）诱入圈套、诱骗（某人）trap sb into doing 诱使某人做某事eg：They trapped her into marring him.他们又骗她嫁给了他。
eg：I was trapped into telling the police all I knew.我中计了，把所有知道的一切全告诉了警察3）n.（捕鸟、兽等用的）圈套、陷阱a bear caught in a trap 熊陷入陷阱set a trap for mouse ＝set a mousetrap 设（陷阱）；张（罗网）；扬（帆），钩住4）n. 诡计、圈套、策略eg：He fell into a trap.他掉进了陷阱2. surface1）n. 地面，表面a smooth surface 光滑的表面2）n. 外表、外观look only at the surface of things 只看事情的表面on the surface 表面上的、外观上的friendship on the surface 表面上的友谊eg：You looked satisfied on the surface then.那个时候你看起来表面上很满足。
3）adj. 外表的surface differences 表面上的差异；surface kindness 表面上的好心短语：surface mail 陆（水）路邮件、普通邮件（相反的airmail）send a letter by surface mail 寄普通邮件3. explosive1）n. 炸药high explosive 强力炸药2）adj. 爆发的、爆发性的an explosive substance 爆炸物explosion n.1）爆发、爆裂、爆炸声a gas explosion 瓦斯爆炸2）爆发an explosion of laughter 爆发出笑声explode v.1）（炸药、煤气等）爆炸事件eg：The heat exploded the corked bottle .热气使塞住的瓶子爆炸了。
2）（因生气、笑等）使（感情）爆发、（感情）爆发eg：He exploded in anger.勃然大怒eg：His jealousy exploded when she kissed another boy.看她吻了另一个男孩、他醋劲大发。
＊jealousy [ˈdʒeləsi] n.妒忌；猜忌4. vibration n. 震动the vibration of the traffic 车辆来往产生的振动。
vibrate1）v. 振动、摇动eg：His shoulders vibrated with anger.他气到双肩颤动。
2）v. 受……而感动，（心）颤动、惊动eg：My heart vibrated to the soulful painting.那张充满感情的画感动了我的心灵。
5. collapse1）v. 坍塌、瓦解、崩溃eg：The roof collapsed under the weight of snow.雪把房顶压塌了.eg：The heavy flood collapsed the bridge.大洪水使桥梁倒塌了。
2）v.（计划、事业等）垮掉、挫败eg：Our project collapsed because of shortage of funds .因为资金短缺，我们的计划挫败。
3）v. 折迭、可折迭eg：This table collapses, so I can store it easily .这种桌子可以折迭,不用时很容易收藏。
collapse a tent 把帐篷折迭起来6. drill1）v. 钻孔drill a hole in the wall 在墙上钻个洞drill a tooth 钻牙齿2）v. 训练（某人），反复练习、接受训练drill troops 练兵drill in English pronunciation 英语发音练习3）n. 锥子、钻孔机an electric drill 电钻make a hole with a drill 用钻打洞4）n. 训练、演练、演习 a fire drill 消防演习drill in English words 英文单字反复练习7. capsule n. 容器、胶囊eg：He swallowed two capsules at a time.他一下吃了两粒胶囊。
medicine ：pill [pil] 药丸、powder [ˈpaudə] 药粉、tablet [ˈtæblit] 药片、capsule [ˈkæpsju:l] 胶囊8. layer1） n. 层、一层a layer of clay 一层泥＊clay [klei] n.粘土，泥土a cake with two layers 两层蛋2）置放者、砌……的人（通常构成复合词）a bricklayer 泥瓦匠3）下蛋的鸡a good layer 常下蛋的鸡←→a bad layer 不常下蛋的鸡9. beneath1）prep. 在......之下（可用已表示接触或未接触时，稍为严谨的表达法，一般多用under）eg：Let’s take a rest beneath the tree.让我们在树下休息。
eg：The ground beneath my feet was soft.我脚下的土地松软。
2）（地位、价值）较…….差的，较……不值的的eg：His work is beneath contempt.他的行为使人不屑一顾eg：Such words are beneath you.说这些话有些失你身份。
10. lower1）v. 放低（高度、位置），降低eg：She lowered her eyes.他垂下眼睛。
lower a flag 降旗；lower the sails 降帆lower the water in the canal 降低运河中的水位2）v. 降低（价格、数量、程度、声音等）lower the rent of a house 降低房租；lower one’s voice 压低声音the Lower House （两院治的）下议院the House of Representatives （美）众议院the House of Commons （英）下议院the Upper House 上议院11. progress1）[ˈprəˈgres] v. 进展，进行eg：We are now progressing steadily with our work我们现在工作进展顺利。
2）v. 进步、上进eg：You have progressed quickly in mathematics.你在数学上进步迅速。