Question

紧急英语问题

These days we are so accustomed to instant communication, it is hard to imagine the excitement that was created in the nineteenth century when cables, which were used to transmit telegraph messages, were laid.
Cable laying proved to be immensely difficult. The cable that carried the first telegraph messages between England and France in the autumn of 1850 had a very short life. The day after, a fisherman "caught" the cable by mistake. Thinking that the copper wire at the center of the thick cable was gold, he cut a piece off to show his friends. However, a new cable was laid, and soon news could travel quickly across Europe. But there was still no way of sending messages between Europe and America.

When the Atlantic Telegraph Company was formed in 1856, a serious attempt was made to "join" Europe to America with no less than 2300 miles of cable. As no single ship could carry such a weight, two sailing vessels, the Agamemnon and the Niagara, shared the job. The intention was that after setting out in opposite directions, they should meet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where the two cables would be connected together. But the ships had hardly covered 300 miles when the cable broke. In 1858, a second attempt was made. This time, though greatly hindered by storms, the ships were successful. There was great rejoicing a few months later, when after the combined efforts of both ships, Britain and America were at last connected by cable and the Queen of England was able to speak to the President of the United States. This cable, however, only lasted eleven weeks. Further attempts were postponed until 1864 when Brunei's steamship, the Great Eastern, set forth. This powerful ship did the whole job by itself, but again messages could not travel freely because the cable developed a fault. While it was being mended, it broke, leaving 1300 miles of worthless cable lying on the ocean floor.

But two years later the Great Eastern completed a highly successful journey laying cable, and since then it has become possible to send messages to all parts of the world.

6. When were the first cables in the world laid?
A. In the nineteenth century.
B. In the early twentieth century.
C. In the eighteenth century.
D. In the 1940s.

7. What happened to the first cable between England and France?
A. It didn't work at all because there was something wrong with its quality.
B. A fisherman mistook it for a long fish.
C. It was broken by the violent waves in the English Channel.
D. Someone cut it.

8. Why were two sailing vessels, the Agamemnon and the Niagara, used to lay the cable?
A. Because one ship couldn't cover 2300 miles.
B. Because it was difficult to find a cable of 2300 miles.
C. Because one ship couldn't carry the weight of the cable.
D. Because the cable of 2300 miles was more likely to break.

Answer 1

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