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BUKHANNON, West Virginia- Two rescue teams slowly moved along a two-mile path in Monday
night to the site of a coal mine explosion that trapped 13 miners, who had not been heard from since the
early morning accident.
Meanwhile, at a nearby church, more than 250 family members and friends gathered, waiting for
updates(最新报道) on the rescuers' progress.
The miners were trapped at about 6:30 a.m. and many families weren't informed of the accident until
about 10 a.m.-more than three hours after it happened. "It's very upsetting, but you've got to be patient, I
guess," said John Helms, whose brother, Terry, was trapped in the mine.
The trapped miners were about 260 feet underground and about 10000 feet from the Sago Mine's
entrance, said Roger Nicholson, general counsel from International Coal Group.
At a late night news conference, Nicholson said one team had advanced about 4800 feet in the four
hours since entering the mine just before 6 p.m. Another team entered the mine about 30 minutes later.
He said the crew was very experienced, with some members having worked underground for 30 to 35
years. The miners were equipped with about one hour of breathable oxygen each. The company has not
released the names of the miner.
The teams test the air about every 500 feet, and have to disconnect (remove) the power to the phones
they use to communicate with the surface before doing that. "We don't want to be energizing anything if it's
in an atmosphere with burnable gases," Kips said.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. High level of carbon monoxide were detected
shortly after the explosion, which delayed rescue efforts, but those levels have since subsided(减退),
authorities said.
1. According to the passage, we can infer that _____.
A. all the miners who were trapped underground were still alive
B. communication with the trapped miners was cut off
C. the two rescue teams entered the mine at the same time
D. the rescue started as soon as the accident happened
2. If the first team advanced at an average speed, they could dig about _____ per hour.
A. 1000 feet
B. 2400 feet
C. 1200 feet
D. 4800 feet
3. Where can the passage be seen?
A. In a magazine.
B. In a newspaper.
C. In a science book.
D. In an advertisement.
