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1 Rescue
1 Match the words and phrases 1-8 with the definitions a-h.
1 ~ flares a) a series of radio waves that are sent in an emergency
2 _ emergency b) a small rubber boat used by people from a sinking ship
beacon
c) to lift someone or something with a wire and a lifting
3 _ inflate machine
4 _ satellite d) the organisation that helps boats in danger
5 _ emergency e) a machine that is sent into space and orbits the earth
signal
0 a device tha t sends a signal in an emergency
6 _ winch (v)
g) to fill something flexible with air so that it becomes
7 _ coastguard larger
8 _life raft h) e mergency devices that produce a bright flame

2 Use the words and phrases 1-8 in 1 to complete this news story.

Emergency beacon aids rescue from sinking boat 23.12.09

[1) Three men were rescued from a sin king f ishing boat in t he Gulf of Mexico today. The
32-foot-long boat was equipped with an (1) emergency beacon that helped
rescuers locate the vessel in the ea rly-morn ing da rkn ess, a Mexican Coastguard •
spokesperson said. The fishermen said t hey w ere asleep on the boat when a w ave hit ;"
their vessel. They could not send a radio message or make a cell phone call. •

[2) The (2) station in Veracruz w as notified that the ground

station had received an (3) from t he boat's EPIRB
(emergency position indi cating radio beacon; this sends a sig nal that is picked up by a
(4) and is transmitted to the groun d station).

[3) A helicopter was despatched to the area. As it approached, one of the f ishermen set
off one of the red (5) which were kept on board, and the
helicopter crew saw it.

[4) The f ishermen were about to (6) th eir

(7) w hen th e helicopter reached them . The heli copter crew
managed to (8) t he t hree men to safety, and then flew
them to the coastguard station, where t hey w ere given hot dri nks and dry clothes .

3 Explain what the w ords in bold in 2 refer to.

1 that (para 1) an emergency beacon
2 the vessel (para 1)
3 their (para 1)
4 that (para 2)
5 it (para 3)
6 which (para 3)
7 them (para 4)
8 where (para 4)

Systems
 2 Transmission
1 "·W Listen to this lecture about an FOR (flight
data recorder) . Underline the correct a1tematives
in the specification chart.

Operating frequency 375 kilohertz / 3 7.5 kilohertz I

Maximum operating depth 14,000 fee t / 40,000 feet I
Frequency of transmission of signal once every 30 seconds / once per second I
Duration of signal 13 days / 30 days I
Shelf-life of battery 6 months / 6 years I
Method of transporting FDR if it has been in water in a container of ice / water I
Shape of beacon cylindrical/ conical I
Colour of FDR orange / black I
2 Complete the description of hO\ an FOR's locator beacon \ orks. se the correct form
of one of the words in each pair for each gap.

activate/deactivate attach/detach manually/automatically rece iveltransmit

release/fasten sink/float winch up / lower

<
. The circular memory units with the flight data are tored in a large rigid cylinder that
~' is (1) fa stened onto the base of the f DR. The fDR is usually mounted in the tail
section of the plane. In an accident, it becomes (2) from i mounL There
is a submergence sensor on the side of the FOR· beacon. \ nen water touches the
sensor, this (3) the beacon (4) The beacon can
(5) . signals under water and above ground. Because or the ,.eigh of the
FOR, it does not (6) on the surface of the water. but comes 0 res on the
seabed. Nter a diver has located the FOR on the seabed. it· C) _____
and transported to the computer lab for analysis.
3 Join these pairs of sentences into single sentences. se who. U:hich. u ere. from u:here
to replace the words in italics.
Example: I .. . TWA Flight 800, which crashed ...
1 A serious air disaster occurred with TWA Flight 800. It crashed into the .
in 1996.
2 The accident was caused by a build-up of fuel vapours in a fuel tank.. It exploded..
3 Twelve minutes after take-off, the last radio transmission was recefi·ed at 80s OIL
Here the weather was fine.
4 The explosion was seen by another pilot. He was flying in the area at the time.
5 The other pilot landed at Boston airport. From here he contacted the air crash
investigators.
6 An air and sea rescue was conducted in the area. This lies off the coast of
New York State.
7 The FOR was recovered a week later by divers. They \ ere guided to it by an
emergency beacon.
8 The wreckage was transported to the shore. From here it \ as taken away
for examination.

S\slemS 1