Lesson 88 Trapped in a mine
First listen and then answer the question. Why is the rescue taking so long? 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.

困在矿井里
听录音，然后回答以下问题。 为什么营救活动持续了那么久？ 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。