Lesson 64 The Channel Tunnel
Why was the first tunnel not completed?
In 1858, a French engineer, Aime Thome de Gamond, arrived in England with a plan for a twenty-one-mile tunnel under the English Channel. He said that it would be possible to build a platform in the centre of the Channel. This platform would serve as a port and a railway station. The tunnel would be well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above sea level. In 1860, a better plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low. He suggested that a double railway-tunnel should be built. This would solve the problem of ventilation, for if a train entered this tunnel, it would draw in fresh air behind it. Forty-two years later a tunnel was actually begun. If, at the time, the British had not feared invasion, it would have been completed. The world had to wait almost another 100 years for the Channel Tunnel. It was officially opened on March 7,1994, finally connecting Britain to the European continent.
ˈlɛsn 64 ðə ˈʧænl ˈtʌnl
waɪ wɒz ðə fɜːst ˈtʌnl nɒt kəmˈpliːtɪd?
ɪn 1858, ə frɛnʧ ˌɛnʤɪˈnɪə, Aime Thome diː Gamond, əˈraɪvd ɪn ˈɪŋglənd wɪð ə plæn fɔːr ə ˈtwɛnti-wʌn-maɪl ˈtʌnl ˈʌndə ði ˈɪŋglɪʃˈʧænl.
hiː sɛd ðæt ɪt wʊd biː ˈpɒsəbl tuː bɪld ə ˈplætfɔːm ɪn ðə ˈsɛntər ɒv ðə ˈʧænl.
ðɪs ˈplætfɔːm wʊd sɜːv æz ə pɔːt ænd ə ˈreɪlweɪˈsteɪʃən.
ðə ˈtʌnl wʊd biː wɛl-ˈvɛntɪleɪtɪd ɪf tɔːl ˈʧɪmniz wɜː bɪlt əˈbʌv siː ˈlɛvl. ɪn 1860, ə ˈbɛtə plæn wɒz pʊt ˈfɔːwəd baɪ ənˈɪŋglɪʃmən, ˈwɪljəm ləʊ. hiː səˈʤɛstɪd ðæt ə ˈdʌbl ˈreɪlweɪ-ˈtʌnl ʃʊd biː bɪlt. ðɪs wʊd sɒlv ðə ˈprɒbləm ɒv ˌvɛntɪˈleɪʃən, fɔːr ɪf ə treɪnˈɛntəd ðɪs ˈtʌnl, ɪt wʊd drɔː ɪn frɛʃ eə bɪˈhaɪnd ɪt. ˈfɔːti-tuː jɪəz ˈleɪtər ə ˈtʌnl wɒz ˈækʧʊəli bɪˈgʌn. ɪf, æt ðə taɪm, ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ hæd nɒtfɪəd ɪnˈveɪʒən, ɪt wʊd hæv biːn kəmˈpliːtɪd. ðə wɜːld hæd tuː weɪt ˈɔːlməʊst əˈnʌðə 100 jɪəz fɔː ðə ˈʧænl ˈtʌnl. ɪt wɒz əˈfɪʃəliˈəʊpənd ɒn mɑːʧ 7,1994, ˈfaɪnəli kəˈnɛktɪŋ ˈbrɪtn tuː ðə ˌjʊərəˈpi(ː)ən ˈkɒntɪnənt.
任务配置：L0+L4
知识笔记：
tunnel 英 /'tʌnl/ n. 隧道；坑道；洞穴通道 vt. 挖；在…打开通道；在…挖掘隧道 vi. 挖掘隧道；打开通道
platform 英 /'plætfɔːm/ n. 平台；月台，站台；坛；讲台
ventilate 英 /'ventɪleɪt/ vt. 使通风；给…装通风设备；宣布
chimney 英 /'tʃɪmnɪ/ n. 烟囱
put forward v. 提出；拿出；放出；推举出
ventilation 英 /,ventɪ'leɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 通风设备；空气流通
fear 英 /fɪə/ n. 害怕；恐惧；敬畏；担心 vt. 害怕；敬畏；为…担心 vi. 害怕；敬畏；为…担心
invasion 英 /ɪn'veɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 入侵，侵略；侵袭；侵犯
continent 英 /'kɒntɪnənt/ n. 大陆，洲，陆地 adj. 自制的，克制的
练习感情：
几个新认识的单词不熟，读得不顺
