Poor weather. Technical difficulties. These are some of the typical causes of cancelled trains and planes. But sometimes, the excuse can be a lot more trivial.
Just recently, passengers waiting for a train to Peterborough heard the following announcement, “For reasons beyond our control, we regret to inform passengers that the 13:46 Train to Peterborough has been cancelled. The next train will be arriving on Platform in approximately 36 minutes.”
Oh, well, another delayed train, thought most passengers. But a couple of them decided to enquire further. Incredibly, they were informed that the real reason for the non-arrival of the train was that the driver refused to do his job because his seat was wet.
“A wet seat? That’s got to be a joke,” said one passenger angrily. “I wouldn’t normally complain if the train is just a bit delayed, but this was unbelievable, ” he added. “What really made me angry is that this driver refused to get in the train,” said another passenger. “He probably went off for a cup of tea after that!” she added.
A spokesperson for the rail company apologized for the incident, but said the driver couldn’t sit on the damp seat, and wouldn’t be able to drive the train standing up. The spokesperson went on to explain that the seat had become wet after water entered through an open window when the train was being cleaned in a “train wash”
In another transport-related incident, a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt made an emergency landing in Canada after the pilot spilled his coffee. Apparently, the spilt liquid caused the plane’s radio to send out “transponder code 7500”, which is used to inform ground control that there’s been a hi-jacking (劫机). After landing in Toronto, the 255 passengers crew members were put up in a hotel for the night, then flown on to Frankfurt the following afternoon. “What a disgusting trip!” said one tired passenger after the painful experience had ended.
So, does your job have the potential to cause such disorder?
67. Why did the driver of the train refused to do his job?
A. His seat was damp. B. His pay was low
C. The weather was terrible D. His coffee was spilled
68. The underlined word “trivial” in Paragraph 1 means “____”.
A. damp B. unimportant C. emergent D. convincing
69. The flight made an emergency landing in Canada because “__”.
A. the plane was hijacked B. the plane engines went wrong
C. the pilot ran out of coffee D. the plane’s radio sent out a wrong signal
70. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Wet seat, Canceled Train! B. Spilled Coffee, Emergency Landing!
C. Small Incident, Big Disruptions! D. Innocent Driver, Angry Passengers!