Napoleon agreed to plans for a tunnel under the English Channel in 1802. The British began digging one in 1880. Neither tunnel was completed. Europe has had to wait until the end of the 20th century for the Channel Tunnel. After nearly two centuries of dreaming, the island of Great Britain is connected to Continental Europe for the first time since the Ice Age, when the two land masses moved apart.

　On May 6, 1994, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and France’s President Mitterrand carried out the official opening. The Queen was accompanied on her train journey through the historic tunnel by one of her Rolls-Royce cars which was placed on the train. The following day saw celebrations taking place in Folkestone and Calais. Regular public services did not start until the latter part of 1994.

　　Reading Comprehension:

　　1. The island of Great Britain is _______.

　　A. connected to France all the time

　　B. separated from France with a tunnel

　　C. separated from France all the time

　　D. joined to France with the tunnel

　　2. Queen Elizabeth _______ at the opening.

　　A. took her car Rolls-Royce through the tunnel

　　B. took her car which was placed on her train through the tunnel

　　C. took her train through the tunnel

　　D. took Mitterrand’s train through the tunnel

　　3. Before 1994, one could go to Britain from France _______.

　　A. only by ship B. by ship or plane

　　C. by car or train D. by ship, car or train

　　4. Which of the following is right?

　　A. Napoleon made plans for the tunnel.

　　B. The public could pass through the tunnel by train after May 6, 1994.

　　C. The tunnel was built for two centuries.

　　D. The tunnel will do great good to Britain and France.

　　Background information:

　　英吉利海峡隧道（The Channel Tunnel)又称英法海底隧道或欧洲隧道（Eurotunnel)，是一条把英国英伦三岛连接往欧洲法国的铁路隧道，于1994年5月6日开通。从1986年2月12日法、英两国签订关于隧道连接的坎特布利条约（Treaty of Canterbury)到1994年5月7日正式通车，历时8年多，耗资约100亿英镑（约150亿美元），也是世界上规模最大的利用私人资本建造的工程项目。

　　Vocabulary:

　　Tunnel  隧道

　　Complete 完成

    Accompany 陪同

　　Comprehension key:

　　1. D。语义理解题。从第1段the island of Great Britain is connected to Continental Europe for the first time since the Ice Age 可以看出the island of Great Britain和France是由the tunnel连接起来的。

　　2. C。语义理解题。第2段第2句话The Queen was accompanied(陪同) on her train journey through the historic tunnel by one of her Rolls-Royce cars which was placed on the train 已明确告知Queen Elizabeth是怎么去参加开幕典礼的。

　　3. B。判断题。既然1994年以前没有隧道，那当然只有坐船或乘飞机从英国去法国。

　　4. D。判断题。拿破仑是同意修建隧道的计划，并不是制定计划，故排除A项；接近1994年底，公众才能够坐火车穿过隧道，B项不对；文章并没有说隧道建了多长时间，C项也不对；而隧道修建成功时，英、法两国元首都出席，由此可见隧道对两国的重要性。