Divers on Tuesday pulled three people alive from inside a capsized cruise ship and searched for other survivors, giving some small hope to a great tragedy with well many people still missing on the Yangtze River. Those brought to safety stood were 15 and at least five people were confirmed dead after the ship capsized during a storm Monday night with 458 people aboard. The cruise was from Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing, and many of those aboard were elderly.

Some of the survivors swam ashore, but others were rescued more than 12 hours after the ship went down, after search teams climbed aboard the upside-down hull and heard people calling out from within. Rescuers in orange life vests climbing on the upside-down hull, with one of them lying down tapping a hammer and listening for a response. Divers pulled out a 65-year-old woman and, later, two men who had been trapped. Other survivors include the ship's captain and the chief engineer.

The ship had floated about 3 kilometers downstream before coming to rest close to the river shore, where rapid waters made the rescue difficult. The location is about 180 kilometers west of the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan. The fact that the capsized ship drifted downstream was a good sign for rescuers because it meant there was enough air inside, and could mean there are enough air pockets for survivors to breathe.

The captain and the chief engineer said the ship sank quickly after being caught in a cyclone. It is said the four-level ship had been carrying 406 Chinese passengers, five travel agency employees and 47 crew members. Most of the passengers were 50 to 80 years of age. 

Several rescue ships were searching the waters, and divers had arrived. The rescue personnel were trying to determine whether they could right the sunken ship. More than 50 boats and 3,000 people were involved in search efforts.

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1.Why did the writer mention people saved from the ship?

A To show how dangerous the ship is.

B To arouse the interest of the readers.

C To give some people of small hope.

D To tell people how to avoid disasters.

解析：选B。B。文章一开始提到具体的伤亡数字和存活的情况，因此文章开头提到这些数字是为了让人对此感兴趣。

2.What is the destination of the ship?

A Nanjin.

B Wuhan.

C Jianli.

D Chongqing.

解析：选D。D。细节理解题。根据文章第1段最后1句的The cruise was from Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing可知该轮船的目的地是重庆。

3.How did the rescuer make sure there were people alive?

A By following the ship.

B By wearing the orange life vests.

C By locating ship’s position.

D By taping the ship with a hammer.

解析：选D。D。细节理解题。根据第2段第2句的Rescuers in orange life vests climbing on the upside-down hull, with one of them lying down tapping a hammer and listening for a response可以得知通过敲击船体听回音来确定是否有回音。

4.What made the rescue difficult?

A The fast running water.

B The lack of air pockets.

C The escape of chief engineer.

D The great heavy cyclone.

解析：选A。A。细节理解题。根据第3段第1句的where rapid waters made the rescue difficult可知是快速的流水让救援更加困难。

5. What will the rescue personnel do to save the passengers?

A They will make the sunken ship stand right.

B They will break the sunken ship into pieces.

C They will pull the sunken ship out of water.

D They will have the sunken ship washed again.

解析：选A。A。推理判断题。根据文章最后1段第2句的The rescue personnel were trying to determine whether they could right the sunken ship可以得知救援人员想先把船扶正。