A Dutch man avoided death on both recent doomed Malaysia Airlines flights after booking tickets on MH17 and MH370 but changing plans at the last minute.

Maarten De Jonge, 29, a cyclist who rides with Malaysia’s Terengganu Cycling Team, switched from MH370 in March to avoid a lengthy stopover and switched from MH17 last week to take a later flight and save money. “It’s inconceivable,” he told Dutch public broadcaster RTV Oost. “I am very sorry for the passengers and their families, yet I am very pleased I’m unharmed.”

In a statement on his website, he said he was “overwhelmed” by the international responses to his fortune in narrowly avoiding death. “How happy I am for myself and my family that I was on this flight and did not take it the last moment; my story is ultimately nothing compared to the misery in which so many people are dead,” he said. “Attention should be paid to the victims and survivors. Wishing everyone affected by this disaster a lot of strength.”

De Jonge said this experience would not deter him from flying on Malaysia Airlines and he plans to go ahead with a flight on the airline to Malaysia via Frankfurt. “I have been lucky twice,” he said. “You should try not to worry too much because then you won’t get anywhere… I could have taken that one [MH17] just as easily.”

The attack on MH17 in airspace above Ukraine came less than five months after the disappearance of MH370 and has led to a series of people whose lives were caught up in both flights.

An Australian woman, Kaylene Mann, lost her brother Rod Burrows and his wife Mary after the disappearance of MH370 in March and lost her step-daughter, Maree Rizk, who was traveling with her husband on MH17. “It’s just brought everyone, everything back,” said Greg Burrows, Mrs Mann’s brother. “It’s just broken our hearts again.”

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1.Why did De Jonge switch from MH370?

A He wanted to save some money.

B He wanted to make the stay of his journey shorter.

C He didn’t want to be killed with other passengers.

D He just wanted to take a later flight.

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。根据文章第二段…switched from MH370 in March to avoid a lengthy stopover可知，De Jonge改签的原因是避免中途停留时间太长而换乘了比MH370早一些的航班，他因此而躲过一劫。

2. What can be implied in the passage?

A De Jonge will not fly on the Malaysia Airlines any more.

B De Jonge believes that he was doomed to avoid death.

C De Jonge was happy that the media focused on his fortune.

D De Jonge still plans to take the Malaysia Airlines next time.

解析：选D。D。推理判断题。根据文章第四段would not deter him from flying on Malaysia Airlines及下文的plans to go ahead with a flight on the airline to Malaysia判断，这次经历不会影响他对马航的信心，他还会搭乘马航班机的。

3.What does the underlined word most probably mean in Paragraph Four?

A Discourage.

B Scare

C Disapprove.

D Switch.

解析：选A。 A。猜测词义题。根据from，try not to worry too much等语境提示可知，deter在此处意为“阻止，妨碍”。

4.What is the purpose of the author by writing the last paragraph?

A To tell us that Kaylene Mann has lost her loved ones in both flights.

B To prove that Malaysia Airlines are not safe to passengers at all.

C To say how fortunate De Jonge was through comparison.

D To express his sorrow of these unfortunate passengers and their families.

解析：选D。D。细节理解题。根据前文a series of people whose lives were caught up及最后一段It’s just broken our hearts again可知，文章引用Kaylene Mann的个例用于说明很多人和家庭像她一样在空难中失去了亲人，痛不欲生。作者想借此表达其对遇难者及其家属的悲切之情。

5.What can be the best title of the passage?

A Malaysia Airlines Had Series of Accidents

B People Lost Their Loved Ones in Air Crashes

C Fortunate Dutch Avoided Death on Malaysia Airlines

D Passengers in Danger Traveling on Malaysia Airlines

解析：选C。 C。主旨大意题。通读全文可知，文章介绍了荷兰自行车运动员De Jonge因为及时改签航班，两次都幸运的躲过实时航班的情况。故选C。