As many as 700 people are found dead after a boat carrying migrants overturned in the Mediterranean sea on Saturday evening.

The 70-foot fishing boat went down after passengers moved to one side of the vessel to signal to a passing merchant ship, and it overturned. The shipwreck may be one of the worst disasters of the Mediterranean migrant crisis, and follows the feared drowning of more than 400 in two separate incidents  in the sea earlier this week. 

A rescue operation organized by the Italian coast guards is still underway in the hopes of rescuing more people from the midnight sinking off the Libyan coast, 120 miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said at a political event in Mantua, “How can we remain insensible when we’re witnessing the entire population dying at a time when modern means of communication allow us to be aware of everything?”   

In 2013, the Italian government launched the search-and-rescue operation Mare Nostrum after hundreds drowned in an incident off the coast of Lampedusa. The operation was cancelled last year after the government failed to persuade the fellow EU members to help meet its operating costs of nine million euros (£6.5million).

The fishing vessel involved in today’s disaster had sent out an emergency call after having trouble with piloting the vessel, and a Portuguese merchant ship arrived at the scene. However, as it approached, dozens of people moved from one side of the vessel to the other, and it overturned, Italian news bureau Ansa reports. 

Yesterday, the International Organization for Migration said the rate of migrant and refugee deaths this year is ten times higher than in 2014, even though the number of those who made it through safely is about the same. 

Greece, the EU’s second-biggest gateway for migrants after Italy, appealed to its European Union partners Friday for more help in policing its sea borders as immigrants increasingly make dangerous journeys to escape war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

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1.What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A A boat carrying 400 passengers overturned early this week.

B A boat overturned Saturday night with 700 people drowned.

C Migrant crisis worsened in the Mediterranean countries.

D Italian coastal guard was underway rescuing a sinking boat.

解析：选B。B 主旨大意题。根据文章第1段（主题段）可知，本文主要报道了地中海一艘非法运载移民的船只沉没，船上700余人遇难的情况。

2.What can we infer from the passage?

A The Mediterranean Sea is a place where boats sink most often.

B Boats should not have sunk with modern means of communication.

C The most migrants come from Libya as a result of war and poverty.

D Matteo Renzi called for the search-and-rescue operation to be restarted.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据文章第3段意大利总理所说的How can we remain insensible when we’re witnessing entire populations dying at a time when modern means of communications allow us to be aware of everything?可知，他一方面表示了对遇难者的同情，更是呼吁欧盟成员国积极参与到救援中来。结合下文可知，他在呼吁重启对海上遇难者的搜救工作。

3.Why was the search-and-rescue operation cancelled?

A The drowning incidents have been on the rise.

B The Mediterranean migrant crisis is becoming worse.

C The migrants and refugees can cross the sea safely.

D The operating cost couldn’t be met by EU members.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第4段The operation was cancelled last year after the government failed to persuade fellow EU members to help meet its operating costs of nine million euros (£6.5million)可知，由于欧盟其他国家对于海上救援工作资金支持不到位，这个项目只好暂停。

4.What caused the vessel to overturn?

A The vessel lost its balance after some people moved to the other side.

B The crew had trouble controlling the vessel and then it overturned.

C It was midnight and the vessel was overloaded.

D The approaching of a Portuguese merchant ship caused the overturn.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章第5段dozens of people moved from one side of the vessel to the other, and it overturned，当西班牙商船前来救援时，很多人跑到船的甲板的另一边，结果导致失衡，造成船体倾覆。

5.What worsened the migrant crisis?

A The launch of the search-and-rescue operation.

B The increase of migrant and refugee deaths.

C War and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

D The political incident that happened in Mantua.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章最后1段的as immigrants increasingly make dangerous journeys to escape war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa可知，中东地区和非洲的战争和贫穷加剧了移民危机。