Angry survivors(幸存者)demanded answers on Sunday after a terrible accident at “Love Parade 2010”, a music festival in Germany, killed 19 people and left hundreds hurt.
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her shock over Saturday’s tragedy in the western city of Duisburg., “This was a very sad day,” Merkel said.
Witnesses(目擊者)said that people pushed into the narrow tunnel, the only entrance to the Love Parade festival, from both sides until it was dangerously overcrowded. The panic began as festival-goers began to lose consciousness(意識)as they were crushed against the walls and each other. The dead included eight foreigners, from Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, China, Bosnia and Spain. More than 340 people were injured.
After the panic, a lot of emergency vehicles(救援交通工具), including helicopters, could be seen carrying away the injured people. The festival itself, however, went on. Police were afraid that ending the music altogether could cause further unrest among the crowd.
“The event was a real mess,” Patrick Guenter, a 22-year-old baker, said. “Although the festival was full, they kept letting people in,” he added. “It seems the organizers didn’t plan the route. And no one knew what was going on.” said Taggart Bowen-Gaddy, 20, an American from Philadelphia.
Officials said 4,000 police officers and 1,000 security guards provided security for the event, which attracted up to 1.4 million people.
“I warned one year ago that Duisburg was not a suitable place for the Love Parade. The city is too small and narrow for such events. It is a pity that…” German police union chief Rainer Wendt said.
The chief organizer, Rainer Schaller, said the popular event would never be held again, “out of respect for the victims and their families”.
小題1:How many Germans were killed in the stampede at “Love Parade 2010”?
小題2: How did the German Chancellor Angela Merkel feel about the tragedy?
A.She was very disappointed. | B.She was very surprised. |
C.She was very puzzled. | D.She was very touched. |
小題3: According to Patrick Guenter and Taggart Bowen-Gaddy, _______.
A.the event was well-organized |
B.the performance was wonderful |
C.Duisburg was suitable for the Love Parade |
D.the organization was very bad |
小題4: We can infer from the passage that _____.
A.Rainer Wendt’s warning went unnoticed |
B.Rainer Wendt was a chief organizer of “Love Parade 2010” |
C.the popular event would be held in the next year |
D.Duisburg is a suitable place for the Love Parade |
小題5: According to the passage, we learn that ______.
A.the Love Parade has been canceled forever |
B.the Love Parade is a very popular sport event |
C.the festival was ended after the panic |
D.there are many entrances to the Love Parade |