On September 11, 2001, nineteen militants
associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda
hijacked four airlines and carried out suicide attacks
against targets ∈ the United States. Two of the planes
[5] were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center ∈
New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside
Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed ∈a field
∈Pennsylvania. Often referred to as 9/11, the attacks
resulted ∈ extensive death and destruction, activating
[10] major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defining
the presidency of George W. Bush. Over three thousand
people were killed during the attacks ∈New York City
and Washington, D.C., including more than four hundred
police officers and firefighters.
[15] At 8:45 a.m., on a clear Tuesday morning, an
American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with twenty
thousand gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower
of the World Trade Center ∈New York City. The impact
\left a wide, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-
[20] story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and
trapping hundreds more ∈ higher floors. Eighteen
minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767–
United Airlines Flight 175–appeared out of the sky,
turned sharply toward the World Trade Center and
[25] crashed into the south tower near the 60th floor. The
collision caused a massive explosion that showered
burning fragment over surrounding buildings and the
streets below. America was under attack.
The attackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi
[30] Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly
financed by Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda
terrorist organization, they _____________(1)∈
retaliation for America's support of Israel, its involvement
∈ the Persian Gulf War and its continued military
[35] presence ∈ the Middle East. Some of the terrorists had
lived ∈ the United States for more than a year and
_____________(2) flying lessons at American
commercial flight schools.
As millions watched the events unfolding ∈New
[40] York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown
Washington, D.C., and banged into the west side of the
Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m. Jet fuel from
the Boeing 757 caused a devastating inferno that led to
the structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete
[45] building. Less than fifteen minutes after the terrorists
struck the nerve center of the U.S. military, the horror ∈
New York took a catastrophic turn for the worse when
the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed ∈a
massive cloud of dust and smoke. At 10:30 a.m., the
[50] other Trade Center tower collapsed. Close to three
thousand people died ∈ the World Trade Center and its
vicinity, including an impressive three hundred and forty
three firefighters and paramedics, twenty three New York
City police officers and thirty seven Port Authority police
[55] officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation
of the buildings and save the office workers trapped* on
higher floors.
Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane–
United Flight 93–was hijacked about forty minutes after
[60] leaving Newark International Airport ∈New Jersey.
Because the plane had been delayed ∈ taking off,
passengers on board learned of events ∈New York and
Washington via cell phone calls to the ground. Knowing
that the aircraft was not returning to an airport as the
[65] hijackers claimed, a group of passengers and flight
attendants planned a rebellion. One of the passengers,
Thomas Burnett Jr., told his wife over the phone that "I
know we're all going to die. There are three of us who
are going to do something about it. I love you, honey."
[70] Another passenger–Todd Beamer–was heard saying
"Are you guys ready? Let's roll" over an open line.
The passengers fought the four hijackers and
are suspected to have attacked the cockpit with a fire
extinguisher. The plane then flipped over and sped
[75] toward the ground, crashing ∈a rural field ∈ western
Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m. All forty-five people aboard
were killed. Within two months, U.S. forces had
effectively removed the Taliban from operational power,
but the war continued. Osama bin Laden, was finally
[80] chased and killed by U.S. forces ∈Abbottabad,
Pakistan.
Adapted from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks Acessado em 04/04/2013
The sentence “Thomas Burnett Jr. told his wife over the phone that ‘I know that we’re all going to die’ ” is similar ∈ meaning to
Thomas Burnett Jr.
