英國電信監管機構表示，將保留英國各地數千座公用電話亭。在移動信號差或事故高發地區，以及在當地社區仍有需要的情況下，電話亭將可以繼續使用。

The UK’s first phone boxes started popping up in 1921, with the iconic red design appearing five years later. At their peak in 1992, BT operated 92,000 of them.

英國首批公用電話亭從1921年開始出現，標志性的紅色設計在五年后才面世。在1992年的鼎盛時期，由英國電信集團運營的電話亭有9萬2千座。

But as mobiles became part of everyday life, many phone kiosks were removed or re-used for services like community libraries and pop-up coffee shops. There are now just 21,000 payphones left.  

但隨著手機成為日常生活的一部分，很多電話亭被相繼拆除或改造成社區圖書館和快閃咖啡館等用途。現在只剩下2萬1千臺公用電話了。

Ofcom wants to protect 5,000 phone boxes, particularly in poor mobile coverage areas. It says they still provide a valuable emergency function, with 150,000 999 calls made from phone boxes last year.

英國通信管理局希望保護5000座電話亭，特別是在移動信號覆蓋率低的地區。該機構表示，這些電話亭仍提供寶貴的緊急求救功能，去年通過公用電話亭撥打的英國999緊急求救電話就有15萬通。

詞匯表

popping up 涌現，出現
iconic 標志性的，經典的
design 設計
operated 運營，運作
kiosks （英國）公用電話亭
payphones 投幣式公用電話
coverage 覆蓋
emergency function 緊急求救功能
999 calls 999電話（英國緊急求救電話號碼）

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. When did the iconic red design of phone box first start appearing in the UK?

2. What has caused the demise of the phone box?

3. How many phone boxes does Ofcom want to protect?

4. In which areas does Ofcom want to protect phone boxes?

答案  

1. When did the iconic red design of phone box first start appearing in the UK?
The iconic red design started appearing in 1926.

2. What has caused the demise of the phone box?
The use of mobile phones has led to many phone boxes being removed or re-used.

3. How many phone boxes does Ofcom want to protect?
Ofcom wants to protect 5,000 phone boxes.

4. In which areas does Ofcom want to protect phone boxes?
It particularly wants to protect phone boxes in poor mobile phone coverage areas.