英国电信监管机构表示，将保留英国各地数千座公用电话亭。在移动信号差或事故高发地区，以及在当地社区仍有需要的情况下，电话亭将可以继续使用。

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.

英国首批公用电话亭从1921年开始出现，标志性的红色设计在五年后才面世。在1992年的鼎盛时期，由英国电信集团运营的电话亭有9万2千座。

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.  

但随着手机成为日常生活的一部分，很多电话亭被相继拆除或改造成社区图书馆和快闪咖啡馆等用途。现在只剩下2万1千台公用电话了。

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.

英国通信管理局希望保护5000座电话亭，特别是在移动信号覆盖率低的地区。该机构表示，这些电话亭仍提供宝贵的紧急求救功能，去年通过公用电话亭拨打的英国999紧急求救电话就有15万通。

词汇表

popping up 涌现，出现
iconic 标志性的，经典的
design 设计
operated 运营，运作
kiosks （英国）公用电话亭
payphones 投币式公用电话
coverage 覆盖
emergency function 紧急求救功能
999 calls 999电话（英国紧急求救电话号码）

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

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.