Rega, the Swiss air-rescue organisation, says on its website that Dr Rudolf Bucher founded Swiss Air-Rescue on 27 April 1952. On 22 December 1952, the pilot Sepp Bauer flew its first helicopter rescue, in Davos, in a Hiller 360. Three days later Dr Bucher announced on the radio that the helicopters and parachutists were ready for action.

Rega says that in 2024 its operations centre organised 19,667 missions, which is about 54 in every 24 hours. Of these, 14,714 were helicopter missions. Rega crews carried 12,847 patients that year, an average of 35 patients a day.

Rega says that it operates 14 helicopter bases in Switzerland, and that its three ambulance jets are stationed at the Rega Center. A patient who falls ill abroad may be flown home on one of these jets. In 2024, 2,552 people with medical problems abroad used Rega's services.

The writer's own cautious view, hedged ("I think", "it seems"): these facts seem to show that Rega grew from a few pilots and parachutists in 1952 into a service that organises about 54 missions a day, and I think the numbers suggest that many people depend on it. The figures come from Rega itself and count every kind of mission, so they do not show how many of them took place in the mountains.

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?

In boxes 1–3 on your answer sheet, write: YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer, NO if the statement contradicts the claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

1. Dr Rudolf Bucher announced the readiness of the rescue team on the radio shortly after the first helicopter rescue flight.

2. In 2024, Rega carried out more missions using ambulance jets than helicopters.

3. Sepp Bauer had completed extensive flight training in Germany before joining Swiss Air-Rescue.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Select the correct paragraph letter (A, B, C, or D) for each statement.

4. Information about where Rega's ambulance jets are stationed.

5. A statement acknowledging that the published statistics do not separate mountain rescues from other types.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Select the best answer based on the passage context and writer's hedged statements.

6. What can be inferred about the initial operations of Swiss Air-Rescue in 1952?

7. What is the writer's attitude towards the statistical data provided by Rega?

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Rega's Current Network and International Assistance

Rega currently maintains ____ helicopter bases within Switzerland.

Patients who fall ill in foreign countries can be transported home using one of Rega's ____ jets.

In 2024, medical services abroad were provided to ____ people with health problems.