code: def read_hotw(filename):
      
      import sys
      f = open(filename,'r')
      nu = []
      coef = []
      for line in f:
          pars = line.split()
          try:
              nu.append(float(pars[0]))
              coef.append(float(pars[1]))
          except:
              if False:
                  print(sys.exc_info())
              else:
                  pass    
      return array(nu),array(coef)
docs: Read cross-section file fetched from HITRAN-on-the-Web.
      The format of the file line must be as follows: 
        nu, coef
      Other lines are omitted.