1 . One night many years ago when I was on the bridge of a ship that passed one of our large cities on a quiet night, I saw its lights reflected in the sky and heard the rumblings of the city's noises. As I looked to my other side, I could see nothing but open space of darkness and endless water. I realized how small I was and that my own problems of life did not seem great.
I have spent twenty—five years on boats. Now I am a docking pilot. My job is to bring in the large luxury liners and stay with them until they are safely anchored in their berths. Sometimes this requires two tugs(拖船）, sometimes many more, depending on the tide, the weather, and the draft of the vessel.
Most of you no doubt have seen these tugs pushing and pulling at the big liners. What they are doing doesn't seem to make much sense at first, but presently the big boat is alongside her landing stage, her ropes made fast, and the job is done.
These tugs, whether one or ten, move about in accord with whistle signals I send them from the bridge of the big liner. These signals make up a language that is just as dependable as the spoken word; or even more so, because our docking signals are rarely misunderstood. The captain of each tug does his work according to the signals he receives. He never asks questions. He takes everything on faith, and it always works out.
I fell very important the first time I ever docked a big liner, thinking that I was in control of a great ship worth millions of dollars and the owners were depending on me to bring her safely to her berth. After I had docked several of the large liners, I realized I was not important, but simply the quarterback who called the signals.
Working around tugboats has had its effect on what I believe. The great transatlantic liners depend on the help of the little tugs to bring them safely to port, and it is with one's success.
1. According to paragraph 3, originally, the job of a tugboat was .| A．important | B．humble |
| C．tough | D．complex |
| A．To give a detailed description. | B．To display the characteristics. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To help reveal the theme. |
| A．diligence | B．mutual assistance |
| C．learning | D．individual excellence |
| A．Tugboats and the Pilot | B．The Significance of Teamwork |
| C．The Workings of Tugboats | D．Philosophy from Tugboats |
