2 . There's another universe not far from land. It lacks buildings, trees, cars, cellphones and the Internet. Seemingly limitless water extends uninterruptedly in all directions. Civilization goes away, along with any sign of humanity. And it is why I’m really interested in sailing. I grew up around boats. My father liked sailing and built them.
My older sister and I were stuffed into a car nearly every summer weekend until my late teens to make the trip from northeast Indiana to the south shore of Lake Erie in Ohio, where Talisman built by my father waited patiently through the week.
As a kid, I read the adventures of Robin Lee Graham, a traveller exploring the sea alone, in the pages of National Geographic and, later, in Graham’s book, Dove. However, it wasn’t until about 20 years ago, well into my adulthood, that I took up sailing in a serious way. I’ve made voyages in fair and stormy weather, on my own boats and those of my friends, and ranging from nearshore day sails to blue-water passages.
Still, I’ve made plenty of mistakes. While living in Asia, a sailing friend and I set off across the South China Sea and intended to get to Thailand, only to be pushed by a late-season typhoon that forced us to make landfall in Vietnam, glad to be alive.
Years later, my wife and I lived aboard our 37-foot ship, Symbiosis, while we saved enough to take a two-year leave from our jobs to journey down the U. S. Atlantic coast and through the Bahamas and the Caribbean. We visited many places that never see ships or airplanes and that are nearly impossible to reach anyway other than at the helm (舵柄) of a small boat. But boats are expensive and time-consuming.
After returning from the Caribbean a few years ago, we decided to sell Symbiosis, determining to sail only “other people’s boats”. It didn’t last, though. A few months ago, we found a good deal on a smaller sailboat — easier to maintain but still capable of some short offshore journeys. I think we’ll name her Talisman.
1. What would the author do on summer weekends as a kid?
| A．He would explore the lost civilization. |
| B．He would tour northeast Indiana by car. |
| C．He would patiently wait for his father. |
| D．He would sail with his father and his sister. |
2. What can we learn about the book Dove?
| A．It is the most famous work by Graham. |
| B．It was published in National Geographic. |
| C．It has something to do with exploring the sea. |
| D．It was an inspiration for the author’s writing. |
3. Why did the author sell his ship Symbiosis?
| A．It didn’t function well. | B．He couldn’t afford to maintain it. |
| C．He was tired of sailing. | D．He assumed others’ boats were better. |
4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the text?
| A．To show his passion for sailing boats. |
| B．To stress the influence of adventures on him. |
| C．To discuss the problems of sailing on the sea. |
| D．To share his success in exploring the world. |
