Many boys love reading about the legends of old
pirates (海盗) and dreaming of their own wild adventures. But
modern pirates are not a thing of the past. Last month Somali pirates did their
boldest hijacking (劫持) to date. They seized the Saudi supertanker (超大型油轮) Sirius Star carrying crude oil worth about 100million.Theydemanded15 million to free the ship and its crew.
The pirates have kept hitting the
headlines this year: 92 attacks have been attempted, with 36 successful
hijackings and 268 crew members taken hostage (人质). The Chinese
fishing ship Tianyu 8, with 17 Chinese and 8 foreigners on board, has been in
their hands since November 14.
Of course piracy (海盗行为) is nothing new. Even since there has been water and ships
there have been pirates. The earliest documented history of pirates dates back
to the 13th century in the Mediterranean Sea. Even the famous Roman
emperor Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates.
Piracy reached its peak in the
mid-1700s. It was during this time in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa that men like “Blackbeard the Pirate” made this profession attractive. But with the
creation of stronger national Navies piracy became less popular around the
world.
In the mid-20th century,
most pirates were petty (小规模的) thieves. They used hooks to sneak (偷偷摸摸) on board ships at anchor, and grabbed all that they could
find. These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if faced by the
crew.
However, nowadays piracy has become
a multi-million-dollar business at tracting many in poor countries. Pirates are
treated like heroes among local fishermen.
They use satellite phones and Global
Positioning Systems (GPS). Once they spot their target, they swarm the ship
with fast boats and shoot it by firing AK-47s or even rocket-propelled grenades
(火箭榴弹炮). Then they hold the ship and its crews for money.
“The world should take forceful
actions together to fight piracy,” said leaders at the Asian and Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru.
“However, putting in anti-piracy
army can only be half of the solution. We have to protect the fair chance of
Somali fishermen to get a good living and keep them from the lure of easy
money,” said Peter Lehr, a lecturer in terrorism studies.
1. When did piracy reach its peak?
A. In the 13th century. B.
In the mid-1700s.
C. In the mid-20th century. D.
November 14, 2008.
2.What does the underlined sentence probably mean?
A. Pirates were very bold at
first. B. Pirates were very popular then.
C. Pirates were very attractive
then. D. Pirates were not so bold at that time.
3.According to the passage, which of the following
statements is TRUE?
A. The pirates have committed 92 crimes
successfully this year.
B. Piracy became more and more popular as the
national Navies became powerful.
C. Nowadays, pirates are learning to use modern
weapons to commit crimes at sea.
D. On November 18, a Chinese ship was attacked
by a suspected pirate ship.