题目内容
The Titanic s______after hitting an iceberg.
sank
In James Cameron’s fantasy films, such as Avatar and The Abyss, the unexplored is decorated in color and filled with alien danger. But on his dive to the deepest place on Earth, which took place on a Sunday last month, reality proved far different: white, deserted, and dull.
“I felt like I literally had gone to another planet and come back,” Cameron said after returning from the cold, dark place in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 miles (11km) below the surface. “It was a very fantastic day.” Cameron is the first person to explore the deepest valley in the ocean since two men made a 20-minute trip there in 1960.
He spent about three hours gliding through the icy darkness, brightened only by lights on the one-man sub(潜水艇). This deepest section of the Mariana Trench is so untouched that at first it appeared dull. But there’s something strangely interesting about the first pieces of video that Cameron shot — a sense of aloneness.
“It’s really the sense of isolation, realizing how tiny you are down in this big, black and unexplored place,” the Titanic director said. The wordless minute-long video, released by sponsor National Geographic, shows Cameron’s sub gliding across what he calls “the very soft, almost gelatinous(胶状的) flat plain.”
To Cameron, the main thing was to appreciate being there. “There had to be a moment where I just stopped, and took it in, and said, ‘This is where I am; I’m at the bottom of the ocean, the deepest place on Earth. What does that mean?’” Cameron told reporters during a conference call. The trip was only about half as long as planned because Cameron’s battery ran low. He said he would return and film it in 3D for later viewing.
“I see this as the beginning,” Cameron said. “It’s not a one-time deal and then moving on. This is the beginning of opening up this new frontier.”
【小题1】Why did Cameron dive to the deepest place on Earth?
A.To study ocean creatures in the deepest valley. |
B.To prove his strong will and perseverance. |
C.To get support from National Geographic. |
D.To open up a new frontier. |
A.Cameron’s fantasy film, Avatar was inspired by his dive to the deepest place on Earth. |
B.Cameron glided through the icy darkness alone by lights of the one-man sub. |
C.Cameron didn’t stay at the bottom of the ocean as planned because he was worn out. |
D.Cameron felt bored when he went to the deepest valley in the ocean. |
A.he appreciated and took pride in being at the bottom of the ocean |
B.he was disappointed because the trip was only about half as long as planned |
C.Cameron wanted to show the public he had been to the deepest place on Earth |
D.he wouldn’t stop exploring the deepest place in the future |
A.Generous. | B.Diligent. |
C.Self-centered. | D.Adventurous. |
A.James Cameron’s Fantasy Films. |
B.The First to Explore the Deepest Place on Earth. |
C.A Dive to the Deepest Place on Earth. |
D.Crazy Cameron. |
Sailing Through History
A group of 1,309 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral on Sunday, in Southampton, England, on a voyage to retrace the path of the Titanic. The Titanic was the biggest ship in the world when it sailed on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. Of the 2,227 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died. The ship, which was headed to New York City, carried the rich and famous on its first voyage. It also carried immigrants, who were seeking a better life in America.
Relatives of people who sailed on the Titanic, historians, authors and people fascinated by the story of the unsinkable ship, are on the Balmoral. They want to remember the doomed ship and those who died on her first and last voyage. The historic liner had set sail on April 10, 1912, from Southampton. Late at night on April 14, she hit an iceberg. In the early morning hours of April 15, the Titanic sank.
The Balmoral is following Titanic’s original route from Southampton. First, the modern-day cruise liner docked in the port of Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic had picked up more passengers. On Monday afternoon, the Balmoral stops in Cobh, Ireland, the Titanic’s last port of call before sailing to New York.
Balmoral will then cruise the North Atlantic Ocean to the location where Titanic hit an iceberg that ripped the ship’s hull(外壳). On Sunday, April 15, at 2:20 a.m.—the time the Titanic went down—passengers and crew will hold a memorial service. The next two days will be spent in Halifax, Canada, where many victims of the sinking are buried. Then, the Balmoral will reach its final destination in New York City, where Titanic was supposed to dock—but never did.
Until today, several teams of divers have explored the site. They have recovered some items such as dishes and silverware and put them on public display. And more trips are planned to the wreckage in the future. The Titanic and its passengers and crew have been remembered in books, movies and TV programs. But there’s a much more important contribution that Titanic gave us. After she sank, lawmakers and shipbuilders made ships safer. It took a terrible tragedy to make ship travel safer for all.
【小题1】How many passengers in Titanic survived at last?
A.More than 1500. | B.About 1309. | C.About 1000. | D.Less than 750. |
A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. | D.five. |
A.in memory of the dead passengers in the Balmoral |
B.in memory of the survivors in Titanic |
C.in memory of the dead passengers in Titanic |
D.in memory of the survivors in the Balmoral |
A.Its site attracts more exploring teams. |
B.It makes the later ships more secure. |
C.Some of its items are on public display. |
D.More trips are planned to its wreckage. |