The Spanish exploration was the beginning of the history of San Francisco Harbor. That long history is celebrated at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The park’s main visitor center is only a few hundred meters from the waters of the great harbor. It is a memorial to the great ships and those who sailed them.

The visitor center holds many objects linked to the past of the great harbor. There are small ships, ship equipment, and hundreds of beautiful old photographs. Many visitors stop to look at a large painting of a huge sailing ship named the Balclutha.

Visitors who look at the painting can go out through the front door of the visitor center and see the real Balclutha. People walking near Fisherman’s Wharf often do not believe their eyes when they first see the Balclutha. Almost everyone stops and looks at the huge ship. The ship looks almost new. Several years ago, more than one million dollars was spent in repairing and painting it. Now, more than two hundred thousand people a year visit the ship.

The Balclutha is perhaps the most popular ship with visitors at the Maritime Park. However, there are also several other ships which are very important to the history of the great harbor. But not all of these ships are open to the public. One that is open is a small steam-powered workboat, called the Hercules. The Hercules was a tugboat. Until 1924 it pulled ships around the harbor.

Another boat popular with visitors is the Eureka. It was built in 1890. It is the largest wooden ship still floating today. The Eureka was a ferryboat. It carried people and cars across the bay. It did this until the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oakland Bay Bridge were built.

The park also has a very unusual looking museum. It is a large building that almost looks like a ship. The museum is filled with interesting equipment. One of the most interesting objects in the museum is a small sailboat called the Mermaid, which is only large enough for one person to sit in.

The underlined word “It” in Paragraph 1 refers to _________.

A. the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

B. the Spanish exploration

C. the main visitor center

D. San Francisco Harbor

What can we know about the Balclutha according to the passage?

A. It is the largest wooden ship.

B. It is worth about one million dollars now.

C. It is a steam-powered workboat used to pull ships.

D. The huge ship attracts lots of visitors every year.

The ships are described in the passage in order to _______.

A. show the history of the great harbor

B. tell us each ship has its own features

C. tell us which one is the most popular

D. tell us these ships’ functions

We know from the passage that ________.

A. the Eureka is still used for carrying people and cars

B. the Hercules has not been used for pulling ships since 1924

C. the Mermaid is a small tugboat that can only hold one person

D. most of the ships in the park are open to the public

Throughout seafaring history, ships and sailors have been lost to storms, accidents and war. Until recently, most of these ships were weak wooden sailing vessel (船只), their skeletons(骨架) quickly eaten away by sea creatures. Now, large vessels made of steel float on the seas. Thousands of these huge ships have been lost in times of war and in times of peace.
The bones of great metal ships, unlike the wooden vessels of old, survive the destruction of the sea long enough to become home and harbor for underwater life of all kinds. Shipwrecks(残骸) often provide the only hard surface and structure at the sandy bottom of the sea, something many sea creatures need.
The ship has been underwater for only five days. Its surface is still clean. Six weeks later, the wreck is covered with a slimy layer of algae(海藻), but it is still recognizable as a ship. Soon, animals that need to attach themselves to a hard surface, like the feather duster worms, make the wreck their home.
In warm waters, coral polyps(珊瑚虫) settle on the wreck and begin the process of building a rock-like crust on the ship. Small fish are attracted on all of these creatures. Larger fish come to feed on these small fish that hide in the wreckage. Eventually, the largest animals are attracted to the rich life on the shipwreck.
Shipwrecks give us valuable information about how sea plants and animals develop. We know exactly how long this wreck has been under water and how long sea life has been growing on it. Yet even the strongest steel shipwreck will finally be destroyed by the flows of water. But long after this wreck has been broken apart, it will still act as a reef (礁石). Layer upon layer of sea life has formed a structure that is now more natural than artificial, and will remain an island of life under the sea.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT TRUE about shipwrecks?

Throughout seafaring history, ships and sailors have been lost to storms, accidents and war. Until recently, most of these ships were weak wooden sailing vessel (船只), their skeletons(骨架) quickly eaten away by sea creatures. Now, large vessels made of steel float on the seas. Thousands of these huge ships have been lost in times of war and in times of peace.

The bones of great metal ships, unlike the wooden vessels of old, survive the destruction of the sea long enough to become home and harbor for underwater life of all kinds. Shipwrecks(残骸) often provide the only hard surface and structure at the sandy bottom of the sea, something many sea creatures need.

The ship has been underwater for only five days. Its surface is still clean. Six weeks later, the wreck is covered with a slimy layer of algae(海藻), but it is still recognizable as a ship. Soon, animals that need to attach themselves to a hard surface, like the feather duster worms, make the wreck their home.

In warm waters, coral polyps(珊瑚虫) settle on the wreck and begin the process of building a rock-like crust on the ship. Small fish are attracted on all of these creatures. Larger fish come to feed on these small fish that hide in the wreckage. Eventually, the largest animals are attracted to the rich life on the shipwreck.

Shipwrecks give us valuable information about how sea plants and animals develop. We know exactly how long this wreck has been under water and how long sea life has been growing on it. Yet even the strongest steel shipwreck will finally be destroyed by the flows of water. But long after this wreck has been broken apart, it will still act as a reef (礁石). Layer upon layer of sea life has formed a structure that is now more natural than artificial, and will remain an island of life under the sea.

1.Which of the following is NOT TRUE about shipwrecks?

A．Most ships in ancient times sank easily and become shipwrecks.

B．Shipwrecks, for scientists, are worth researching to get valuable information.

C．The skeletons of old wooden shipwrecks will exist for quite a long time.

D．Some sea animals tend to seek food on the shipwrecks.

2.The writer’s purpose in writing the article is to tell us_____.

A．the differences between the ancient vessels and the modern ones

B．how the ships become shipwrecks at sea

C．how coral polyps live on the wreck in warm waters

D．the value of studying shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea

3.Which of the following is closer to the underlined “crust”?

A．a hard outer covering                    B．the skin of a rock

C．a hole in a ship                         D．a small house

4.What will happen to shipwrecks in the end?

A．They will be pulled out of the sea for research.

B．They are likely to disappear and form reefs.

C．They will become an island under the sea.

D．They will be like works of art.

Among these ships are one _____to us.

　 A．belonged　 B．belonging C．belongs D．belong

Throughout seafaring history, ships and sailors have been lost to storms, accidents and war. Until recently, most of these ships were weak wooden sailing vessel (船只), their skeletons(骨架) quickly eaten away by sea creatures. Now, large vessels made of steel float on the seas. Thousands of these huge ships have been lost in times of war and in times of peace.
The bones of great metal ships, unlike the wooden vessels of old, survive the destruction of the sea long enough to become home and harbor for underwater life of all kinds. Shipwrecks(残骸) often provide the only hard surface and structure at the sandy bottom of the sea, something many sea creatures need.
The ship has been underwater for only five days. Its surface is still clean. Six weeks later, the wreck is covered with a slimy layer of algae(海藻), but it is still recognizable as a ship. Soon, animals that need to attach themselves to a hard surface, like the feather duster worms, make the wreck their home.
In warm waters, coral polyps(珊瑚虫) settle on the wreck and begin the process of building a rock-like crust on the ship. Small fish are attracted on all of these creatures. Larger fish come to feed on these small fish that hide in the wreckage. Eventually, the largest animals are attracted to the rich life on the shipwreck.
Shipwrecks give us valuable information about how sea plants and animals develop. We know exactly how long this wreck has been under water and how long sea life has been growing on it. Yet even the strongest steel shipwreck will finally be destroyed by the flows of water. But long after this wreck has been broken apart, it will still act as a reef (礁石). Layer upon layer of sea life has formed a structure that is now more natural than artificial, and will remain an island of life under the sea

1. 1.

   Which of the following is NOT TRUE about shipwrecks?

   1. A.
      Most ships in ancient times sank easily and become shipwrecks
   2. B.
      Shipwrecks, for scientists, are worth researching to get valuable information
   3. C.
      The skeletons of old wooden shipwrecks will exist for quite a long time
   4. D.
      Some sea animals tend to seek food on the shipwrecks
2. 2.

   The writer’s purpose in writing the article is to tell us_____

   1. A.
      the differences between the ancient vessels and the modern ones
   2. B.
      how the ships become shipwrecks at sea
   3. C.
      how coral polyps live on the wreck in warm waters
   4. D.
      the value of studying shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea
3. 3.

   Which of the following is closer to the underlined “crust”?

   1. A.
      a hard outer covering
   2. B.
      the skin of a rock
   3. C.
      a hole in a ship
   4. D.
      a small house
4. 4.

   What will happen to shipwrecks in the end?

   1. A.
      They will be pulled out of the sea for research
   2. B.
      They are likely to disappear and form reefs
   3. C.
      They will become an island under the sea
   4. D.
      They will be like works of art