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?

Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. Clark and his wife worked and saved,   21 plans for their nine children and themselves to   22   to the United States. It had taken years, but they had finally    23   enough money and had gotten passports and reservations for the    24    family on a new liner to the United States.

The entire family was    25    with excitement about their new life. However, seven days before their   26   , the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy   27   hung a yellow sheet on the Clarks’ front door.   28    the possibility of rabies (狂犬病), they were being quarantined (隔离)for fourteen days.

The family’s dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to America   29  they had planned. Watching the ship leave    30   his family, the father, filled with disappointment and anger, cursed both his son and God for their    31    .

Five days later, the tragic news spread    32   Scotland---the mighty Titanic had sunk. The  33  ship had sunk, taking hundreds of lives with it. The Clark family    34  have been on that ship, but because the son had been bitten by a dog, they were left    35     in Scotland.

When Mr. Clark heard the news, he hugged his son and thanked him for    36  the family. He thanked God    37 saving their lives and turning what he had left was a tragedy into a    38   .

Although we may not   39  understand, all things happen for a     40   .

Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. Clark and his wife worked and 36  , making plans for their nine children and themselves to travel to 37  . It had taken years, and they had 38  saved enough money and had got passports (护照) and 39 for the whole family to the United States.
The entire family was filled with 40  about their new life.  41  , seven days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy but he42     a yellow sheet on the Clarks’ front door. 43   the possibility of rabies (狂犬病), they should be quarantined (隔离) for fourteen days.
The family’s 44    was destroyed. They would not be able to make the trip to America as they had 45  . The father, filled with disappointment and 46     , hurried to the dock to watch the ship leave — without the Clark family. 47    of disappointment came to the father. Five days 48     , the tragic news spread throughout Scotland — the mighty Titanic had sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, 49   many lives with it. The Clark family should have been on that ship, 50   because the son had been bitten by the dog, they were51   in Scotland. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he 52    his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning 53  he had felt was a(n) 54  into a blessing.
Although we may not always understand, all things 55   for a reason.
【小题1】