葡萄牙男子橫渡大西洋

胡金瑩

一名葡萄牙男子駕駛一艘僅靠太陽和風(fēng)提供動力的小船橫渡了大西洋。他使用風(fēng)箏來帶動船只，并用太陽能給船上的燈光和設(shè)備供電。

1 A Portuguese man has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat powered only by the sun and wind. He used kites to move the boat and solar power to use lights and equipment on the boat. Francisco Lufinha arrived on the island of Martinique on December 20. He hopes his trip will earn him a Guinness World record for Fastest Solo Atlantic Crossing by Kite Boat. He also hopes his trip will help people understand the need to protect the ocean.

2 The kite?powered boat reached top speeds of over 30 kilometers per hour. Lufinha traveled 6，400 kilometers in 25 days. He set out from Cascais， near Lisbon， Portugal on November 3 and arrived on the Caribbean island of Martinique on December 20. Lufinha was not at sea for all that time， however. He made a planned stop at the Canary Islands on November 8. He had to stay longer than planned because of strong winds. He remained there until November 30.

3 Lufinha made the crossing completely alone in a 7.2?meter?long and 5.6?meter?wide trimaran. This kind of boat has three long， thin parts， with a small room for sleeping and shelter. Lufinha used a hand pump to produce water for drinking and cooking. He said， “To produce water， I need to use this water maker. I have two of these， which I can pump and every hour I can make around four liters of water.” The water pump has a special filter to remove salt from the sea water. Lufinha used the water to add to dried food he carried with him on the boat.

4 He called his trip “a big learning experience”. It was a big test of his adaptability. He learned a lot. He learned most of all to look at his problems relatively. He had so many problems all of the time， such as kites getting torn and kites exploding. And the only way to not suffer was to think， “It could be worse.” He said his way of thinking during the difficult crossing helped him to get through it hour by hour， day by day， week by week until he got to the Caribbean and finished this Atlantic crossing.

Detail 1. Whats the purpose of Lufinhas trip？

A. To get a Guinness World record and a big bonus.

B. To reach top speeds of over 30 kilometers per hour.

C. To set a record by covering 6，400 kilometers in 25 days.

D. To let people know the necessity of protecting the ocean.

Detail 2. Why did Lufinha stay longer than the planned stop at the Canary Islands？

A. He met strong winds.

B. He had another plan.

C. His boat was in trouble.

D. His water pump didnt work.

Detail 3. What was the most important thing Lufinha learned during his trip？

A. He could use kites to move the boat.

B. He looked at problems in a wise way.

C. He knew how to remove salt from the sea water.

D. He learned how to adapt to the changeable environment.

Inference 4. Which words can best describe Lufinha？

A. Determined and smart.

B. Humorous and curious.

C. Calm and patient.

D. Strict and honest.

Difficult sentences in the text

1. Lufinha used the water to add to dried food he carried with him on the boat. 盧菲尼亞把這些水加到他隨船攜帶的干糧中。

【點石成金】本句是一個復(fù)合句。從句he carried with him on the boat是一個省略了that或which的定語從句，修飾dried food。

2. He said his way of thinking during the difficult crossing helped him to get through it hour by hour， day by day， week by week until he got to the Caribbean and finished this Atlantic crossing. 他說，在艱難的橫渡過程中，他的思維方式幫助他時復(fù)一時、日復(fù)一日、周復(fù)一周地渡過難關(guān)，直到他到達(dá)加勒比海，完成了這次橫渡大西洋。

【點石成金】本句中，said后面是一個省略了that的賓語從句，until在句中作連詞，意為“到……時”。