Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: What would have happened if only two of the sixteen water-tight
compartments had been flooded?
Vocabulary:
Southampton n .南安普敦（英国港口城市）
lookout n .瞭望员
collision n .碰撞
colossal adj.庞大的
narrowly adv .刚刚，勉强地
watertight adj .不漏水的
miss v .避开
compartment n .（轮船的）密封舱
slight adj .轻微的
tremble v .震颤
flood v .充满水
faint adj .微弱的
float v .漂浮，飘浮
horror n .恐惧
tragic adj.悲惨的
abandon v .抛弃
liner n .班船
plunge v .投入，跳入
voyage n .航行
lifeboat n .救生船
iceberg n .冰山
Passage:
The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th, 1912.
She was carrying 1, 316 passengers and a crew of 891. Even by modern standards, the
46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At that time, however, she was not only the
largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had
sixteen watertight compartments. Even if two of these were flooded, she would still
be able to float. The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for
she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.
巨轮“泰坦尼克”号 1912 年 4 月 10 日从南安普敦起锚驶向纽约。船上载有 1316
名乘客与 891 名船员。即便用现代标准来衡量，46000 吨的“泰坦尼克”号也算得
上一艘巨轮了。当时，这艘轮船不仅是造船史上建造的最大的一艘船，而且也被
认为是不会沉没的。因为船由 16 个密封舱组成，即使有两个舱进水，仍可漂浮
在水面上。然而，这艘巨轮首航就下沉，造成大批人员死亡。人们将永远记着这
艘巨轮的沉没惨剧。
Notes:
1 sail for，驶往……。
2 even by modern standards ，即使依照现代标准来衡量。by 作“依照”、“按照”讲。
3 regarded as unsinkable，被认为是不会沉没的。regard … as…当“把……当作……”
讲。
4 she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life，她首航就下沉，造成大
批人员死亡。go down 是“下沉”的意思。
Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the
North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a lookout. After the alarm had
been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision. The Titanic turned
just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out of
the water beside her. Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and
the captain went down to see what had happened. The noise had been so faint that no
one thought that the ship had been damaged. Below, the captain realized to his horror
that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her sixteen watertight compartments
had already been flooded! The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of
people plunged into the icy water. As there were not enough lifeboats for everybody,
1,500 lives were lost.
“泰坦尼克”起航后的第 4 天，它正行驶在北大西洋冰冷的海面上。突然，瞭望员
发现一座冰山。警报响过不久，巨轮急转弯，以避免与冰山正面相撞。“泰坦尼
克”这个弯拐得及时，紧贴着高出海面 100 英尺的巨大的冰墙擦过去。突然，从
船舱下部传来一声轻微的颤音，船长走下船舱去查看究竟。由于这个声音非常轻，
没人会想到船身已遭损坏。在下面，船长惊恐地发现“泰坦尼克”号正在急速下沉，
16 个密封舱已有 5 个进水。于是，他发出了弃船的命令，几百人跳进了冰冷刺
骨的海水里。由于没有足够的救生艇运载所有乘客，结果 1500 人丧生。
Notes:
5 narrowly missing ，勉强避开。
6 Below, the captain realized to his horror，在下面，船长惊恐地发现。 below 是个
副词。
10.2【阅读理解】The loss of the Titanic
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
Comprehension:
1 On what date did the Titanic sail for New York from Southampton? (April 10th,
1912.)
2 How many passengers was she carrying and how many crew? (1,316 passengers and
a crew of 891.)
3 How many tons was the Titanic? (46,000.)
4 How did she compare with other ships at that time? (She was the largest ship that
had ever been built.)
5 Why was she regarded as unsinkable? (Because she had sixteen watertight
compartments.)
6 If these were flooded, would the ship still float? (No, she wouldn't.)
7 Had the Titanic ever sailed before? (No, she hadn't.)
8 It was her first voyage, wasn't it? (Yes, it was.)
9 How many days had she been at sea when the iceberg was spotted? (Four days.)
10 Where was the ship at the time? (In the North Atlantic.)
11 What did she do to avoid direct collision? (Turned sharply.)
12 How high was the wall of ice? (100 feet.)
13 What was heard from below? (A slight trembling sound.)
14 What did the captain do? (He went down to see what had happened.)
15 Did the captain think the ship had been damaged? (No, he didn't.)
16 Why did no one think the ship had been damaged? (The noise had been so faint.)
17 What was actually happening to the ship? (She was sinking rapidly.)
18 How many of her compartments had been flooded? (Five.)
19 What order was given to the people on board? (Abandon ship.)
20 Why were so many lives lost? (Because there weren't enough lifeboats.)
10.3【拓展写作】The loss of the Titanic
Step 3: Composition
In not more than 200 words write an imaginary account of what happened on the
Titanic immediately after the order to abandon ship was given. Use the ideas given
below. Do not write more than three paragraphs.
Title: Abandon ship.
Introduction: Order to abandon ship unexpected — everybody unprepared.
Development: Immediate effect — panic and confusion — people rushing in all
directions — crew came up from below — lifeboats lowered — people jumped
overboard — struggle to get into lifeboats — lifeboats full
Conclusion: Titanic sank rapidly — people in water — cries of despair —
lifeboats moved away.
Key to composition
Abandon ship
The Titanic began to sink, slowly at first. The order to abandon ship was
unexpected, so passengers and crew were completely unprepared. It was the middle of
the night. Some people were asleep in their cabins. Others were on deck admiring the
brilliant night sky and the giant icebergs rising above them. Others were eating and
dancing in the wonderful ballrooms on the ship.
The immediate effect was panic and confusion. People began rushing in all
directions, wondering what to do next. The cold was indescribable and many
passengers were still in their night clothes. Members of the crew came up from below
and began to lower the lifeboats. It was a case of women and children first, but it soon
became obvious that there weren't enough lifeboats for everyone, so people jumped
overboard into the freezing water in order to save their lives. Some of those
swimming in the water struggled to get into the lifeboats, but most of them were
already full.
The Titanic sank rapidly, carrying many people down with it. There were cries of
despair from people in the water as they watched the lifeboats moving away and were
left to drown in the icy ocean.
课外练习：
1 When the Titanic set out from Southampton .
(a)she was carrying a very large cargo
(b)she was making a voyage which is only attempted by very large ships
(c) only two of her watertight compartments were flooded
(d) she was sailing on her maiden voyage
2 What happened once the iceberg had been spotted?
(a)The Titanic got lost in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.
(b)The alarm was given that there was collision ahead.
(c)The Titanic quickly changed her course.
(d)The Titanic turned just as the iceberg rose steeply out of the water.
3 The Titanic sank because .
(a)she had been badly damaged by an iceberg
(b)the captain was slow to realize the true nature of the damage
(c)no more than five of her watertight compartments had been flooded
(d) instead of trying to save her, people plunged into the water
4 were 1,316 passengers and a crew of 891.
(a)On her board
(b)On board her
(c)Boarding he
(d) On boarding her
5 No one thought she sink, for she had sixteen watertight compartments.
(a)would be possible to
(b)would be able to
(c)should
(d) could possibly
6 She four days when huge iceberg was suddenly spotted.
(a)sailed
(b)was sailing
(c)has sailed
(d) had been sailing
7 So faint that no one thought...
(a)the noise was
(b)had been the noise
(c) it was the noise
(d) it had been the noise
8 As there were lifeboats for everybody...
(a)as little
(b)so little
(c)very few
(d) too few
9 The great ship sharply to avoid direct collision.
(a)veered
(b)changed
(c)went back
(d) cornered
10 The Titanic turned narrowly missing the immense wall...
(a) in next to no time
(b) on sudden impulse
(c)with no time to spare
(d) nearly on time
11 The captain went down to .
(a)explore
(b)investigate
(c)examine
(d) inquire
12 There was not enough in the lifeboats for everybody.
(a)room
(b)place
(c)volume
(d)area
答案：1d 2c 3a 4b 5d 6d 7b 8d 9a 10c 11b 12a