Introduce the story: Today we'll talk about a famous sailing ship.
Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: What piece of bad luck prevented the Cutty Sark from winning the race?
Vocabulary:
impressive adj . 给人深刻印象的
steamship n. 蒸汽轮船
vessel n. 轮船，大木船
era n. 时期，时代
Java n. 爪哇（印度尼西亚一岛）
rudder n. 舵
roll v. 颠簸，摇摆
steer v. 掌握方向
temporary adj. 临时的
plank n. 大块木板
fit v. 安装
Equator n. 赤道
delay n. 耽误
Passage:
One of the most famous sailing ships of the nineteenth century, the Cutty Sark, can
still be seen at Greenwich. She stands on dry land and is visited by thousands of
people each year. She serves as an impressive reminder of the great ships of the past.
Before they were replaced by steamships, sailing vessels like the Cutty Sark were
used to carry tea from China and wool from Australia. The Cutty Sark was one of the
fastest sailing ships that has ever been built. The only other ship to match her was the
Thermopylae. Both these ships set out from Shanghai on June 18th, 1872 on an
exciting race to England. This race, which went on for exactly four months, was the
last of its kind. It marked the end of the great tradition of ships with sails and the
beginning of a new era.
人们在格林威治仍可看到 19 世纪最有名的帆船之一“卡蒂萨克”号。它停在陆地
上，每年接待成千上万的参观者。它给人们留下深刻的印象，使人们回忆起历史
上的巨型帆船。在蒸汽船取代帆船之前，“卡蒂萨克”号之类的帆船被用来从中国
运回茶叶，从澳大利亚运回羊毛。“卡蒂萨克”号是帆船制造史上建造的最快的一
艘帆船。唯一可以与之一比高低的是“塞姆皮雷”号帆船。两船于 1872 年 6 月 18
日同时从上海启航驶往英国，途中展开了一场激烈的比赛。这场比赛持续了整整
4 个月，是这类比赛中的最后一次，它标志着帆船伟大传统的结束与一个新纪元
的开始。
Notes:
1 Cutty Sark ，“卡蒂萨克”号，19 世纪一艘著名的帆船。现在这艘船在伦敦格林
威治作为展品被保护了起来。在轮船时代以前，它是那时侯最快的帆船。
2 both these ships，这两艘船。也可写成 both of these ships 或 both ships。
The first of the two ships to reach Java after the race had begun was the Thermopylae,
but on the Indian Ocean, the Cutty Sark took the lead. It seemed certain that she
would be the first ship home, but during the race she had a lot of bad luck. In August,
she was struck by a very heavy storm during which her rudder was torn away. The
Cutty Sark rolled from side to side and it became impossible to steer her. A temporary
rudder was made on board from spare planks and it was fitted with great difficulty.
This greatly reduced the speed of the ship, for there was a danger that if she travelled
too quickly, this rudder would be torn away as well. Because of this, the Cutty Sark
lost her lead. After crossing the Equator, the captain called in at a port to have a new
rudder fitted, but by now the Thermopylae was over five hundred miles ahead.
Though the new rudder was fitted at tremendous speed, it was impossible for the
Cutty Sark to win. She arrived in England a week after the Thermopylae. Even this
was remarkable, considering that she had had so many delays. There is no doubt that
if she had not lost her rudder she would have won the race easily.
比赛开始后，“赛姆皮雷”号率先抵达爪哇岛。但在印度洋上，“卡蒂萨克”号驶到
了前面。看来，它首先返抵英国是确信无疑的了，但它却在比赛中连遭厄运。8
月份“卡蒂萨克”号遭到了一场特大风暴的袭击，失去了一只舵。船身左右摇晃，
无法操纵。船员用备用的木板在船上赶制了一只应急用的舵，并克服重重困难将
舵安装就位。这样一来，大大降低了船的航速。因为船不能开得太快，否则就有
危险，应急舵也会被刮走。因为这个缘故，“卡蒂萨克”号落到了后面。跨越赤道
后，船长将船停靠在一个港口，在那儿换了一只舵。但此时，“塞姆皮雷”号早已
在 500 多英里之遥了。尽管换装新舵时分秒必争，但“卡蒂萨克”号已经不可能取
胜了，它抵达英国时比“塞姆皮雷”号晚了 1 个星期。但考虑到路上的多次耽搁，
这个成绩也已很不容易了。毫无疑问，如果中途没有失去舵，“卡蒂萨克”号肯定
能在比赛中轻松获胜。
Notes:
3 The first of the two ships to reach Java…，两艘船中首先到达爪哇的…… 。不定
式短语 to reach Java 此处作定语，修饰 first，中间被另一个修饰 first 的介词短
语 of the two ships 所分开。
4 take the lead ，领先。lose one's lead，失去其领先地位。
5 There is no doubt that if she had not lost her rudder she would have won the race
easily. 毫无疑问，如果中途没有失去舵，“卡蒂萨克”号肯定能在比赛中轻易夺冠。
这是一个虚拟语气的句子，是对过去的一种假设。
25.2【阅读理解】The Cutty Sark
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
Comprehension:
1 Which famous 19th-century ship can be seen at Greenwich? (The Cutty Sark)
2 How many people visit her each year? (Thousands.)
3 What were ships like the Cutty Sark replaced by? (Steamships.)
4 What did sailing vessels carry? (Tea from China and wool from Australia.)
5 What was special about the Cutty Sark? (She was one of the fastest sailing ships that
has ever been built.)
6 What was the name of the only other ship to match her? (The Thermopylae.)
7 On June 18th, 1872, the two ships set out on a race. From where to where? (From
Shanghai to England.)
8 The race went on for four months, didn't it? (Yes, it did.)
9 Did the race mark the end of the great tradition of sailing ships? (Yes, it did)
10 Which ship reached Java first? (The Thermopylae.)
11 Where did the Cutty Sark take the lead? (On the Indian Ocean.)
12 Did the Cutty Sark have a lot of good luck? (No, she had a lot of bad luck.)
13 What happened in August when she was struck by a heavy storm? (Her rudder was
torn away.)
14 How difficult was it to steer her? (It was impossible)
15 The sailors made a temporary rudder. What from? (From spare planks.)
16 Why did she call in at a port after crossing the Equator? (To have a new rudder
fitted)
17 How far ahead was the Thermopylae at this time? (Over five hundred miles.)
18 How quickly was the new rudder fitted? (At tremendous speed.)
19 When did the Cutty Sark arrive in England? (A week after the Thermopylae.)
20 Was this remarkable? (Yes, it was.)
21What would she have done if she had not lost her rudder? (She would have won the
race easily.)
25.3【拓展写作】The Cutty Sark
Step 3: Composition
In not more than 250 words write a composition entitled ‘Ships of the past'. Expand
the ideas given below into a plan.
Ideas: Ancient ships —oars--galley slaves —Viking ships — Eric the Red —early
sailing ships — Columbus — galleons — the Spanish Armada — warships —
Nelson — the coming of steam — the Great Eastern.
Key to composition
Ships of the past
Men have always wanted to cross water. Thousands of years ago, men made
simple dug-out canoes so that they could cross rivers or go out into lakes to fish. At
first, then,
man's earliest boats were small and simple and were powered and steered by paddles
or oars.
When men wanted to travel greater distances, across very large lakes or small
seas, for example, boats needed to be larger. We have all seen pictures of ancient
ships with rows of oars at each side and slaves to row them. In fact these galleys were
just a larger version of the single-man rowing boat, still made of wood and very much
the same design as very early boats.
Early ships might have been primitive, they might have been made of wood and
might have been powered through the water with Oars, but they managed to cross
oceans. The Viking ships that invaded Britain hundreds of years ago also reached
North America. Later sailing ships, like those that Columbus sailed in, the galleons
that formed the Spanish Armada or those that Nelson sailed in, were an advance.
But perhaps the greatest development in the history of ships was when steam
engines replaced sails. For centuries, ships had depended on the wind to sail across
the seas and oceans. At last, with an engine to drive a propeller, seamen did not have
to rely totally on the weather. From then on, ships like the ‘Great Eastern’ could be
larger, safer and more manoeuvrable in the water.
(254 words)
课外练习：
1 The fame of the Cutty Sark rests mainly upon .
(a) the number of tourists who come to visit her annually
(b) her likeness to other great sailing ships of the past
(c) her being one of the last and one of the fastest of a line of great sailing ships
(d) her victory in the race against the Thermopylae
2 The race which took place between the Cutty Sark and the Thermopylae was
_______.
(a) a landmark in the history of shipping
(b) held to celebrate the invention of the steamship
(c) held especially for sailing ships on the route from Shanghai to London
(d) unusually slow because the Cutty Sark lost her rudder en route
3 During the race, the most remarkable feat of the Cutty Sark was .
(a) although last to reach Java, to take the lead on the Indian Ocean
(b) the fact that she managed to sail into port without a rudder
(c) the speed at which she was sailing while having a new rudder fitted
(d) the speed at which she made up the gap between her and the Thermopylae
4 The Cutty Sark at Greenwich.
(a) is still possible to see
(b) is able still to be seen
(c) may still be seen
(d) is still possibly seen
5 Before vessels like the Cutty Sark were used…
(a) steamships replaced sail
(b) the steamship replaced the sailing ship
(c) steamships replaced sailing
(d) the steam replaced the sail
6 It seemed certain that she the first ship home.
(a) would go to be
(b) would be going to be
(c) went
(d) was going to be
7 The Thermopylae arrived in England only a week before .
(a) she did
(b) she was
(c) herself
(d) she had arrived
8 her rudder, there is no doubt she would have won…
(a) That if she had not lost
(b) Not having lost
(c) Were she not to lose
(d Had she not lost
9 -on dry land and thousands of visitors each year.
(a) appeals to
(b) attracts
(c) catches
(d) pulls
10 On June 18th, 1872 both these ships an exciting race from Shanghai to
England.
(a) set out On
(b) departed for
(c) entered
(d went for
11 On the Indian Ocean, the Cutty Sark went into the lead.
(a) into
(b) on
(c) for
(d after
12 Even this was remarkable, the numerous delays.
(a) in respect of
(b) according to
(c) in view of
(d) accounting
答案：1c 2a 3d 4c 5b 6d 7a 8d 9b 10a 11a 12c