外研版（2019）选择性必修三高中英语Unit 6 Nature in words 同步分层训练

One beautiful day, my good friends and I joined an experienced crew and sailed in the Caribbean. As boating beginners, my friends and I were in charge of spotting the light areas of the seafloor that signaled dangerous reefs (暗礁).Ocean reefs have the potential to destroy any sailboat that passes over them, so while the electronic depth sounder is a necessary tool, it is always helpful to find a reef ahead of time so that it can be more easily avoided.

One aspect of boating that was reserved for the experts was tacking, the sailing term for changing direction. All at once, a smooth sail could turn into complete pandemonium as the captain at the wheel began yelling directions to the first mate (大副), who quickly began struggling with the sails and rigging (索具). Generally, the wind continued to offer resistance. This made the first mate's struggle more demanding and really frightening to the less experienced boaters on board. This mad yelling and tacking could go on for several minutes before all was right again and the boat settled into its new course. Once this had occurred, the captain and the first mate acknowledged each other with congratulatory smiles. We beginners, however, were still recovering from our terror and wondering to ourselves, "Was all that supposed to happen? And they think this is fun?"

As we headed back toward the shore, the unpredictable wind not only slowed but stopped, and soon the boat did too. After several minutes, the ship's crew unwillingly turned on the motor. Unfortunately, it wouldn't start and so we floated at sea, no land in sight, just waiting. It was late afternoon when I began to recognize the panic that was rising in my throat. Eventually, the ship's captain got the engine running. The sails were up and the little motor moved along.