Question

Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering

33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.

“Storm at Sea”, a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.

When the wind is from the west

All the waves that cannot rest

To the east must thunder on

Where the bright tree of the sun

Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.

As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise-it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.

It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath-perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿)nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.

1. Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is __________.

A. always energetic B. lacking in liveliness

C. shaped like a square D. favored by ancient poets

2. What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?

A. To describe the movement of the waves.

B. To show the strength of the storm.

C. To represent the power of the ocean.

D. To prove the vastness of the sea.

3.What does the underlined word “symbiotic” mean?

A. Living together. B. Growing fast.

C. Moving harmoniously. D. Breathing peacefully.

4.In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to __________.

A. a beautiful and poetic place

B. a flesh and blood person

C. a wonderful world

D. a lovely animal

Answer 1