首页
登录
职称英语
Freezing cold, exhausted, soaked through, with massive waves crashing down o
Freezing cold, exhausted, soaked through, with massive waves crashing down o
游客
2023-12-07
49
管理
问题
Freezing cold, exhausted, soaked through, with massive waves crashing down on me, I was struggling to right my capsized catamaran. Using all my strength to heave the water-laden sail upright, I glimpsed something orange moving towards me through the frothing surf. It was the RNLI lifeboat, coming to rescue me.
I had been teaching myself to sail a catamaran ever since a motorbike accident 10 years ago stopped me surfing. I had set myself the goal of sailing the Cribbar a wave off Newquay in Cornwall that can reach 30ft in height, earning it the nickname the Widow Maker. It occurs just once or twice a year, and is usually tackled by only the bravest and most skilled surfers, but I decided that I could ride it on my catamaran, Mischief. I would be the first person to do so.
I began by practising on Newquay’s normal waves. It was a steep learning curve—I had a few sailing lessons but mostly picked it up as I went along.
It’s incredibly hard tackling waves travelling at 40mph, often in dreadful conditions. People began to think I was mad. but I ignored them. Every time I launched my boat, I would be terrified but I wouldn’t turn back for anything—life is about facing your fears and testing your limits. There were moments when I’d think, "This is it" after I’d been hit by a 30mph squall, but I learned to stay calm. The moment passes soon enough.
In the early days I had to call the coastguards twice for help. I was very grateful when the lifeboat arrived and appreciated the service it provided.
But my relationship with them changed soon after that. Once I had got the hang of righting the boat, I was fine. It took a while, though around 20 minutes—and each time I capsized, well-meaning people on the beach would phone 999, thinking that I was in mortal danger. I wasn’t—I was having a whale of a time—but once the coastguards had been called, they had a duty to come out to help me, however unwanted that help was.
They’d arrive and I would explain that everything was OK but, since they were here, I wouldn’t mind a hand because the sail was heavy. Afterwards they expected me to limp back into the harbour after them—to do the "sail of shame" but I didn’t see the need, and I didn’t feel contrite, both of which may have needled them.
As the "rescues" mounted up, so did the anger of the harbourmaster and the RNLI. They raged at me for wasting time and money —it costs £2,500 for each call-out. By the 14th rescue, they threatened to ban me from Newquay harbour and I earned the nickname Captain Calamity. I was also described as a "bloody menace". They were so fed up with coming to my aid that the coastguards would simply write "Him again" in their logbook.
I refused to give up, though, and four years ago I caught the Cribbar for the first time. I felt a huge sense of achievement that I was the first person to do it in a catamaran. I’ve successfully ridden the wave five times since—despite my boat being destroyed in 2010. The coastguards hoped that would be the end of it, but I just said goodbye to Mischief and bought a replacement.
I understood where they were coming from—they had an obligation to help me but I wished they would check first that I wanted to be rescued. I am a strong swimmer and enjoy a wipeout in a big wave. To keep the peace, though, I took the refresher course in sailing that they requested, even if I didn’t think it was necessary.
I wasn’t concerned with all the criticism—embarrassment is a pointless emotion—but I would have liked to be asked why I wanted to sail the Cribbar. My reply is the same as that mountaineer’s: because it’s there. All adventures involve an element of risk, which is why they’re fun.
The RNLI and I get along famously now. I have invented a system that helps me right my boat in one minute instead of 20 and that has helped enormously—I have gone from being the bungling idiot to someone doing his own thing. I still check the forecast to see when the Cribbar may develop -it’s too much fun to stop sailing it. [br] The author thought the harbormaster and RNLI were angry with him maybe because
选项
A、he wasted time and money on surfing.
B、he menaced coastguards coming to aid.
C、he didn’t need them to rescue him.
D、he destroyed a boat in the waves.
答案
C
解析
细节题。文中讲述了作者练习冲浪时与海岸警卫队的关系变化。最初两次,作者感激海岸警卫队的救助,之后作者渴望冒险,不希望海岸警卫队来救助,与海岸警卫队关系变僵。第七段最后一句提到“…I didn’tsee the need,and I didn’t feel contrite,both of which may have needled them.”,needle是指“刺激”,故选[C]。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3251781.html
相关试题推荐
Thedescriptionofalanguageasitchangesthroughtimeisa______study.A、pres
WhichofthefollowingwordsisNOTformedthroughclipping?A、Dorm.B、Motel.C、G
Theworldisgoingthroughthebiggestwaveofmergersandacquisitionsever
Theworldisgoingthroughthebiggestwaveofmergersandacquisitionsever
Evenasthenumberoffemalesprocessedthroughjuvenilecourtsclimbsstea
Evenasthenumberoffemalesprocessedthroughjuvenilecourtsclimbsstea
Evenasthenumberoffemalesprocessedthroughjuvenilecourtsclimbsstea
Evenasthenumberoffemalesprocessedthroughjuvenilecourtsclimbsstea
Evenasthenumberoffemalesprocessedthroughjuvenilecourtsclimbsstea
WhichofthefollowingwordsisNOTformedthroughclipping?A、Dorm.B、Motel.C、G
随机试题
Hersuggestionthateverybody______wasnotappreciated.A、singasongB、sanga
Certainportableelectronicdevices(PEDs)mayinterferewithaircraftnavigati
Theword"plastic"comesfromtheGreekword"plastikos"andisusedtodesc
男性,48岁,近1周内发现血压升高156/98mmHg,服用利尿剂氢氯噻嗪降压效
“太冲脉衰少,天癸竭,地道不通”指的时间是A、女子六七 B、女子七七 C、女
通过()比率法的分析,可以考察成本总量的构成情况及各成本项目占成本总量的比重,同
经营劳务派遣业务的劳务派遣单位,注册资本不得少于( )元。A.50万 B.1
在图4-76中,将系统的惯性力系向O点简化,其主矢FI和主矩MIO的数值分别为(
入侵探测器按防范的范围可分为点型、线型、面型和空间型。下列警戒范围仅是一个点的探
建筑安装工程验收中,属于主控项目的是()。A.电梯的安全保护及试运行 B.管
最新回复
(
0
)