首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Freezing cold, exhausted, soaked through, with massive waves crashing down on me, I was struggling to right my capsized catamara
Freezing cold, exhausted, soaked through, with massive waves crashing down on me, I was struggling to right my capsized catamara
admin
2015-01-09
78
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.
The coastguards came out to help the author because
选项
A、they discovered the author capsized his catamaran.
B、the author encountered a big whale.
C、they had lifesaving obligation.
D、they were well-meaning people.
答案
C
解析
细节题。由题干中的coastguards came out to help the author定位至第六段最后一句“…but once thecoastguards had been called,they had a duty to come out to help me…”(……不过一旦海岸警卫队收到呼救,他们就有义务来帮我。)说明海岸警卫队帮助我是出于义务,故[C]为答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/GrdO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Throughoutmostofitshistory,______wasamajorproblemthatplaguedIreland.
PeoplewholiveinTaylorstownhavemadetheirchoices:sceneryovershopping,deeroverdrive-throughs.Thehistoricenclave,a
TheRenaissancewasaEuropeanphenomenonoriginatedin______.
Thestudyofalanguagethroughthecourseofitshistoryiscalled
UltimoVargashadbeeninHatch,NewMexico,onlysixmonths,sinceMarch,andalreadyheownedhisownbusinesstocompetewith
Stoppingcigarettesmokinghasbecomeabigproblemforallgovernments.Indemocraticcountries,theeconomicstrengthofthe
Industrialbuyersareresponsibleforsupplyingthegoodsandservicesthatanorganizationrequiredforitsoperations.
FormostofAmericanhistory,businesseswereruntoprovidelivelihoodsand"reasonable"profit.Inthelastfewdecades,thou
随机试题
患者口淡乏味,纳呆食少,食后脘腹胀满,嗳气不舒,多食则恶心,甚或呕吐。其病位在
根管充填时主牙胶尖的长度应该是
交通标线是主要的交通安全设施之一,其主要作用是管制和引导交通,下列设施中属于交通标线的是()。
在下列关于设备磨损的表述中,错误的是( )。
会计电算化使财务会计管理由事后管理向事中控制、事先预测转变。()
树枝:柴火
甲乙均有家庭,但是对各自的配偶都不满意,于是勾搭成奸。后乙(女)良心发现,不愿再继续通奸。但是甲纠缠不休,以破坏乙的名誉进行要挟,强行与乙发生性行为。甲的行为()
Thedigitalonslaughtofe-booksandAmazon-stylee-tailershaveputbookstoresinanexistentialdilemma.Digitalbooksaresai
设有二维数组A[1..12,1..10),其每个元素占4个字节,数据按列优先顺序存储,第一个元素的存储地址为100,那么元素A[5,5]的存储地址为
Whichisnotaformofgovernmentinterventioninthemicroeconomy?______.
最新回复
(
0
)