Two women landed in Japan on Monday after their rescue from a damaged sailboat floating aimlessly in the Pacific Ocean.
Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava and their two dogs had been lost at sea for almost six months. The Navy ship USS Ashland rescued them about 1,450 kilometers southeast of Japan. Appel and Fuiava left Honolulu on May 3 sailing Appel's 15meter boat, the Sea Nymph. They had planned for an 18day trip to Tahiti. However, storms flooded the engine, destroyed the boat's starter and severely damaged the mast (桅杆). The women could not use the sails effectively, as a result. In June, they got within 1,345 kilometers of Oahu, Appel said. “We knew we weren't going to make it，” she said. “So that's when we started making
distress calls, hoping that one of our friends who like to go deep sea fishing might have spotted us.”
Jennifer Appel, right, and Tasha Fuiava sat with their dogs on the deck of the USS Ashland on Monday. They were thousands of miles in the wrong direction when a Taiwanese fishing boat found them. Appel said she paddled on a surfboard to the Taiwanese boat and made an emergency call.
The USS Ashland happened to be in the area at the time to avoid a storm. The ship's commanding officer Steven Wasson said the Ashland traveled 160 kilometers and found the women the next day. Appel told reporters on Friday that they were beginning to feel hopeless when they saw the US Navy ship coming toward them. “When I saw the gray ship on the horizon, I was just shaking，”she said. “I was ready to cry. I was so happy. I knew we were going to live.” The US Navy decided the Sea Nymph needed too many repairs. So, the sailboat was left at sea.
两名妇女带着两条狗驾船去塔希提岛，遇到风暴后迷失在海上，近六个月后才得救。
1．What is the main cause of the two women's being lost?
A．The boat ran out of oil.
B．The boat conveyed too heavy a load.
C．There were strong winds for a long time.
D．Storms brought too much water into the boat.
答案：D
解析：根据第二段第5句可知，风暴使海水淹没发动机，损坏启动装置和桅杆，所以她们迷失在海上。
2．What do the underlined words “distress calls” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A．Signals for help.
B．Longterm plans.
C．Important decisions.
D．Detailed preparations.
答案：A
解析：根据该段最后两句可知，她们在茫茫大海上发出求救信号，希望能被经过的船只发现。
3．Which of the following best describes the two women?
A．Brave and generous.
B．Cautious and fearful.
C．Adventurous and lucky.
D．Common and hardworking.
答案：C
解析：她们计划驾驶小船航行十八天去塔希提岛，这表明她们是有冒险精神的。她们最终被营救，这表明她们又是幸运的。
4．Why was the sailboat deserted finally?
A．It left people painful memories.
B．It demanded quite a lot of repairs.
C．It had been in water long and broke up.
D．The Taiwanese boat approached and crashed it.
答案：B
解析：根据文章最后两句可知，这只小船需要大修，所以被抛弃了。
