Reading comprehension.
My father was chief engineer of a merchant ship, which was sunk in world war. The book night of the
U-boats told the story.
Memories
In September, 1940, my mother, sister and I went to Swansea, where my father 's ship was getting ready
to sail,we brought him a family photography to be kept with him at all times and keep him safe.
Then I remember my mother lying face down, sobbing. She had heard from a friend that the ship had
been sunk by a torpedo (鱼雷).
I can remember the arrived of the telegram (电板), which in those days always brought bad news. My
grandmother opened it, it read, safe. love dad."
My most vivid memory is being woken and brought down to sit on my father's knee, his arm in a bandage.
He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war, for as long
as I can remember, he had a weak heart,mother said it was caused by the torpedoes. He said it was because
of the cigarette, whichever, he died suddenly in his early 50s.
Ten years later I read night of the U-boat and able to complete the story.
A toast
In my room there is the book and the photograph. Often, glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have
dealt with an explosion, a sinking ship, a jump into a vast ocean and a wait for rescue lest (以免) we forget
I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.
1. We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea _____.
A. to meet a friend
B. to see the father
C. to take a family
D. to enjoy the sailing of the ship
2. What did the author learn about the father from the telegram?
A. he was still alive
B. his knee was broken
C. his ship had been sunk
D. he had arrived in Glasgow
3. The underlined word "it" in paragraph 6 refers to the father 's _____.
A. weak heart
B. taking a shore job
C. failure to return
D. injury caused by a torpedo
4. What can we know about the author 's father after his ship was attacked?
A. He lost his arm.
B. He repaired the engines.
C. He managed to take a lifeboat.
D. He was the last to leave the ship.
5 What is the passage mainly about?
A. A group of forgotten heroes.
B. A book describing a terrifying battle.
C. A ship engineer's wartime experience.
D. A merchant's memories of a sea rescue.
