One of my most unforgettable experiences is the day I finished my tough rowing and keep myself free of loneliness.
As the youngest female ever to row alone across the Atlantic Ocean, I was often asked the same question: How did you, a only 20-year old youngster row a 18-foot boat for 70 days through those strong winds and violent waves and survive?
Frankly speaking, for me, the physical challenge was not the greatest one. Before I made my mind to row across the Atlantic, I had already cycled 3,300 miles, run all by myself across the Mojave Desert, and swum the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. No, the hardest part would be mental: How would I cope with the terrible loneliness and the boredom on the vast sea for such a long time?
I set out on January 1 and my first object was to swim past the quarter-way mark, which would take about 20 days. I made it on January 20, a gray and cloudy day.
I had thought to do something to celebrate my first goal such as treating myself to a chocolate bar or something else. But I didn’t. I was suffering from unbearable boredom and loneliness of the long sea journey. I hadn’t seen any landing at least more than two weeks. It seemed to feel the same every day. Eating, rowing, sleeping, staring at the sky, watching the ocean.
Then that day came! It was around dusk, I noticed something move on the horizon. Yes, some dolphins! They approached me and circled my boat. Suddenly I felt so blessed. They had arrived to accompany me and helped to celebrate, just when I needed them so badly! For the next 15 minutes, I did row at full speed with all my strength with those lovely dolphins around. By the time they were to leave me and we went our separate ways, I was no longer lonely.
After 70 days and five hours at sea, I finally reached my final destination. I was proud that I made it, all 2,817 miles, which helped to raise $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, an organization for funding drinking water. I’ve been told some athletes struggled to get through just by imagining the end during the whole process. But for me, what makes miracle is to focus your mind on the moment, where you experience the personal growth—those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, I had to admit those dolphins really freed myself from terrible loneliness.
小題1:Which of the following belongs to part of preparation for the row?
| A．Answering the same question raised by people |
| B．Swimming the 325-mile length of the river |
| C．Running 3,300 miles cross-country |
| D．Biking across the Mojave Desert |
小題2:The underlined part means ___________.
| A．I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate my first goal |
| B．I didn’t have any chocolate bar for energy |
| C．It’s a pity not to celebrate my passing the quarter |
| D．It’s a pity not to treat myself to a chocolate bar |
小題3:What can be implied from the last two paragraphs?
| A．The Blue Planet Run Foundation helped me a lot. |
| B．The dolphins accompanied me to reach my destination |
| C．The unexpected dolphins swept away my loneliness |
| D．Imagination was a useful way to help me get through |
小題4:Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．The only challenge for a 20-year old |
| B．Tips on handling loneliness at sea. |
| C．How to row alone across the Atlantic |
| D．The day I stopped being lonely |
