Question ID - 84151 | SaraNextGen Top Answer

Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.                                                                         PASSAGE      For months the old tanker, African Queen, lay turned over on he sides, stuck fast in the sands off the coast of Maryland. She had run aground so badly that her owners had decided to leave her to her fate. It was considered impossible to refloat her and the ship began to rust and sink deeper and deeper into the sands. Men frequently came out in small boats and removed any parts that could be sold-until two men decided to attempt the impossible: to float the African Queen once more. Both men were engineers and had no experience of ships so that few people though they could succeed.     The men began by studying the exact state of the African Queen and came to the conclusion that she would float again if air was pumped into the tanks which were now full of sea-water. A diver was sent down to examine the underside of the ship. In the cold, dark water he found an enormous hole in her side which had been torn when the ship ran aground. It was plain that nothing could be done until the hole was repaired. As no single sheet of steel would cover it, the men were obliged to order a great number of sheets which had to be joined together. For several weeks’ divers worked continually to close the hole. At times, the sea was so rough that it was difficult to go down; and on more than one occasion, they had to contend with sharks.      At last the hole was covered and the men began to pump the sea-water out of the ship’s tanks. It seemed as if they were bound to succeed, for when the tanks were full ofair, the African queen began to stir in the water. The men could not understand why the still would not float until they discovered that her rudder was embedded in mud. Huge cranes were brought to haul the sunken rudder out and the ship was again afloat. By this time, the men were almost exhausted. They had worked ceaselessly for three months so save the African Queen and had succeeded when everyone thought they would fail. Now they stood on the bridge of the ship, tired but proud, as tugs brough the African Queen into the harbour.
Men frequently went out to the African Queen because
(a)	it was a rare sight to see a sunken ship.	(b)	they attempted to float the ship once again.
(c)	they wanted to take parts of the ship and well them.	(d)	it was an interesting exercise.
How did the two men propose to float the ship again?
(a)	By sending divers to examine the damage.	(b)	By closing the large hole in her side.
(c)	By joining a large number of steel sheets together	(d)	By pumping air into the tanks
What was the danger which the divers faced?
(a)	The rough sea.	(b)	The cold and dark situation underwater.
(c)	Having to counted with sharks.	(d)	The cutting edges of the steel sheets.
The two men felt proud because
(a)	they could float the ship in three months.	(b)	they bad succeeded when everyone though they would fail.
(c)	the African queen was coming into the harbour.	(d)	the African Queen began to stir in the water.
The part of the ship used for steering is called
(a)	rudder	(b)	bridge
(c)	underside	(d)	tank