The Atlantic Ocean
Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean，an Sshaped body of water covering 33 million square miles.The Atlantic has，in a sense，replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization.Unlike real inland seas，which seem strangely still，the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness.It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.“Storm at Sea”，a short poem written around 700，is generally regarded as one of mankind's earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean's breast
As the poem suggests，the Atlantic is never dead and dull.It is an ocean that moves，impressively and endlessly.It makes all kinds of noise—it is forever thundering，boiling，crashing，and whistling.
[阅读障碍词]
1．evidently adv. 明显地
2．Mediterranean n. 地中海
3．vitality n. 重要性
4．representation n. 代表
5．impressively adv. 令人难忘地
[诱思导读]
阅读短文，判断正(T)误(F)
1．The Atlantic Ocean covers 33 million square miles.(T)
2．The Atlantic seems still all the time.(F)
3．“Storm at sea” is regarded as one of the earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.(T)
