A
Seasickness and sunburn. Taking care of old people in different situations. My medical friends did their best to persuade me. Everyone said that running away to sea would ruin my career. But after five sleep-deprived (睡眠不足的) years working as a junior doctor, I was willing to take the risk.
Hungry for adventure, I boarded a bright white ship in Singapore. With 2, 000 passengers and crew, it was the size of a small town.
To my relief, the hospital was well equipped, with an X-ray machine and a blood analyzer.
That first cruise (航行) was a learning experience, a tight schedule full of safety drills (演习). There was so much new information to take in. Even remembering which of the uniforms to wear each day was a challenge. Most confusing, I often forgot to change my clock when the ship crossed time zones.
As a doctor, I was responsible for the 600 crew including waiters, engineers, cooks and navigators (领航员), and I was on call (随时待命的) for the entire ship.
Far from treating seasickness and sunburn, as I’d been warned, my patients were wide and varied. The ship’s medical center was essentially a floating emergency room, but we didn’t have a team of specialists on hand for a second opinion. With long and unpredictable hours, it required mental toughness.
As you can guess, many of the passengers were elderly. Heart attacks don’t care about geography and emergency evacuations (疏散) were difficult to arrange.
I recalled one such patient, who was taken off the ship on a stretcher (担架) halfway through the Panama Canal. After a terrifying ride in the back of an old ambulance, I was relieved that the patient survived long enough to arrive at the hospital in Panama City.
Thankfully, there were several unexpected benefits to the job. I regularly enjoyed the passenger facilities, including the gym, spa and deck buffet (甲板自助餐). I even hosted my own table of passengers in the evenings. On rare days off, I volunteered as a tour guide on trips ashore (在陆地). I got to fly over Alaska in a seaplane and watched a ballet in St Petersburg.
I now understand that being a cruise ship doctor is not a job — it’s a way of life.
One year at sea became two. I lost my career ambitions, but I redefined happiness in my life.
【文章大意】本文为记叙文。作为一名初级医生的作者不听医学朋友的劝告, 做了游轮上的医生。游轮上的工作让作者受益匪浅, 也改变了作者对幸福的理解。
1. What can we know about the author’s first cruise?
A. She missed her job as a doctor.
B. She enjoyed a relaxing lifestyle.
C. She had to learn a lot of things.
D. She often felt confused about her job duties.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据第四段中的That first cruise was a learning experience, a tight schedule full of safety drills. There was so much new information to take in. Even remembering which of the uniforms to wear each day was a challenge. 可知, 第一次航行是一次学习的经历, 紧张的行程中充满了安全演习。有太多的新信息需要了解。甚至每天要记住穿哪种制服都是一个挑战。由此可知, 作者第一次航行要学会许多东西。故选C。
2. Why does the author mention the patient who was sent to the hospital in Panama City?
A. To tell that it was difficult to look after old patients.
B. To prove that being a cruise ship doctor is more tiring.
C. To stress the importance of a well-equipped hospital on the ship.
D. To show it was challenging to handle emergency situations on the ship.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第七段中的Heart attacks don’t care about geography and emergency evacuations were difficult to arrange. (心脏病的发作不管地点, 紧急疏散很难安排), 接着在第八段中举例被送到巴拿马城医院的病人来说明这种紧急处理有很大的难度。故选D。
3. What is Paragraph 9 mainly about?
A. The author’s experience as a tour guide.
B. The advantages of being a cruise ship doctor.
C. The loneliness of being the ship’s only doctor.
D. Various facilities for passengers on the cruise ship.
【解析】选B。段落大意题。主题句是第九段的第一句Thankfully, there were several unexpected benefits to the job. 可知, 这份工作有几个意想不到的好处。接着下文对这主题句提出的好处进行详细的说明。由此可知, 第九段主要叙述了作为游轮医生的优势。故选B。
4. What does the author think of her experience as a cruise ship doctor?
A. It was too stressful to tolerate.
B. It helped her build a better career.
C. It changed her understanding of happiness.
D. It provided opportunities to make more friends.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据最后一段中的One year at sea became two. I lost my career ambitions, but I redefined happiness in my life. 可知, 海上的一年变成了两年。我没有了我的职业抱负, 但我重新定义了我生活中的幸福。由此可知, 作者在游轮上的工作, 让她改变了对生活的理解。故选C。
