Fog On The Crossing
Written by Studio AM.
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The crossing usually took twenty-two minutes in clear weather. In fog, Captain Ruiz would not promise an arrival time. This morning the harbor lights were soft grey stains, and the far shore was hidden.
She reduced speed and checked the radar, compass and chart. The crew kept watch and listened for other vessels. A deckhand reported a faint light to port, on the boat's left side. Ruiz checked its position before changing course.
The ferry sounded its fog signal. Some passengers covered their ears, but the sound warned other boats that the ferry was there. A horn from the mist made the crew listen more closely.
The new deckhand asked whether she was frightened. Ruiz said that she was sometimes. 'That is a reason to check carefully,' she told him, 'not a reason to guess.' She looked back at the instruments, then out across the water.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the passage mainly about?
The answer is D: The captain combines careful observation and instruments in fog.
Ruiz reduces speed, checks instruments, listens to the crew and observes the water. Her final comment favors checking over guessing.
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Question 2 of 4
How long does the crossing take in clear weather?
The answer is C: Twenty-two minutes
The opening gives twenty-two minutes as the usual crossing time in clear weather, not a promise for fog.
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Question 3 of 4
Why does Ruiz sound the horn?
The answer is A: To warn other vessels of the ferry's presence
The passage says the fog signal warns other boats that the ferry is there, even when it is difficult to see.
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Question 4 of 4
What does 'port' mean in this passage?
The answer is B: the left side of the boat
The text directly identifies port as the boat's left side.
Score: none answered yet.