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.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath－perhaps not so noticeably out in mid­ocean，but where it meets land，its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach.It mimics(模仿)nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature.It is filled with symbiotic existences，too：unimaginable quantities of creatures，little and large alike，mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony，giving to the waters a feeling of heartbea t，a kind of sub­ocean vita lity.And it has a psychology.It has personalities：sometimes peaceful and pleasant，on rare occasions rough and wild；always it is strong and striking.
9．Unlike real inland seas，the Atlantic Ocean is ________.
A．always energetic   B．lacking in liveliness
C．shaped like a square   D．favored by ancient poets
解析　细节理解题。从第一段中的“Unlike real inland seas，which seem strangely still，the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness.”可知，liveliness(精力充沛，活跃)与energetic近义，故答案为A项。
答案　A
10．What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?
A．To describe the movement of the waves.
B．To show the strength of the storm.
C．To represent the power of the ocean.
D．To prove the vastness of the sea.
解析　推理判断题。从诗歌下面的一段“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.”可知，这首诗主要向我们描述了海洋的强大力量。
答案　C
11．What does the underlined word “symbiotic” mean?
A．Living together.    B．Growing fast.
C．Moving harmoniously.    D．Breathing peacefully.
解析　词义猜测题。划线单词所在的句子后边用了冒号，后边的内容是对前边句子的解释，从下文“unimaginable quantities of creatures，little and large alike，mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony”中的mix within等字眼可知，划线单词意为“共生的”，故A项符合要求。
答案　A
12．In the last paragraph，the Atlantic is compared to ________.
A．a beautiful and poetic place
B．a flesh and blood person
C．a wonderful world
D．a lovely animal
解析　推理判断题。从最后一句“It has personalities：sometimes peaceful and pleasant，on rare occasions rough and wild；always it is strong and striking.”中可以看出，大西洋有个性：有时安静，有时野蛮等，把这些用来描绘人的词汇用来描写大西洋，所以此处把大西洋比喻成了一个有血有肉的人。
答案　B