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A Shipwrecked Sailor
battered by the waves. In an instant I was howl of a dog. The cargo had
five meters away from Rengifo and had disappeared. The mast, growing more
lost sight of him. But he appeared in distinct, proved that the small ship hadn't
another spot, still not panicking, ducking sunk, as I had first thought. I felt calm. I
thought that one of my mates had
underwater to prevent the waves from
managed to reach the other life raft.
sweeping him away. I stood up, holding
out the oar, hoping Rengifo could get 12 There was no reason they shouldn't
close enough to reach it. But then I could have reached it. The rafts weren't
see he was tiring, losing heart. He called provisioned- in fact, none of the life rafts
to me again, sinking: ‘Fatso! Fatso!’ of the small ship was outfitted. But there
were six of them, apart from the rowboats
10 I tried to row, but... it was as hopeless
and the whalers. It was reasonable to
as the first time. I made a last try so that
believe that some of my mates had
Rengifo could reach the oar, but the raised
reached the other life rafts, as I had
hand, which a few minutes earlier had
reached mine, and perhaps the destroyer
been trying to keep the headphones from was searching for us.
sinking, sank forever, less than two meters
Very soon I was aware of the sun. A
from the oar.
midday sun, hot and metallic. Stupefied,
11 I don't know how long I stayed like that, not fully recovered, I looked at my watch.
balancing in the life raft, holding out the It was noon on the dot.
oar. I kept searching the water, hoping 13 The last time Rengifo had asked me
that someone would surface soon. But the the time, on the small ship, it was 11.30. I
sea was clear and the wind, getting had checked the time again and the
stronger, blew against my shirt like the disaster had not yet occurred. When I
11. 'I made a last try.' What was the 'last try' made absurd: _________________________________
by Velasco? Was he successful in it?
________________________________________
________________________________________
revel:____________________________________
12. 'I kept searching the water, hoping that
________________________________________
someone would surface soon.' Did anyone come
to the surface? Why? provision: ________________________________
________________________________________ ________________________________________
________________________________________ whaler: _________________________________
13. Pick out the image that describes the sun.
________________________________________
________________________________________
outfit:____________________________________
________________________________________ ________________________________________
English VIII 49
