More than 700 letters from soldiers writing home to loved ones were hauled from the depths of a shipwreck, revealing life during the Second World War. The Gairsoppa was steaming home from India to Liverpool to deliver vital silver to fund the war efforts when she was hit by a Nazi U-boat on February 14, 1941. She sank in icy seas more than three miles deep near the coast of Ireland. Only one of her 84 crew survived. The ship, carrying lots of letters home, never reached its destination.
In 2011, The American deep-sea exploration pioneers Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered the long-lost wreck of the Gairsoppa 4,700 metres under the Atlantic Ocean. Remote control submarines searched for four hours to reach the wreck where teacups, sheets of silk and even bottles of tomato ketchup and HP sauce were found. Along with £150 million worth of silver and enough tea to fuel two thirds of the British population, twelve boxes of mail were preserved in an air pocket in the ship’s wreckage. 
A total of 717 letters, the largest collection ever found at sea, were hauled from the depths of the ocean in the ship offering a unique insight into the extraordinary circumstances of British people stationed in India. Most of the soldiers whose letters sank with the ship were stationed on the remote edge of British India’s North-West Frontier province. 
Some letters are being displayed in an exhibition called Voice from the Deep at the Postal Museum in London. Barbara Bhorgese, a conservator at the Postal Museum said “A lot of the letters came to me in little pieces. They were in the bottom of the ocean where the pressure is very heavy. The reason why you can still see writing is because the pressure at the bottom of the sea. They were so squeezed together that what was in middle got preserved remarkably well considering 70 years in salty water.”

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1.What’s the main purpose of Gairsoppa’s journey from India to Liverpool？

A To deliver soldiers’ letters.

B To finance the war with silver.

C To fight with a Nazi U-boat.

D To send the 84 crew home.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第一段第二句The Gairsoppa was steaming home from India to Liverpool to deliver vital silver to fund the war efforts when she was hit by a Nazi U-boat on February 14, 1941.可知这艘船是主要是往英国运送白银，以资助战争。故选B。

2.What does the underlined word “fuel” in Paragraph 2 mean ?

A Supply.

B Promote.

C Stimulate.

D Excite.

解析：选A。词义猜测题。根据画线单词的前后语境可知，该船上运送的茶叶可以供三分之二的英国人口饮用，因此可推知fuel的意思应为“供给”。故选A。

3.What did these letters show us?

A The great efforts that American deep-sea exploration pioneers had taken.

B The real situation of British soldiers living in India during World War II.

C The terrible sinking process that the British soldiers had experienced.

D The difficult conditions of the ocean where the letters were kept.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第三段第一句A total of 717 letters, the largest collection ever found at sea, were hauled from the depths of the ocean in the ship offering a unique insight into the extraordinary circumstances of British people stationed in India.可知这些信展示出了二战期间驻扎在印度的英国士兵们的真实处境。故选B。

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A The Gairsoppa carrying 84 crew sank near the coast of Ireland.

B It was not until 2011 that the wreckage of Gairsoppa was found under the Atlantic Ocean.

C Some of the letters are now be on show at the Postal Museum in London.

D All the letters were preserved well because of the heavy pressure under the sea.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据最后一段最后两句The reason why you can still see writing is because the pressure at the bottom of the sea. They were so squeezed together that what was in middle got preserved remarkably well considering 70 years in salty water.可知海底的巨大压力让这些书信得以保存，但只有中间的信件才被保存得十分完好，而非所有的信件。故选D。