Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, who made his fortune from mining, first launched plans for Titanic II in 2012, and again in 2018.
When he first floated his dream of building Titanic II — an exact copy of the Titanic a decade ago, the popular view was that he was rich and strange enough to do it. But the COVID pandemic hit, and the multimillion-dollar project was sidelined as ports closed and passengers wouldn’t like to be quarantined (隔离) at sea.
Now that the pandemic has passed, and cruise ships are once again at sea, Palmer, who is chairman of the Blue Star Line company behind the project, said the time is right to revive his Titanic dream. “We are very pleased to announce that after unforeseen global delays, we have reengaged with partners to bring the dream of Titanic II to life. Let the journey begin,’’ Palmer said. Blue Star is collecting proposals and plans to confirm a ship builder by the end of the year, to begin work in the first quarter of 2025. Right now, Palmer expects the winning bidders to be based in Europe.
At the relaunch, his team redistributed an eight-minute video. The ship itself will be 269 meters long and 32.2 meters wide — slightly wider than the original. Capacity will be 2,345 passengers spread across nine decks with 835 cabins. Almost half of those will be reserved for first class passengers. Third class passengers will be treated to stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room — as they were on the original boat — though a spokesperson said other meals will also be available for those who want a less authentic experience.
Palmer wants to replicate the Titanic — without the tragic ending. And he believes that tapping the world’s fascination for the luxury vessel (豪华游艇) will somehow bring people closer together. “We all know how to make war. We get armies and we fund wars. People know about that. But it is a lot harder to make peace. To make peace you have got to stick with it every day. You progress inch by inch,” he said.
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1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “sidelined”?
A Inspired.
B Estimated.
C Delayed.
D Expanded.
解析：选C。C 词义猜测题。根据第一段中的“first launched plans for Titanic II in 2012, and again in 2018”以及第二段中的“But the COVID pandemic hit ... as ports closed and passengers wouldn’t like to be quarantined at sea”可知，由于港口关闭，乘客重新评估了他们在海上被隔离的风险，“泰坦尼克Ⅱ”计划被耽搁了。故选C。
2.What CAN’T be learned about the Titanic II project from the text?
A It’s the third time that it has been launched.
B The end of the COVID pandemic promotes it.
C The Blue Star Line company is in charge of it.
D A European ship builder has been decided.
解析：选D。D 细节理解题。结合第三段内容可知，新冠疫情的结束促进了该项目的重启；这是第三次启动该项目；蓝星航运公司是该项目背后的推动力量；结合“Right now, Palmer expects the winning bidders to be based in Europe.”可知，游船制造商还没选定。故选D。
3.What does the fourth paragraph focus on?
A The design features of Titanic II.
B The reasons for Palmer building Titanic II.
C The difficulty of building Titanic II.
D The appeal of Titanic II to the public.
解析：选A。A 段落大意题。结合第四段中的描述“The ship itself will be ...”“Capacity will be ...”“Almost half of those will be reserved ...”等可知，本段主要描述了“泰坦尼克Ⅱ”的相关设计特点。故选A。
4.What does Palmer think of Titanic II?
A It links the port areas around the world.
B It is something that can provide peace.
C It can be a ship sailing between countries.
D It can be a ship where dreams come true.
解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“somehow bring people closer together”这艘游轮将以某种方式拉近人与人之间的距离，以及帕尔默所说的话“But it is a lot harder to make peace. To make peace you have got to stick with it every day.”但实现和平要困难得多，为了和平，你必须每天坚持下去，可知，帕尔默认为“泰坦尼克Ⅱ”可能会为人类带来和平。故选B。
