📖 Reading Passage

Read the following passage carefully, then answer the questions below:

The weathered fishing boat "Sea Spirit" creaked as it bobbed against the harbour wall in Whitby. Captain Jenkins had been working these Yorkshire waters for over thirty years, his calloused hands telling the story of countless dawn departures and twilight returns. The North Sea could be unforgiving, especially during the winter months when icy winds whipped across the grey waters and fishing nets came up disappointingly light.

"The catch isn't what it used to be," Jenkins muttered to his crew as they prepared their lines for another day's work. The younger fishermen nodded respectfully, though privately they wondered if the old captain's pessimism was justified. Modern technology had transformed the industry, but Jenkins remained stubbornly loyal to traditional methods, claiming that "the sea rewards patience, not gadgets."

As the boat chugged away from the protective embrace of the harbour, the crew felt the familiar mixture of anticipation and uncertainty that accompanied every fishing expedition. The English coast stretched endlessly before them, holding its secrets beneath the restless waves.

🎯 Part 1: Language and Vocabulary

🔍 Part 2: Inference and Analysis