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Vocabulary Quiz
southern • piracy • loot
track • navigation • routes • investment
  1. This book is all about and violence at sea.
  2. The tip of the country is a protected national park.
  3. Satellite doesn't work well here, because the signal is not very strong.
  4. Many artificial canals were built to decrease the distance of shipping .
  5. The hardest part to starting your own business is the initial capital .
  6. She got a lot of at her graduation party.
Comprehension Quiz
Answer the following questions about the interview.

1222 Shipwrecks

Peter talks with Jana about why conditions favor shipwrecks in some parts of the world.

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  • Slide Show
  • Vocabulary


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southern tip


I guess there are many ships around the southern tip of Africa, because there is really bad weather.

The 'southern tip' of a country is the point that is the furthest to the south. Notice the following:

  1. The southern tip of the country is known for hot weather.
  2. There is a huge storm moving across the northern tip of the state tomorrow.



Another reason for sunken ships is piracy.

'Piracy' is what pirates do. It is robbery or illegal violence on the sea. We also 'piracy' to refer to illegal copies of merchandise. Notice the following:

  1. Because of piracy you never know if you are getting a genuine product.
  2. Piracy is a big problem for the music and film industries.

after the loot


Pirates were after the loot on the ships.

If you are 'after something,' you are pursuing something that you want. 'Loot' is possessions that are taken in a forceful or dishonest way. Notice the following:

  1. The robbers escaped with a lot of loot.
  2. Their team is really after first place in this competition.



Obviously, with technological advances, it's easier to track where the ships might be.

When you 'track' something, you follow it or look for it using some strategic method. Notice the following:

  1. Would you like to be able to track the package you are sending until it arrives?
  2. Hunters have to track animals though the woods.

satellite navigation


I think they can use satellite navigation and things like that.

'Satellite navigation' is a system used for directing yourself to a specific place. Notice the following:

  1. It is much easier to find your way around cities that you are not familiar with now that there is satellite navigation.
  2. Bad weather can cause problems with the satellite navigation.

shipping routes


The go through old shipping routes to find out where ships possibly got lost.

A 'shipping route' is the path that cargo ships take to get from one place to another. Notice the following:

  1. The building of the Panama Canal decreased the distance for many shipping routes.
  2. This particular shipping route takes about 3 weeks.

initial capital investment


I think it involves a lot of initial capital investment.

'Initial capital investment' is the money you have to pay to start a company or organization.  Notice the following:

  1. Starting a printing and copying company would require a lot of initial capital investment.
  2. People like internet companies because the initial capital investment is less than a real business.