今天小编带来了关于英语四六级的美文阅读欣赏，希望对大家的学习有所帮助，预祝大家考试顺利！

500yearsago,onSeptember20,1519,fiveshipssailedfromSpain.AstheshipssetoutacrosstheAtlanticOcean,onlyonemanknewtheirgoal.Magellan,aPortuguesesailor,hopedtofindapassagefromtheAtlantictothePacificOcean.IfMagellancouldfindit,hewouldshortenthejourneytotheSpiceIslandsacrossthePacific.Europeantraderswantedtoreachtheseislands.Theretheycouldbuyvaluablespices.Magellanandhiscrewweregoingtotradeforcinnamonandcloves.Buthewasn’tevensurethepassageexisted.

Inthosedays,therewasnosuchthingasradioorGPSdevices.Therewerenolightsexceptcandlesandlanterns.Andtheshipshadnosourceofpowerexceptforwindandrowing.Inthedark,theshipscommunicatedwitheachotherbytorchlight.Noneoftheshipshadaccuratemapsorclocks.Andtheyhadnowaytotellwhatweatherwascoming.Withnorefrigeration,foodcouldspoilquickly.

Threehardmonthspassed.Usingthestarsforguidance,MagellanandhiscrewsfinallymadeitacrosstheAtlantictothecoastofBrazil.

Thentheyheadedsouth,alongthecoast.Theywerelookingforthepassage.Butwinterhadcome.Forthesafetyofhismen,Magellandecidedtostopthesearchuntilspring.

FOUND!

Whentheworstofthewinterhadpassed,Magellanandhismensailedsouthoncemore.Atlonglast,13monthsafterleavingSpain,Magellanfoundthepassagehehadbeenlookingfor.Thirty-eightdayslater,theyreachedthePacific.Magellanweptatthesight.Hegavethisnew"oceananame.HecalleditPacific,whichmeanscalm,peaceful.

TheysteeredintothePacificwherenoEuropeanhadsailedbefore.Withoutstrongwinds,theydriftedintheheat.Theirdrinkingwaterwentbad.Withoutfood,thesailorsateratstheycaughtontheships.Manymenfellill;manydied.

Atlast,theshipsfoundlandwheretheycouldanchor.TheyhadreachedthePhilippineIslands.Theywerenotfarfromtheirdestination,theSpiceIslands.Sadly,Magellanwaskilledthereduringabattle.

HEADINGHOME

Withtheirleadergone,thesailors’spiritssank.ButtheysailedonandfinallyreachedtheSpiceIslands.Theremainingsailorstradedclothforcinnamonandcloves.Thentheybeganthejourneyhome.

ThreeyearsandonemonthafterleavingSpain,onlyoneofthefiveshipsreachedhome.Outofmorethan200menwhosetout,only18survived.

AlthoughMagellandidn’tlivetocelebrate,heisrememberedtodayastheleaderofthefirstaround-the-worldjourneyinhistory.Magellan’svoyagenotonlyprovedthattheworldwasround,butalsothatitwaspossibletosailallthewayaroundit.ManypeoplebelievethatMagellan’svoyagewasthemostremarkableinhistory.