Ships That Break Ice: Context Clue Practice

Ships That Break Ice

1In the coldest parts of the world, the sea can freeze in winter. Ordinary ships cannot travel through thick ice. That is where icebreakers come in. An icebreaker is a ship built to push through frozen water and open a path for other ships.

2An icebreaker's hull must be very strong. The hull is the main body of a ship, the part that sits in the water. On an icebreaker, the hull is reinforced, or made stronger, with extra-thick steel.

3The front of the ship, called the bow, has a special shape. Instead of standing straight up, it slopes like the front of a sled. When the icebreaker moves forward, the sloped bow slides up onto the ice. Then the ship's great weight presses down, and the ice cracks beneath it.

4Sea ice comes in different forms. Some of it is pack ice. Pack ice is a large area of floating ice pieces pressed tightly together. Other ice drifts in floes. A floe is a flat sheet of ice floating on the water. Some floes are small, while others are huge.

5Icebreakers help in many ways. They clear routes for vessels such as cargo ships, fishing boats and ferries. Some icebreakers also carry provisions, like food, fuel, medicine and other supplies, to towns and research stations that are surrounded by ice.

6Life on board can be noisy. As the ship grinds through the ice, crushing and scraping it, the crew hears loud booming sounds below. Crew members also have to be vigilant. In other words, they must stay watchful at all times and look out for ice that is too thick to break.

7Without icebreakers, some cold places would be isolated for months. They would be cut off and alone, with no way for ships to reach them. These tough ships help keep the winter waters open.