The salvage operation had been a complete failure.

operation ^{work / activity / action (运作，实施；运转，操作；手术；活动，行动；军事行动；企业，公司；业务，经营 )}

• rescue / relief / cleanup operation ^{救援/救济/清理行动}
• For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. 

The small ship, Elkor, which had been searching the Barents Sea for weeks, was on its way home.

the Elkor ^{做同位语时可以不加the}

• The loss of the Titanic
• One of the most famous sailing ships of the nineteenth century, the Cutty Sark, can still be seen at Greenwich.

The small ship, Elkor, after she had been searching the Barents Sea for weeks, was on its way home. ^{不使用定语从句就要重复主语}

• I have to be very careful not to offend the boss, because he could fire me at any time. ^{原因状语从句} → I have to be very careful not to offend the boss, who could fire me at any time.  ^{前一个词是后一个状语从句的某一个成分}
• The action, although it has aroused universal disapproval, is nevertheless the only solution. ^{让步状语从句} → The action, which has aroused universal disapproval, is nevertheless the only solution.

on one's way (to ...) ^{在某人去...的途中}

• On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it bounced along the pavement and then disappeared down a drain.

造句：Alfred Bloggs, a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation, who had been working for 8 hours on end,was on his way home. ^{在Ellesmere公司工作的垃圾工 AlfredBloggs，在连续工作了8小时之后，正在回家的途中。}

A radio message from the mainland had been received by the ship's captain instructing him to give up the search.

radio message ^电报

• radiogram
• telegram

mainland Europe ^欧洲大陆

• mainland China ^中国大陆

instruct sb. to do ... ^{指示某人做…}

• The editor at once sent the journalist a fax instructing him to find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.
• Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door.

instructing him to abandon / stop / cease / abort the search. ^替换

造句：A letter from the kidnappers had been received by the old lady instructing her to pay a ransom of £ 1,000.^{老太太收到绑匪的一封信，命令她支付1,000英镑的赎金。}
造句：An interesting discovery was made by archeologists that an ancient statue of a goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman.^{考古学家作出了一个有趣的发现，一尊古代的女神像原来竟是一位看上去很摩登的女郎。}

The captain knew that another attempt would be made later, for the sunken ship he was trying to find had been carrying a precious cargo of gold bullion.

make an attempt to do ... ^{试图、尝试做某事}

• The captain knew that his attempt would not be the only attempt（啰嗦）. ^{船长知道他的尝试不会是唯一的尝试。}
• The captain knew that his attempt would not be the only one. ^不够精简
• The captain knew that his would not be the only attempt. ^{his 为名词性物主代词}

Our age is a tragic age. ^重复
Our age is a tragic one. ^啰嗦
Ours is a tragic age. - Shakespeare

• Brevity is beauty. ^{简洁即是美。}

cargo ^{n.（船或飞机装载的）货物}

• The ship carries both freight and passengers. 
• cargo ship / airplane ^{货船、货机}
• freight train ^货运火车