How was it that an American ship came to be sunk by American mines in a port held by American forces?

Built in1931, the luxury liner SS President Coolidge was a 10-year veteran(退伍军人) of the Pacific before she was pressed into service by the military and converted to carry troops.
On October 26, 1942, towards the end of her first year of World War II service, the Coolidge hit an American mine in the east entrance of the Segond Channel on Espiritu Santo, one of the islands of the New Herbrides(now Vanuatu), and sank in 36 meters of water.

Though all but two of the 5000 officers and men aboard were saved, the loss of the ship was a military scandal. She had escaped the Japanese during the worst part of the war in the Pacific, only to be lost because of a series of disastrous American mistakes.

The master of the Coolidge, Henry Nelson, claimed he hadn’t been warned that the harbor was mined. Worse, in terms of wartime security, neither of the two US destroyers the Coolidge had encountered had challenged her. Nor had they relayed the vital information about the mines. “The first warning was from a signal station further in the harbor telling me to stop, that we were approaching danger,” he wrote.

‘I, in turn, stopped the engines and backed the engines, but with the speed we were moving, we still went too far and we struck two mines. I immediately, with the speed we had left, headed the ship to the beach, and ordered “abandon ship ”, which was done and completed in 45 minutes.’ ‘No one mentioned to me, no one informed me, that there was a mine field in Espiritu Santo. Had there been some knowledge of mines, I never would have approached anywhere visible.’

Captain Nelson was exonerated(免罪) by a court of inquiry but those responsible did not escape blame. The port director’s office at Noumea and the inefficiency of an experienced commanding officer of a navy patrol(巡逻队) and pilot boat were blamed.

Today, the Coolidge is one of the world’s best wreck dives. Much of her original luxury decoration remains, including The Lady, perhaps the most photographed underwater icon in the world. Military equipment she was transporting can also still be seen. 

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)

78. The ship was “pressed into service by the military” suggests that it was ______________. 

79. What caused the sinking of the ship?

80. Why did the ship still hit the mines after the captain stopped the engines? 

81. Why was the sinking of this ship a “scandal”?

78. strong

79. Henry Nelson hadn’t been warned that the harbor was mined.

80. Because the ship was too fast to stop at once.

81. Because the mistakes of American officers led to the sinking.

本文讲的是SS President Coolidge这艘船是如何在美军管辖的港口上被美国军舰打沉得。SS President Coolidge这艘船在太平洋Vanuatu海域触碰水雷后被炸沉。除了两名乘客死亡，其余全都幸免遇难。

第78题是一道推断题，问的是这艘船被军队征用表明了什么？定位到文章第二段，文章第二段说的是SS President Coolidge在被征用前已经“退休”十年了，这次能够再次“上岗”，说明它还是足够“强壮的”。

第79题是一道推断题，问的是是什么导致了沉船，定位到第五段，“Henry Nelson hadn’t been warned that the harbor was mined.”船长先生声明他之前根本没有被警告海港被埋了水雷。所以才导致了后面的沉船悲剧。

第80题是一道推断题，问的是为什么在船长停下船后还是撞到了水雷，定位到第六段“I, in turn, stopped the engines and backed the engines, but with the speed we were moving, we still went too far and we struck two mines.”我停下引擎，但是因为开得太快了所以就算想停下来也来不及，需要同学自己做出概括：Because the ship was too fast to stop at once.

第81题是一道推断题，问的是沉船事件为什么是一个丑闻，定位到第四段：“She had escaped the Japanese during the worst part of the war in the Pacific, only to be lost because of a series of disastrous American mistakes.”该船能够在最凶险的战役中幸免，却因为美国人自己犯的错误而导致了沉没。也需要同学自己做出概括：Because the mistakes of American officers led to the sinking.