Lesson 1. A Modern Ship

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

1. What defines the basic structural class of a ship?
2. What is a general term for sea-going vessels of every kind?
3. What is the difference in the meaning of the terms "vessel" and "craft"?
4. What is a modern ship?
A MODERN SHIP 

What is a modern ship? An overall answer to this question is difficult because there are so many types and sizes. Many modern ships are so complicated from the structural point of view that it is difficult to say exactly to what basic structural class they belong. The choice is governed by the size of the ship and the duty for which it is intended.
A ship may be defined as a vessel of considerable size adapted to navigation. The word is used as a general term for sea-going vessels of every kind. A ship may also be defined as a masted vessel of every kind larger than a boat and suitable for navigation on the high seas. In maritime law the word "ship" is equivalent to "vessel" and it is not the form, the construction, the rig, the equipment or the means of propulsion that makes a ship, but the purpose and business of the craft as an instrument of marine transportation. 
The word ship probably dominates in the following synonymic group by more frequent usage. Each word in the group denotes the basic notion, however differs in some shadow of meaning and consequently in usage and in combinations with other words. 
Vessel - a general word for all craft capable of floating on water and larger than a rowboat. The term "vessel" includes every description of water craft or other artificial contrivance used as a means of transportation. 
Craft (pl. unchanged) - a term in marine parlance applied to every kind of vessel but more especially to small vessels nowadays sometimes more sophisticated from structural or propulsion points of view (e.g. hovercraft, hydrofoil craft).

Boat - a small open craft propelled by oars, sails or some form of engine. This term is also applied to larger vessels built to navigate rivers and inland waters, and sometimes to sea-going vessels but in such case it is mostly used as a part of a compound word or expression (ferry boat, fishing boat, rowboat, lifeboat).
Ship - is a sea-going engineering structure to perform different duties to ensure navigation, shipping and defense of the state's interests.

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