The report came to the British on May 21,1949. The German battleship Bismarck, the most powerful warship(战舰) in the world, was moving out into the Atlantic Ocean. Her task: to destroy the ships supplies from the United Statesto war-tornEngland.

　　The British had feared such a task. No warship they had could match theBismarckin speed or in firepower. TheBismarckhad eight 15-inch guns and 81 small guns. She could move at 30 nautical(海上的) miles an hour. She was believed to be unsinkable.

　　However, the British had to sink her. They sent out a task force headed by their best battleship Hood to hunt down theBismarck. On May 24, the Hood found theBismarck.

　　It was a meeting that the German commander Luetjens did not want to see. His orders were to destroy the British ships that were carrying supplies, but to stay away from a fight with British warships.

　　The battle didn’t last long. The Bismarck’s first torpedo(鱼雷) hit the Hood, which went down taking all but three of her 4,419 men with her.

　　But in the fight, theBismarckwas slightly damaged. Her commander decided to run for repairs toFrance, which had at that time been taken by the speed and the heavy fog, they lost sight of her.

　　For two days, every British ship in the Atlantic tried to find theBismarck, but with no success. Finally, she was sighted by a plane from the air. TheBismarckwas hit.

　　On the morning of May 27, the last battle was fought. Four British ships fired on theBismarck, and she was finally sunk.

　　1. TheBismarcksailed into theAtlantic Ocean____.

　　A. to sink the Hood

　　B. to gain control ofFrance

　　C. to cut off American supplies toBritain

　　D. to stop British warships reachingGermany